Admissions Procedures and Policy
Your first point of contact with Leigh Academy Oaks is usually at the School Office, which is open between 8.30am – 3:45pm daily and you can contact us on 01622 755960 or via email at info@oaks.latrust.org.uk
- In Year Casual Admission:If you wish your child to start at Leigh Academy Oaks as a result of moving into the area and/or transferring from another school for educational reasons, please place your child on the list for future entrants by completing an In-Year Admission Form. Details of how to apply are available from our office staff. Kent County Council’s website on casual admission can be found here.
- For new Reception children: A KCC ‘Reception Common Application Form’ will need to be completed (this is an online process), expressing Leigh Academy Oaks as your first preference. The office staff will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Kent County Council’s website on School Admission can be found here.
Before making an application for an in-year admission you will need to contact the Academy directly and arrange a visit and meeting with one of our senior members of staff. If we have places available, you are more than welcome to have a look around the academy and we can answer any questions you may have. Please contact us to make an appointment.
We have specific dates and times for Open Days each year for our new reception intake – we publish dates online in September/October time for the following year’s intake into Reception. All forms should be completed and returned to the school by the deadline indicated on the form.
View a poster from KCC about your child starting school here.
Allocation of Places
Places will be allocated according to the published criteria in priority order
- Children in Care and previously Looked After Children
- Children of Leigh Academy Oaks Teaching Staff
- Sibling
- Health and Special Access Reasons
- Distance
Parents do not legally have to send their children to school until the term after they are five. We find in practice, due to effective transition procedures, children younger than five cope well in their first year with our wonderful staff who have particular skills with our youngest children.
Older children are admitted to the school if we have a vacancy in their year group.
If you have any difficulty completing the KCC forms please do not hesitate to contact the school office, where we will do our best to help.
Appeals
If you have not been offered a place following an in-year application, the law entitles you to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. In accordance with the 2022 School Admission Appeals Code Appeals, the admission authority and appeal panels have elected for all admissions appeals to be held online.
If you wish to appeal, please use the links below to complete your appeal online.
Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is highly recommended that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form.
If your appeal is for years Reception, year 1 or year 2, you are strongly advised to read the section on Key Stage 1 appeals on page 18.
You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form and you MUST state the grounds of your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you give the grounds of your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school.
Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months. If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs using a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.
If you wish to contact the clerk – email: clerk@educationappeals.com
Information about Primary Transfer appeals will be posted on this website before 28 February 2025.
Timetable for Appeals
Last day for lodging appeal forms
20 School days after the decision letter informing you that you had not been offered a place.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel
At least 10 school days before the hearing. This MAY be emailed.
All in year appeal will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being lodged.
Closing date for any additional supporting evidence
FIVE working days before your hearing. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please email to clerk@educationappeals.com
Please note that slightly different rules will apply for any primary transfer appeals into Reception.
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel
Due to the high number of appeals, an email is sent a few working days after your hearing with the decision of the panel. This is followed up around 10 working days later with a letter outlining the panels reasons.