Eden Primary

Summary of our philosophy on admissions:

Our school welcomes Jewish and non-Jewish children equally into an open, supportive, Jewish learning environment. Our admissions policy reflects this ambition. Our admissions policy recognises all ways of practising Judaism. We accept synagogue membership/attendance, Jewish voluntary work and a child’s previous enrolment in a Jewish playgroup or nursery as valid criteria for admission to Eden Primary. We also welcome people who practice Judaism in a private or family environment to qualify for faith-based entry.

If this is the first time you’ve applied to a school, you might find this document a bit technical. But don’t worry! You don’t need to worry about which heading to apply under. We will work all that out. And if you have any questions, you can always call us on 020 8883 9527. The School has an agreed admission number of 30 pupils for entry in Reception. All applicants will be admitted if 30 or fewer apply. If the school is oversubscribed, at least 50% of its places available each year will be allocated without reference to any faith-based admission criteria. The School will participate in the local authority’s fair access protocol and places may be given in accordance with that protocol.

Admissions criteria

After the admission of children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health and Care plan which names the School, places will be offered in the following order:

• Looked after children and previously looked after children – see note 1
• Children whose social or medical needs are needs that the School can reasonably meet and which are such that they cannot be met sufficiently at another school. Applications under this criterion will only be considered with supporting evidence from an appropriate professional.
• Children with a sibling on the roll of the School at the time of the proposed admission – see note 2.
• Children of Eden Primary staff where the member of staff has been employed at the school for a period of two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, OR the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.’
• The remaining places will be split equally between those children living nearest the school (as measured in a straight line from the Ordnance Survey address point of the child’s home to the main entrance of the school – see note 3) and those children of families who practise Judaism (see test below). These faith places will also be offered on a distance basis.

If there are an odd number of children to consider, the extra place will go to the next child on the distance list. To qualify for a faith-based place, proof of Jewish practice must be provided in one of the following ways:

• Membership of a synagogue or other organized Jewish prayer group.
• Attendance by a parent / carer or child at a minimum of 4 synagogue or other organized Jewish prayer group services in the 12 months before the closing date for admissions.
• A child’s enrolment in formal Jewish education (either at nursery or pre-school having a Jewish character) for at least 6 months in the 12 months before the closing date for admissions.
• A parent / carer’s regular (at least monthly) involvement as a volunteer in any Jewish communal, charitable or welfare activity of at least a year’s duration in the 2 years before the closing date for admissions – see note 4
• A parent / carer’s regular (at least 6 individual occurrences) involvement in any combination of the following in the year before the closing date for admissions:
• Private religious celebration in your own home of Shabbat or Jewish festivals.
• Organized Jewish learning (e.g. London Jewish Cultural Centre courses, Limmud sessions, Jewish Museum courses).
• Organized Jewish community activities (e.g. Mitzvah Day, Jewish Community Centre events).

If you are able to apply for a faith-based place please complete the supplementary information form (SIF) which explains in detail what information is needed.

The tie-breaker for all criteria is children living closest to the school as measured in a straight line from the Ordnance Survey address point of the child’s home to the main entrance of the school. If there are 2 or more applications that are equidistant, random allocation (supervised by a person independent of the school) will be used to decide between them.

Note 1: A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions. A previously looked after child is a child that was looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to a residence, special guardianship order, or child arrangements order to which the child is still subject. Previously looked after children include those children 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. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.

Note 2: ‘Siblings’ are defined as children who live as brother or sister in the house for the majority of school nights (Sunday to Thursday inclusive), including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, half or stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers or sisters.

Note 3: The child’s home will be taken to be that shown as the permanent home in the application. Where the parents of the child are separated, the home of the parent who has care and control of the child will be regarded as the child’s home for the purpose of determining the distance from the school. When the parents of the child have equal care and control, the home of the child shall be the home of the parent at which the child spends the majority of school nights (Sunday to Thursday inclusive).

Note 4: Voluntary activities that might constitute practical or financial support to a Jewish charity cannot be used to satisfy the test.