Academy Admissions

A brief summary of the application procedure follows, Reception and in-year admissions.

Academy Admissions Contact Details

Admissions Officer: Miss Ruibal Serra Telephone: 0203 772 4578 Email: info@harrisprimarybeckenham.org.uk Address: Harris Primary Academy Beckenham, Manor Way, Beckenham, BR3 3SJ

Admission Arrangements 2026-27

Reception Applications

The Academy has an admission number of 60 in Reception for September 2026-2027

 

Applications for places in Reception should be made on London Borough of Bromley’s Common Application Form, this is now managed online. Key information on primary school admissions can be found on the Local Authority’s website and an application can be made online via HERE from 1st September 2025. Forms should be submitted in accordance with the LA’s published deadlines for applications (normally early to mid-January before the academic year in which the child is eligible for entry).

 

 The key dates are below:

Reception Key Dates	2026-2027
1st September 2025	Local Authority Online Application Website Open
15th January 2026	Online closing date for Application Forms
16th April 2026	Local Authority informs Parents/Carers of allocated school
30th April 2026	Acceptance of place deadline
20th May 2026	Deadline for appeals to be made in writing to the Academy
May - June 2026	Appeals to be heard
31st December 2026	Waiting Lists closed and replaced by casual admissions waiting lists, Parents/Carers will need to re-apply for an In-Year transfer through the local authority after the 1st January 2026, if still waiting

 

In-Year Applications

For in-year admissions, please contact the local authority for an In-Year Transfer. 

https://www.bromley.gov.uk/downloads/download/6/in-year-primary-school-application-form-and-guidance-notes

Please note that there is no guarantee that a place will be available, but you have the right of appeal if you are refused a place.

If you apply for an in-year transfer place please complete the form at the bottom of the page so that we can keep in touch with you and chase admissions if necessary.

 

Deferred/Delayed Entry

To defer a Reception place in the London Borough of Bromley, you must first accept the offered place and then arrange the deferral with the school's head teacher, or if seeking a delayed start to the next academic year (for summer-born children), follow a specific application process with the Council. 

Option 1: Deferring Entry Within the Same Academic Year

You have a legal right to defer your child's start date until later in the same school year, without losing the offered place, as long as they start by the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday. 

1. Accept the place: You must first accept the offered school place by the deadline specified in your offer notification via the eAdmissions website.
2. Contact the Head Teacher: You must notify the head teacher of the allocated school in writing (email or letter) about your intention to defer entry. They can discuss the arrangements with you to ensure the deferral is in your child's best interest.
3. Confirm the start date: Agree on a start date within the current academic year. The school must hold the place for your child. 

Option 2: Requesting a Delayed Entry to the Following Academic Year (For Summer-Born Children)

For children born between 1 April and 31 August (summer-born), you can request to delay their entry so they start Reception a full year later, in the September following their fifth birthday. 

• This is not an automatic right; requests are considered on a case-by-case basis by the school's admission authority.
• A place cannot be held: If this request is approved, any place you may have already been offered for the current Reception year will be withdrawn. You will have to re-apply for a place in the following academic year's Reception intake as part of the normal application process.
• If the request is declined: If the request is refused and you still choose to defer, your child will likely have to enter Year 1 the following year as an in-year admission, potentially missing the Reception year completely. 

To make this request:

1. Submit an on-time application: Apply for a school place for your child's chronological year group by the national closing date.
2. Submit a formal request: At the same time you apply, send a written request for delayed entry to the Bromley Council Admissions Team via email at primary.admissions@bromley.gov.uk.
3. Provide supporting evidence: Include all relevant reasons why starting a year later is in your child's best interest. This can include professional reports (medical, social, etc.).
4. Await the decision: Bromley Council and the school's admission authority will consider the request and inform you of the outcome. There is no formal right of appeal if the request for delayed entry to the following academic year is denied. 

For further guidance, it is recommended to contact the Bromley Admissions Team directly:

• Email: primary.admissions@bromley.gov.uk
• Phone: 020 8313 4044 (call between 12-3pm)

For Parents/Carers who Wish to Appeal

Parent(s) may wish to appeal against the Academy’s decision on admissions,  for any year group, based on the published admissions criteria.

If you wish to appeal, you must complete the appeal form (see below) stating the reason for the appeal.  You can attach to your appeals form any relevant documents and or a letter with information and evidence that you feel supports your case.

All appeals must be made in writing to Harris Primary Academy Beckenham, Manor Way, Beckenham, BR3 3SJ using the appeals form.

Reception parents must appeal by the 20th May 2026.  All appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals.  

The appeals will be heard, in private, by an Independent appeal Panel. The Clerk to the Appeal Panel will make an appointment within a reasonable time, Appeals may be made in English or the Parents’/Carers’ first language.

• Only one appeal per application is allowed.
• Appeals are conducted in person, and you may bring a friend.

The Appeal Hearing

The Academy will arrange for an Independent Appeals Panel to consider the Academy's reasons for refusal and your reasons for wanting to attend the Academy.  

The Panel will consist of 3 people (2 will have education experience and one will be an independent person with no education experience).

The Panel will consider the case put forward by you and the Academy. They must consider the admission arrangements for the Academy and the reasons why you want to attend that particular school.  The Panel must exercise its discretion by balancing the weight of your argument (for wanting to attend) against the Academy’s reasons for refusal i.e. the prejudice that one more student would cause to the education of the students already offered and the Health and Safety of all the students already attending the Academy, also taking into account the Academy's published admission arrangements.  

The decision of the Independent Appeals Panel is binding on the admissions authority and the Parents.