Admissions

Your first point of contact with Hartley Primary Academy is usually at the School Office, which is open between 8.30am – 4.00pm daily.

If you wish your child to start at Hartley, as a result of moving into the area and/or transferring from another school, please place your child on the list for future entrants by completing an In-Year Admission Form. Please send your completed In Year Admission Form to office@hartleyprimary.org.uk. For new reception children a KCC ‘Reception Common Application Form’ will need to be completed (this is an online process), expressing Hartley as your first preference.  The office staff will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Kent County Council’s website on School Admission can be found here.

Pupils are admitted to school in accordance with the Hartley Primary Academy Admissions Policy. All forms should be completed and returned to the school by the deadline indicated on the form.

If you have any difficulty completing the forms please do not hesitate to contact the school office, where help will be given.

Allocation of Places, School Admission Policy and Planned Admission Limit

Places will be allocated according to the published criteria in priority order:

  • Children in Local Authority Care and previously looked after children including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
  • Current family association (an elder brother or sister in the school at the time of entry).
  • Child of a teaching member of staff.
  • Health reasons (for which a medical certificate may be needed).
  • Nearness of children’s homes to school.

Hartley Primary Academy has a Planned Admission Limit of 60 children per year group.

Reception Places – for September 2023 Intake

Primary school applications closed on 16 January 2023.

If you have not applied and are a Kent resident, please contact kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk 

Parents do not legally have to send their children to school until the term after they are five. We find in practice, due to effective transition procedures, children younger than five cope well in their first year with our wonderful staff who have particular skills with our youngest children.

Parents are advised that there is no guarantee that nursery children will be placed in the same Reception class as their friends. We have a number of criteria which are taken into account when allocating children to their new classes; friendships are not part of our defined criteria.

Appeals

If you have not been offered a place, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. All appeals will be heard online, which has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work.

If you wish to appeal for a place in Reception, year 1 or year 2, please use this link to complete your appeal online.

If you wish to appeal for a place in years 3 – 6 please use this link to complete your appeal online

Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is suggested that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form. Those applying for a place in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 are advised to read the section in the appeal’s booklet which refer to Reception, years 1 and 2.

Appeals Explanatory Booklet - Education Appeals

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school.

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months. If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing.

If you wish to contact the clerk – email : clerk@educationappeals.com

Timetable for Appeals

Last day for lodging appeal forms for a place in RECEPTION to start in September 2024

4pm on Thursday 16 May 2024 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard in the first tranche of appeals. Appeals lodged later may not be heard until the second tranche which could be in September 2024. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply any documentary evidence at this stage.

The stage 1 part of the hearing (with other parents present) will take place on

1 or 2 July 2024

Part 2, the individual private hearings will take place on

1 or 2 July 2024

Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel

At least 10 school days before the stage 1 hearing.

Any additional supporting evidence

24 June 2024. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please provide the Clerk with FIVE copies of any additional evidence. All such evidence to be submitted in A4 format and NOT bound, but may be stapled on the top left hand corner. Paperwork submitted with your appeal form does not need to include 5 copies. These should be sent to PO BOX 367, Cuffley, Herts, EN6 4XZ.

Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel

Due to the high number of appeals held at this time, this may not be sent until up to 2 weeks after the last hearing for the school.

Mid-Term Applications Appeals

Last day for lodging appeal forms following a refusal for a place an ‘in year’ or ‘mid-term’.

You must lodge the appeal form within 20 school days upon receipt of your letter of refusal. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply documentary evidence at this stage. Appeals are held within 30 school days of receipt of the appeal form.