Bishop Ridley Church of England VA Primary School

How to Apply

Applications will be made on the Bexley Common Application Form (BCAF). This will be available from the school or the Bexley Council Civic Offices from 1 September. The BCAF will ask for general information such as home address and if there is a sibling already at the school. Parents must also complete a supplementary form, which will enable them to give information about church attendance etc. This will also be available from the school from 1 September.

Both forms, together with any documentary evidence (e.g. proof of address and birth certificate), must be returned to the school by 15 January. Any form returned after this date will be considered as a late application and will be dealt with on the basis of the over-subscription criteria below. They will not be dealt with on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

Over-subscription Criteria

If the school is over-subscribed the following criteria will be applied in this order of priority

• Children with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), that states that the school would be particularly suitable in meeting their special needs. A copy of the child’s plan naming Bishop Ridley School is required to support the application.
• Children in public care (Looked After Children).
• Children with a parent employed by Bishop Ridley School.
• Children with a brother or sister in the main primary school at the time of admission; this includes natural siblings, stepsiblings and those living in the same household as siblings.
• Children resident in the parish of Bishop Ridley.
• Children whose parents are regular practicing members of Bishop Ridley Church and whose regular attendance can be confirmed by the clergy of that church in a letter of declaration. ‘Regular attendance’ is defined as at least once a month over a period of the twelve months prior to the date of application. ‘Membership’ is defined as having been on the electoral roll of the church for at least six months. Where an applicant has recently moved then evidence must be provided of regular attendance at the previous church. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to obtain the reference and submit it at the time of application.
• Children whose parents are regular practicing members of another Anglican church, whose regular attendance can be confirmed by a clerical reference as in point six above.
• Children whose parents worship at any other Christian place of worship, who accept and support the ethos of a Church of England school and whose regular attendance is confirmed by the priest/ minister/ religious leader of that place of worship by written reference.
• Children of other Christian denominations whose parents state that they accept and support the ethos of a Church of England school.
• Children of other faiths whose parents state that they accept and support the ethos of a Church of England school.
• Children of no faith whose parents state that they accept and support the ethos of a Church of England school.
• Other children who do not fall into any of the above criteria, including those for whom a supplementary form has not been submitted.

Where a choice has to be made within any of the above categories then the following criteria will be used to determine priority within each category:

• Children, or one or both parents, with a medical condition or disability, which would cause significant hardship if the child could not attend this school. This would need to be supported by a consultant doctor’s letter or certificate, or by evidence of a registered disability.
• Reference will be made to the distance the child lives from the school gates measured in a straight line (not by the shortest walking route). Children living nearer to the school will be given priority over those living further away.

Variation to Over-subscription Criteria (6-8 above) regarding church attendance

In the event that during the period specified for attendance at worship, the church [or, in relation to those of other faiths, relevant place of worship] has been closed for public worship, and has not provided alternative premises for that worship, the requirements of these arrangements in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church [or in relation to those of other faiths, relevant place of worship] or alternative premises have been available for public worship.

Casual Admissions

Casual admissions of children moving into the area or transferring from another school will be considered by the Governing Body having regard to the admissions criteria stated above and according to whether places are available in the appropriate classes.

Infant Class Size

The need to comply with the legal requirement that no infant class may have more than 30 pupils means that it is very unlikely that more than 60 pupils will be admitted in any one year.

Register of Interest

A Register of Interest will be kept with the details of the applicants who are refused admission due to oversubscription. This will be kept in the sequence of the criteria described above. As places become available they will be offered to applicants on the register. Names will be kept on the register until the end of the academic year for which the application for admission was made.

Right of Appeal

In the event of an application being unsuccessful, parents have the right to appeal against the Governing Body’s decision not to offer a place. Appeals should be made in writing to the Clerk of the Appeals Committee c/o Clerk to the Governing Body at the school address. Details of the appeals procedure will be set out in the letter of refusal. Refusal letters will be sent out at the same time as those offering places to parents. An independent appeals panel will consider each case on its merits. Details for the arrangements for admissions and appeals will be reviewed and published every year.