Applying for Primary School

How to apply

1. Click on the picture below to go to the London Borough of Waltham Forest website:

Here you can find out things including:

how places were allocated to each school for the last few years
which schools need a Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
Download the pdf of the booklet ‘Starting Primary School in 2025’.

It gives you:

all about the admissions process
a list of all the primary schools in Waltham Forest and information about them
a map with addresses and contact details
a link to the government website which compares schools. Search for schools by postcode.
Download a detailed guide to applying online
Follow the link to the eadmissions website (or click on the next picture). This is where you apply:

You must provide proof of:

your home address
your child’s date of birth
your child’s home address

Upload photographs of your paper documents.

Which school?

Please visit as many schools as possible, and read as much of their websites as you can. Try to make your own decision about which suits your child the best.

Some schools have additional entrance requirements, which will be explained in the ‘admissions’ section of their school website.

Difficulties with the process? Can’t get online at home?

Visit a Library where you can use a self-service PC and staff will be able to support you

You can also talk to your Key Person, who will support you.

Places are allocated by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. If you have a problem with the process, call 020 8496 3000 and ask to speak to the School Admissions Service, or email admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk

When do I find out which school?

Parents will find out which school their child is going to by email on the 16th April 2025 or by post soon after.

You must respond to the offer by 30th April at the very latest.

When you find out where your child is going, please tell us so that we can make links with staff from you child’s new school.

Transition to primary school

In the Summer Term your child's Key Person will use the written observations that have been made throughout the year to complete their Transition Record. This is the final summary of your child’s achievements at nursery school. You will be invited to discuss their achievements and to read and comment on this record, which will then be forwarded to their primary school.

In addition to passing on these Transition Records, we support the exciting process of starting primary school by making contact with the reception staff at the schools, arranging visits and meeting with staff.

Starting primary school a year later/Deferral

Very rarely, children start Primary School a year later. This is called "deferring a place" or "deferral".

Deferral is the right thing for a very small number of children in exceptional circumstances:

children who are significantly delayed compared with other children of the same age, and
who get daily specialist support for their Special Educational Needs and Disability
Rarely, an August born child defers. This happens:
- when the SENDco has been supporting the child, or
- the parent gives us clear evidence from another external agency. This evidence must show that deferral should happen.

All schools should support children with SEND. This means not all children with SEND need to defer.

A child's reception place is deferred after a joint decision between:

the FANS staff team
the child's parents, and
the Primary School.

We follow our admissions policy to make sure that our process is fair and transparent.

To ask for "deferral", you must:

write to the FANS Executive Headteacher. Explain why you want to defer. Do this by the end of January at the latest.
include your request in your primary school application.

Deferral can only happen:

when we have lots of evidence of the child's developmental delay. It's not solely a parental choice.
when we have a letter from their future primary school that says they agree.
if the child already attends one of our schools.
once the Executive Headteacher has spoken to the family and the staff team and written to agree to the deferral. Any decision made will follow the admissions policy agreed by our governing body.

When a reception aged child stays with us, another nursery aged child can't join us for a whole academic year. This is why we must take great care when deciding to defer. We must only do it when it is really needed.

Even summer born children are ready for a quality, reception age curriculum when they can:

communicate clearly
manage their own hygiene needs most of the time, and
play independently, or in groups.

A good school will:

support their emotional wellbeing
support their learning needs, and
give the support children need in class as they settle in to 'big school'.

If your child does not attend one of our nurseries, please do not ask if they can defer a year with us. You could ask their current setting to defer, or contact the Primary School you have applied to, and defer in their nursery if they have a space.

The years to come

Parents with children who start primary school a year late may have to apply again:

at each key stage and
at the move to secondary school.

Children who have deferred may have to skip a year at some point in their school journey so that they leave school at 16 with their peers.

You can read more about this on the Waltham Forest website.