Admissions Policy

At Perrymount School we follow the Lewisham Education Policy for admissions to our Nursery and to the infants and junior classes.

Starting Primary School

Children must receive full time education from the beginning of the school term following their fifth birthday. Lewisham Education and Perrymount School has a policy of offering a school place earlier, as a rising five.

Children qualify for admission to the Reception class on a full-time basis in September – if they become 5 between 1 September and 31 August.

For example if a child has its 5^th birthday on the 20^th May 2021 – the child would start school on the 1^st September 2020. If however a child reaches its 5^th birthday on the 20^th September 2021 – the child would not start school till the 1^st September 2021.

Children start the Reception class on a full-time basis from the beginning of term.

The standard number of children to be admitted to Perrymount is 30. This figure is decided by the Education Committee.

All applications for a reception place are handled by the Lewisham Admissions Team and must be made on an online Common Application Form (CAF) between given dates. If more parents want places than it is possible to provide in that year, the local authority give priority in the following order:

1. Children in public care.
2. Children with acute medical or social need in exceptional circumstances there is discretion to admit children on the grounds of their or their family’s acute medical or social need.
3. To brothers and sisters of children on the roll of the school on the closing date for applications. The applicant’s brother or sister must be on the roll of the school on the intended date of admission.
4. To children for whom it is the nearest Community school. Proof of permanent address will be required on acceptance of a place. Distances are carefully measured in a straight line from the home to the nearest school gate and applicants are then ranked in distance order.

A waiting list will be kept of those children completing the required form and if a vacancy occurs during the reception year, the place will be offered to the next child who fulfils the published admissions criteria.

Admission to the Nursery Class

Perrymount School has a nursery with both part-time and full-time places. To attend our nursery children must be aged 3 or over. Each child, with a place, automatically receives 15 hours of nursery time each week.

The times for our part-time places are; 8.45 – 11.45am and 12.30 – 3.30pm (3 hours per session).

Working parents are allowed to claim an additional 15 hours funding, so in total receive 30 hours free nursery care.

The times for our full-time places are 8.45am – 3.30pm.

Lunchtime cover is not included in the free hours, so a charge of £5 per day or £25 per week is payable (prices as of September 2023). Full time children can either have packed lunch or school dinner, which again has an additional charge. Parents can, if they prefer, take their child home for lunch, collecting them at 11.45am and returning them at 12.30pm.

All admissions and/or queries relating to 15/30 hours funding are to be discussed with Miss Hamilton (Office Manager) in the school office on 0208 699 4522. Admission application forms must be completed and can be collected from the main school office.

If more parents want nursery places than it is possible to provide, the Head (who decides which children should be admitted) will make a decision on the basis of the following factors:

1. The medical and social needs of the child, which must be supported by professional documentation, e.g. from a social worker, health visitor, education social worker, doctor.
2. Siblings
3. Dates of the application
4. Distance to the school

An existing childminders address instead of the home address may only be used to determine nearness if the child has a medical or social need for a place at the school, as long as the home address is in Lewisham.

Admission to the Nursery does not guarantee admission to the Reception Class.

Schools Admissions

All admissions for our Primary School must be completed online via Lewisham Council. Information on how to apply can be found at:

https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/schools/school-admission

Appeals for Reception Places

Appeals are made directly to the authority and are heard by an independent appeal panel. Appeal forms are available from Lewisham Admissions Team and should be returned within 28 days of the date of the refusal letter. This right does not extend to applications for admission to the Nursery.

Applications for admission other than in Reception

All applications for places in school which are not at the start of primary school are again dealt with by Lewisham Admissions Team. A different Common Application Form (CAF) needs to be completed and it is the admissions team who decide whether or not a child comes to our school. The admission criteria used is the same as the one used for children starting reception class.

Lewisham Admissions team address is;

Admissions and Appeals Team

Third Floor
1 Laurence House
Catford Road
SE6 4RU

Tel:      020 8314 8282
Fax:      020 8314 3039
Email: schooladmissions@lewisham.gov.uk

CAF forms can either be obtained directly from the team or the school office.

Review annually.