Apply for a primary or junior school place

The process

The information on this page relates to:

  • Children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 who will start Reception class at a primary or infant school in September 2019.
  • Children born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 who currently attend an infant school and will transfer to junior school in September 2019.

Apply for a school place before 15 January 2019 

How to apply

Process

The process has several stages:

Plan and prepare -> Apply -> Respond to your offer.

If you do not live in Brent and you want a place in a Brent school, you will need to apply to the council that you live in.

Key dates

September / October School open evenings / open mornings
1 September 2018Applications open
15 January 2019 Applications deadline
16 April 2019National offer day
30 April 2019 Response deadline
Second round of offers
30 April 2019 Deadline for applications and changes for the second round
Week ending 17 May 2019 Second round of offers
31 May 2019 Second round response deadline
Third round of offers
31 May 2019 Deadline for applications and changes for the third round
Week ending 21 June 2019 Third round offers
28 June 2019 Third round response deadline
September 2019 Children start school

    Plan and prepare

    It is important to plan and prepare before you start your application. Read our top tips to help you decide which schools to apply for.

    Apply for a school place before 15 January 2019 

    Find schools in Brent

    Search all schools in Brent using our school finder.

    Read the admissions guide

    Get an email address

    You need an email address to apply.

    Visit schools

    All secondary schools hold open events (.pdf, 112.7kB)so that parents/carers and children can see the school up close and learn more about what it will be like to attend there.

    Don’t judge a school based on what others say – visit the school and see for yourself.

    Are your preferences realistic?

    Applicants should think about how likely it is that their child will be offered a place at their preferred schools. Read the admissions criteria for 2019/20 for each school and determine which criteria apply to your child.

    Applicants can view how places were offered last year in 2018 to determine whether their child is likely to be offered a place.

    Do you live close enough to qualify for a place?

    Find the distance to your preferred schools using our GOV.UK schools finder service. You can view the distance of the last child offered a place in 2018 to figure out if they are likely to qualify for a place in 2019.

    Remember that although this information can be used to give an idea of how likely it is that your child will be offered a place, the ‘last distance’ will change every year. We can never guarantee any child will be offered a place at any school.

    How will your child travel to school?

    The cost of home to school travel is covered by free transport provided by Transport for London (TfL). A long journey to school on public transport my not be the best choice for your child.

    Does your child have special needs?

    Children who have a Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) apply by a different process.

    Children with special needs who do not have a EHCP apply in the normal way. Applicants can read about the support available for their child.

    Further research

    Applicants can read the school's Ofsted reports and check the school league tables. It can be helpful to talk to other parents but remember that the right school for your friend’s child may not be the right school for your child.

    Apply

    Apply for:

    • children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 who will start Reception class at a primary or infant school in September 2019.
    • children born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 who currently attend an infant school and will transfer to junior school in September 2019. 

    Apply for a school place before 15 January 2019 

    Need help with applying?

    Download our step by step instructions (.pdf, 2.59MB) to help you when you are applying.

    Download the Brent Primary/Junior schools guide for 2019

    You will be sent an email with your application reference number once you have submitted your application. If you do not receive the confirmation email then your application has not been submitted correctly.

    Important information about how to apply 

    Your address

    • Use your child’s permanent home address on 15 January 2019
    • Do not use the address of a relative or someone who provides temporary care for your child, a business address, a childminders address or any address other than the child’s permanent home address
    • We will check internal databases to confirm your address and will write to you if you need to submit further evidence of your address

    Your preferred schools

    • List 6 preferences. List the school you want the most as your first preference
    • You should include your catchment area school amongst your preferences
    • You can include schools outside Brent
    • Listing only one school does not increase your chances of being offered a place.

     

    Additional information and evidence

    • Attach additional information to your application online or post it to School Admissions, PO Box 1057, Wembley, HA9 1HJ.
    • A supplementary information form (SIF) is required for some schools. The online application form will advise you if a SIF is required. You should send SIFs direct to the school
    • Evidence is required for looked after and previously looked after children. The social worker involved must provide a letter confirming that the child is in care. If the child was adopted immediately after being in care please provide a copy of the child arrangements order, special guardianship order or proof of adoption from your child’s home authority.
    • For community schools your evidence should be submitted directly to Brent School Admissions and attached to your online application. For all other schools, evidence should be sent directly to the school.

     

    Offers

    Offers

    • National offer day is Tuesday 16 April 2019
    • offer emails are sent in the evening on 16 April 2019
    • the online application system is updated with offers and applicants can respond from the evening of 16 April 2019.

     

    Responding to offers (accepting/rejecting)

    • respond to offers by 30 April 2019
    • online applicants must respond to the offer online by logging into the e-admissions website using their email address or username and their password
    • we strongly advise applicants to accept the place offered. Accepting the offer secures the school for your child, so you have a back up, in case you’re unsuccessful in the second or third rounds or your appeal is not upheld
    • accepting the place does not effect your waiting list position or appeals
    • if you do not accept the offer the place may be offered to another applicant, and subsequent offers may be further away from your home.

     

    Further Offers

    • after National offer day we continue to process applications and make offers on behalf of schools until the end of August 2019. Schools do not offer places directly.
    • two additional rounds of offers will be sent out according to the timetable below
    • all late applicants will be offered a place in the second and third round.

     

     Second RoundThird round

    Deadline
    Last date for changes to be included in the round
    (e.g. changed address /  preferences)

    		 30 April 2019 31 May 2019

    Offer
    Offers will be sent by first class post to successful
    applicant only

    		 Week ending
    17 May 2019    		 Week ending
    21 June 2019

    Response
    Successful applicants must respond by this date

    		 31 May 2019 28 June 2019