Applying for a Primary School Place in Reception for September 2026

Apply online at www.eadmissions.org.uk

The school offers 60 places per year group. If you would like to visit the school before making your application, please phone or email the school office to book your place on a tour. If you are unable to attend on one of the dates listed below, we would be happy to make an appointment for you to visit at a different time.

The tour dates for the Autumn Term 2026 will be listed below once they are scheduled. Please do contact the school office to book on to a date or request an individual tour if you would like one.

Our policy is that LBWF run our schools’ admissions and we follow their guidelines, criteria and procedure. You can find more information on the Waltham Forest website. The Starting Primary School 2026 brochure (PDF) can be found here.

Priority 1 – Looked After Children or Children ‘At Risk’ 

Priority 2 – Medical or social reasons 

Priority 3 – Siblings 

Priority 4 – School Staff Children 

Priority 5 – Distance

Children with a statement of Special Educational Needs are awarded a school place under the terms of the 1996 Education Act - not through the admissions criteria. They will be allocated a place at the school named on their Education and Health Care Plan.

The priorities are explained in full in the admissions booklet.

Please note:

Children do not automatically transfer from nursery to a Reception class; 

Children do not automatically get a place if they have a brother or sister already at the school;

In both these instances you still need to make an application.

Please visit the Waltham Forest Admissions webpage for more information on applying for a primary school place. If you have any questions then you can contact the admissions team directly on 0208 496 3000 or email them at admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk. 

In Year Admission Procedures

Please contact the school office for details of how to apply for any school place other than a Reception place starting in September.

Applying for in-year admissions

Appeals

We understand that finding out your child has not been allocated a place at Roger Ascham Primary School can be disappointing. If your application for a place at our school has been refused, you have a statutory right to appeal the decision.

As an academy within the Ray Academy Trust, Roger Ascham Primary School  is its own admission authority. We are legally responsible for organising our own admission appeals process in strict accordance with the Department for Education’s School Admission Appeals Code. 

Below you will find clear information on how to lodge an appeal, the statutory timescales we follow, and what you can expect from the process.

How to Lodge an Appeal

If you wish to appeal a decision, you must complete and submit an official Admission Appeal Form.

• Download and complete the appeals form at the bottom of this page
• Request a paper copy: Alternatively, you can request a paper copy of the form by contacting the school office at office@rapsch.co.uk or calling 0208 527 3157

Important Deadlines

To ensure your appeal is heard, you must submit your completed appeal form within 20 school days from the date on your application refusal letter.

The Independent Appeal Hearing

To guarantee a completely fair and unbiased process, all appeals are organised through an Independent Appeal Panel using Waltham Forest's Democratic Services.

• The Panel: Your appeal will be heard by a panel normally consisting of 3 fully trained members who are entirely independent of the school, the Academy Trust, and the Local Authority.
• The Clerk: The panel is supported by an independent clerk, who remains present throughout the hearing to ensure the process is legally compliant and to take notes. They do not play a part in the panel's final decision.

Statutory Timescales

We adhere to the following strict statutory timescales to ensure your appeal is processed efficiently:

• Reception Intake (Normal Admissions Round): For children starting Reception in September, appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for submitting appeals, where possible.
• Notice of the Hearing: You will be given at least 10 school days’ notice of the date and time of your appeal hearing.
• Submission of Evidence: All parties (both parents and the school) must submit their case papers and any supporting evidence in advance. You will receive a full bundle of all case papers prior to the hearing so you can review them.

The School’s Case

In preparation for the hearing, the school will submit a formal, written statement to the independent panel and to you. This statement will clearly explain:

• How places at the school were allocated in accordance with our Admissions Policy and oversubscription criteria.
• The school's Published Admission Number (PAN).
• The specific reasons why your application was refused and why admitting additional pupils above our PAN would cause prejudice to the school (i.e., how it would negatively impact the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources).

Further Information can be found in London Borough of Waltham Forest’s ‘Starting Primary School’: www.walthamforest.gov.uk/content/applying-primary-school-place

Apply for primary school

Applying for Secondary School

There is a lot of information online regarding your child and applying for a secondary school place but we have supplied some relevant points for you;

Before making the application: 

• Read the information brochure

• Contacting other Authorities that you are interested in

• Contact schools and ask for a prospectus

• Look at the schools website

• Do any of the schools require a supplementary information form (SIF)

• Reading reports on the schools by OFSTED

• Going to the schools open evenings 

Key points to be aware of: 

• Some schools are oversubscribed each year

• Try and get a realistic idea of whether your child will be offered a place. 

• Read the admission criteria for each school (they are not all the same)

• How many admissions made last year, how the places were allocated

• Does the schools curriculum and aims suit the needs of your child

• Think about travel and possible costs 

Making Your Application: 

Applications for secondary schools should be made online between 1st September  

and 31st October. 

The Application:

Online applications can be made at: www.eadmissions.org.uk. 

For telephone advice: 0208 496 3000

or email admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk

 

 

 

For full information on applying for a secondary school place follow the link below:

Apply for secondary school