Reception Admissions
Admissions September 2025
Children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 are due to start reception class at primary school in September 2025.
Applying for a place
Parents/carers apply for schools through their home council and applications are completed online on the local authority website or on www.eadmissions.org.uk. If access to the website is not possible, parents /carers can complete a paper application form available from the School Admissions Team. A date by which applications must be completed and returned is published by the Local Authority. The Local Authority then allocates places to each primary school, using set criteria. For Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School these are in the order of: Looked after children, siblings, exceptional needs, and then distance. We admit 90 children per year group (as per our PAN/Published admission number).
For children currently attending a school nursery, parents must complete a common application form for entry into the Reception class even if the child attends the nursery class at the same school. Priority is not given to children who attend the nursery class in the same school. This is to ensure that parents who place their children in other kinds of nursery, or do not use a nursery, are treated fairly when applying for a school place for their child.
Our tour dates have been announced - see our poster at the bottom of the page or go to the Tour Dates tab on the right of this page or at the useful links at the top of the page to book your space.
Deferred entry or part-time attendance in Reception year
Parents can defer their child’s entry to school until later in the school year as long as the place allocated is taken up during the Reception academic year. The child must start school the term after reaching statutory school age, and no later than the start of the final full term. i.e. the latest their child can start school is at the beginning of the summer term 2026. A child can start school part-time at any stage during Reception year as long as the child then attends the school full time from the start of the term following their 5th birthday. Once a place has been offered, parents should confirm the arrangements with the Head teacher of the school.
Delayed entry for summer born children
Parents of summer born children (that is children whose 4th birthday falls within April to August in the year of typical admission into Reception) may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group into Reception rather than year 1. A parent should make their application by 15 January 2025 for normal Reception entry, stating that they wish to enter Reception a year later than normal for their child’s age, and providing information to support their request if they wish to do so. If it is agreed that the child can be educated in a younger year group, the application will be withdrawn and parents will be required to re-apply between 1 September 2025 and 15 January 2026 for entry into Reception in September 2026.
Acceptance of place
Firm offers of a school place are made at the beginning of May. These are sent out via email. You will then be asked to accept the place or inform the local authority if alternative arrangements have been made. If there are more children applying than places available, the Local Authority will keep a waiting list. If parents /carers feel they have been unfairly treated, then an appeal may be made to the Local Authority.
Admission appeals
You have a legal right to appeal against a decision not to offer your child a place at any or all of the schools that you've applied to. You can appeal for a place at your preferred school even though your child may have a place somewhere else.
The admissions authority for the school must explain why your child hasn't been offered a place at the school. They must also explain how you can appeal against this decision.
For full details please go to: AfC Info website - Kingston and Richmond :: Community Information / Information and advice / School admissions / Appealing school place allocation
What happens next?
Once a place has been offered and accepted, parents/carers are invited to a meeting during the Summer term. This is an opportunity to meet the staff and to find out more about the curriculum, routines and expectations and how to help at home. If the child is new to our school and did not attend our nursery, then families are offered a home visit. The teacher and support staff will visit the child at home and start to build positive relationships with the family. Children are also invited to visit our school. Arrangements and organisation for children starting Reception ensure a smooth transition. This includes open mornings and an increase in time in school during the first week in September (This is usually mornings, then stay for lunch, then stay all day). All children are offered a full time place in our Reception from September. However, we recognise that some children will need a more flexible transition to the start of their primary school journey. In these circumstances, the school works closely with families to establish a personalised transition programme that best supports their child.