Harris Girls Academy Bromley

Academy Admissions

Welcome to the Harris Girls' Academy Bromley Admissions

We are a thriving, diverse and academically successful school for girls, based in New Beckenham.

Our full policy, with details of our admissions criteria, can be downloaded at the bottom of the page. A brief summary of the application procedure follows, for Sixth Form, Year 7 and in-year admissions.

Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley will set admission arrangements annually. Where changes are proposed to admission arrangements there will be a public consultation on these arrangements. If no changes are made to admission arrangements the Academy consultation will only take place at least every 7 years.

Academy admissions: contact details

• Contact: Mrs Saunders
• Telephone: 0208 778 5917
• Email: n.saunders@harrisbromley.org.uk
• Address: Harris Girls' Academy Bromley, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 1QR
• Department for Education Number: 305 4002

The Academy has an admission number of 180 in Year 7 for September. For admissions into the next year’s Year 7, parents and carers are required to complete an application form (known as the “Common Application Form” - CAF) which will be sent to them by their local authority. No applications direct to the Academy can be accepted.

The main points to remember are:

• You must submit an application form to your Local Education Authority if applying online by 31 October. A place at any secondary school can only be offered if an application has been received.
• Think carefully about the order in which you place your chosen schools on the form. You should enter your most preferred school first on the list. Please remember to enter the full name of Harris Girls' Academy Bromley, There are several different Harris Academies and an entry of simply “Harris Academy” will be ignored.
• BANDING TEST DAY is on Friday 8th December. Your daughter will only need to sit ONE test, even if you have listed more than one Harris Academies on your CAF form as we share our results.
• Supplementary Form: you will only need to fill and return this form to us by Monday 13th November if your child has Special Education Needs; please see below to download the form.
• Be sure to include at least three different schools on your preference form.

In March , the local authority will notify you of the school where your child has been offered a place. If you are happy with the offer, you MUST ACCEPT this place by returning the acceptance form to Admissions at the Academy.

If you are unhappy that you did not receive an offer of a school place at Harris Girls' Academy Bromley, you have the right to lodge an independent appeal with us

In-year admissions
If you are looking for a place in Harris Girls' Academy Bromley because you have recently moved into the area, or your child is at another secondary school and you feel that a change of school would benefit their education and/or general well-being, you are entitled to apply for a school place.

Since September 2013, the law allows you to apply directly to Harris Girls' Academy Bromley. Please contact Admissions at the Academy, (contact details above) to request an in-year admission form. Please note that there is no guarantee that a place will be available, but you have the right of appeal if you are refused a place.

For parents/carers who wish to appeal
Parent(s) wishing to appeal against the Academy’s decision should complete an Appeal Form stating the reason for the appeal based on the published Admissions Criteria.

Completed forms should be sent for the attention of Clerk to the Appeal Panel, Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley, Lennard Road BR3 1QR. Forms should be submitted by 29th March.

The appeals will be heard in private by an Independent Appeal Panel. The Clerk to the Appeal Panel will make an appointment within a reasonable time. Please note that:

• Appeals may be made in English or the parents’/carers’ first language
• Only one appeal per application is allowed
• Appeals are conducted in person, and you may bring a friend

Additional supporting information
If an appellant wishes to submit further evidence, which was not included with their initial appeal, they should ensure this is received at least seven clear working days (not counting the day of postage or the hearing) in advance of your appeal.

Only a short document, such as a doctor’s letter not previously available, will be accepted up to five clear working days prior to the hearing. Any additional evidence or information received after this deadline will not be circulated and may not be considered at the hearing.

The appeal hearing
The Academy will arrange for an Independent Appeals Panel to consider the Academy's reasons for refusal and your reasons for wanting to attend the Academy.

The Panel will consist of 3 people (2 will have education experience and one will be an independent person with no education experience).

The Panel will consider the case put forward by you and the Academy. They must consider the admission arrangements for the Academy and the reasons why you want to attend that particular school. The Panel must exercise its discretion by balancing the weight of your argument (for wanting to attend) against the Academy’s reasons for refusal i.e. the prejudice that one more student would cause to the education of the students already offered and the Health and Safety of all the students already attending the Academy, also taking into account the Academy's published admission arrangements.

• The decision of the Independent Appeals Panel is binding on the admissions authority and the Parents.
• Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 10 clear school days in advance of the hearing.
• Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case at least seven clear working days in advance of the hearing.