Starting School

Admission to the Reception class - Starting School

These are the admission arrangements for entry into Reception in September 2025 to Prendergast Primary School.

Children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 are due for entry to the Reception Class in September 2025. You must apply for a place through the local authority of the area in which you live (this may not necessarily be the same local authority as the school if you do not live in Lewisham).

Our Published Admissions Number (PAN) is 60 pupils.

The closing date for Starting School applications (via eadmissions.org.uk) is 11:59pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025.

Key Admissions Process Dates (for entry in September 2025)

Date	Event
1 September 2024	Starting School applications open (via eadmissions.org.uk)
October - December 2024	Open Events take place at 9.30am on the following days: Thursday 12 September Thursday 3 October Thursday 24 October Thursday 14 November Thursday 5 December
15 January 2025	Closing date for submitting the Common Application Form for Starting School applications. Closing date for submitting a social-medical claim to the school with written evidence from a professional for consideration. You must complete the school's Supplementary Information Form and submit your evidence direct to the school by 11:59pm at this deadline.
16 April 2025	National Offer Day

This school participates in the Pan-London Admissions Scheme. For applications in the normal admissions round you should use the online application form which can be found at: www.eadmissions.org.uk

For those who do not reside in one of the London boroughs or surrounding county councils which participates in the Pan-London Admissions Scheme, an application should be made via the home local authority. You can use the online form to express your preference of a maximum of SIX state-funded schools, in rank order. It is the parent’s responsibility to submit an application and any required supporting evidence before the published closing date for applications.

Please carefully read our Determined Admissions Policy 2025-26 before applying:

See School Policies for the Admissions Policy 2025-26

Social-Medical claims: Your social-medical claim with supporting evidence must reach the school before the closing date for submissions shown in the Key Admission Process Dates above. Further information about how to make a claim under this criterion is below.

Should an applicant not be successful under a higher criterion, they will automatically be considered for a place using any other relevant criteria.

You will receive the outcome of your Starting School application direct from your local authority at National Offer Day.

Furthest distance measurement

For students starting in September 2024, the the furthest distance place offered on National Offer Day was 1694.78 metres.

Open Events

We are pleased to offer Open Events throughout the Autumn term 2024. These events will be held during the school day to give parents an opportunity to see teaching and learning taking place. Small groups will be given guided tours of our primary school and a member of our senior team will share information on our school and answer any questions.

If you are unable to attend one of our Open Events, we will arrange for a member of the team to give you a personal tour of the school. You will be able to visit the Reception class, see the work currently being studied by our Reception children and speak with the Reception teachers. Please contact us to arrange.

How to make a claim under the Social or Medical criterion

This criterion is for children with a social or medical need that is exceptional, and who can demonstrate that Prendergast Primary School is particularly well suited to meet that need.

Applications must include:

The school’s Supplementary Information Form, which is available via the school’s website or from the admissions office.
Written evidence from an appropriate qualified professional (eg: doctor or social worker) which confirms the exceptional need and is dated within the six months prior to the date of application.

Applications may also include additional supporting evidence from other professionals (eg: current SENCO or headteacher) who are currently providing direct care/support/treatment to the child relating to their exceptional need on an ongoing basis in their professional capacity. However, this additional evidence will only be considered if the mandatory pieces of evidence have been submitted with the original application.

All supporting evidence should be submitted with the application and before the closing date for applications.

Applications under this criterion are determined by the Admissions Committee.

For your child to be considered under the Social-Medical criterion, please complete and submit the school's Supplementary Information Form, available to download at the link below:

Make a claim under the Social-Medical criterion (form)

Claims and written evidence for social-medical consideration must be submitted directly to the school using the school's Supplementary Information Form.

Your social-medical claim and supporting evidence must reach the school before the closing date for submissions published in our Key Admission Process Dates.

Your written evidence should be sent direct to the school via the email below. If you are unable to send an email, you may post or deliver your written evidence to the school, which must reach the school before the closing date for applications. The school closes at 4.00pm on school days and is not open at weekends, holidays or INSET days.

Please email your written evidence to Prendergast Primary Admissions: PriAdmissions@prendergast-ladywell.com

There are no exceptions to the deadline for supplementary forms for any reason to ensure that the process is fair to all.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

All children whose Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP) names the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated.

Oversubscription criteria

In September 2025, the Governors will admit 60 pupils to the Reception class of Prendergast Primary School.

If the school is not oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place.

In the event that the school receives more applications than the number of places at the normal point of entry, and after those children with an Education Health & Care Plan which names the school have been admitted, the Governors will apply the oversubscription criteria in priority order to determine which applicants qualify for a place.

The oversubscription criteria are described in detail in our Determined Admissions Policy. The following provides a summary only:

Children who meet the definition of looked after children or previously looked after children.
Children with a social or medical need that is exceptional.
Siblings: A child whose sibling is on roll in Reception - Year 5 of the school on the closing date for applications and is expected to be on roll (in Year 1 - Year 6) at the intended date of admission.
The children of staff in either or both of the following circumstances:
a) Where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made: and/or
b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage.
Those who are permanently living nearest to the school. All distances will be calculated digitally as a straight-line distance to a nodal point in the school premises (centre of internal courtyard) from a nodal point in the applicant’s permanent home address. The child’s home address will be considered to be where the child normally and habitually resides and with a parent with parental responsibility. The applicant’s home local authority will be expected to verify a child’s permanent home address in accordance with its published London-wide coordinated admission scheme.

Please note the following information about the oversubscription criterion:

¹Looked after children or previously looked after children are children who, at the time of making an application to a school, are as defined in the School Admissions Code (2021).

²See above and our admissions policy for how to make a claim for consideration under the social-medical criterion. Written evidence from an appropriate qualified professional must be provided to the school before the closing date.

3 Siblings include all blood siblings or adoptive siblings, half-siblings, foster siblings of looked after children and step siblings. All siblings must live permanently at the same address as the qualifying sibling on roll. Proof of the sibling relationship may be required.

4 Siblings in Year 6 and those who attend Prendergast Ladywell School in Years 7-11 do not qualify for sibling priority for entry to Reception.

5 To note - Children of staff at the school will include those members of staff who work across all of the schools in the Federation and meet the remainder of the eligibility criteria.

6 If more than one applicant lives in a multi-occupancy building, such as flats, we will give priority to the applicant whose door number is the lowest (numerically or alphabetically).

Waiting list

Waiting lists are held in the same order as the oversubscription criteria.

The Local Authority hold the Reception waiting list and process this on behalf of the school until the end of the Autumn Term of the year of entry. From 1 January of Reception onwards, the school handles its own in-year admissions. Please follow our in-year admissions process:

In-year admissions information

To ensure the waiting list is accurate, the list will close at the end of the academic year in July. Parents/carers must re-apply to the school at the start of the academic year in September.

The school participates in Lewisham Local Authority’s Fair Access Protocol for in-year admissions and children may be prioritised over those children on the waiting list for admission under this protocol.

Furthest distance measurement

For academic year 2023-24, the furthest distance place we offered for a place in Reception class on National Offer Day was 4219.24m from the school.

Appeals

If your child’s application for a place at the school is unsuccessful, you will be informed why admission was refused and given information about the process for submitting an appeal. Under the Schools Standard and Framework Act, the Governing Board of the school has to make appeal arrangements for parents who wish to appeal against their child not receiving an offer of admission to the school. Parents may appeal against the Governor’s decision by setting out the grounds of their appeal in writing.

Appeal forms are available for download on the website until the appeals deadline for the Starting School round. At any other time, or to request a paper copy, appeal forms are available on request from the school office. Please phone our Reception.

You can find details of the school’s appeals timetable on the appeals page of the school website. This information is updated from 28 February each year.

Further information on appeals