admissions at 7+ Surrey

[awayinamanger]

Hi

In my part of Surrey there are some through primary schools (4-11), and infant (4-7) and junior (7-11) schools. When it comes to applying for a place at a junior school, are children who are already in a through primary school allowed to apply, or have the county done their job by providing them with a school place already, so they are not eligible to apply? Many thanks in advance!

You are legally entitled to apply for admission to any school at any time. You are therefore allowed to apply for a place at a junior school if you wish.

There's a mix here too (London/Surrey borders), AFAIK everyone has to apply for a place in yr3, even if they're already at a 4-11 primary. Makes no sense to me, but we haven't got there yet...

Lots of kids transfer at 7 to my DCs primary even though some of them are in 4-11 primaries. The main difference is for the 4-11 primaries the school doesn't give you the admissions booklet and forms, you have to get them yourself.

They have the same admissions criteria as those who are in the infant schools round here. The only exception is a few junior schools are linked to an infant school and then those children get priority.

thanks everyone - that's really helpful!

As dewe says, kids in infants usually get priority. And for the popular schools, often not many places left for others after those kids are admitted. Somewhere in the surrey admissions stuff online is info by junior school on how many children were admitted to year three under each of the admissions criteria, and info on distances etc.

This is not answering the question, but just to correct a point made earlier ... we are in Surrey and our children are in a through primary (Reception to Yr 6) They did not have to apply for a place in Yr3. Once they're in, they're in.

Thanks - I think you're right AChicken - once they are into a through primary they do not have to apply again. I was interested in whether those kids in a through primary can apply to a different junior school, and it sounds as if they can?

Yes, if you are in a school that covers Reception to Y6 you do not have to apply for a Y3 place. However, you are entitled to apply for a Y3 place at another school if you wish.

There's at least 1 through primary here where you have to apply for a y3 place, we're in LB of Sutton. I do think that's unusual though!

I am guessing you are talking about St Elphege's or Stanley Park? Both of these are actually set up as an infant school and a junior school sharing the same site. The same may also be true of Cheam Common, Cheam Park and Robin Hood.

At these schools you have to apply for Y3 as you are changing schools, even though the junior school and infant school share a site and appear to the outside world to be a single school.

For a genuine straight through primary school which has not been constituted as two separate schools on the same site they cannot make you apply for a place in Y3.

Thanks for that prh - it makes a lot more sense when you put it like that. Glad to know we don't have to fill in more forms before transferring to high school!