Admissions

In Bexley, the local authority makes decisions about admitting children to community schools from Nursery to Year 6.  For the full procedure and to apply for a place at Upton, please visit the London Borough of Bexley Admissions website here.  Bexley have also published a booklet titled ' Born Ready, School Ready, Bexley Read '  which provides practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 0 - 5.  This booklet can be found below.

Nursery

From September 2023, we will be changing our Nursery Provision and offering the following:

• morning session 8.40am to 11.40am

26 places.

We are able to offer 30-hour places (all day 8:40pm - 3:00pm) subject to eligibility and availability.  Please note that the school does have a number of siblings entering Nursery each year so this does reduce the catchment area of the school.

Requests for preferred sessions (a.m. or all day) and expressions of interest in the 30-hour offer should be made in writing directly to the school, once offered places have been accepted, and will be dealt with in order of receipt. All children will be admitted in September (subject to spaces being available)

Children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 will be due to start in Nursery in September 2024.

• you can apply online from Tuesday 16 January 2024 using the following link: https://www.eadmissions.org.uk/
• the closing date is Wednesday 6 April 2023
• offers of places to on-time applicants will be made on Monday 13 May 2024

Information regarding the nurseries available in Bexley together with full details on the application process will be made available to you here before the application window opens.

The school will offer school visits for interested parents/carers on the following dates:

Tuesday 6th February 2024 10.00 am - 11.00 am

Tuesday 12th March 2024 10.00 am - 11.00 am (only offered if 06.02.24 is full) 

This one-hour meeting will provide an opportunity to view a presentation with senior leaders, view our Nursery learning environment, and ask questions.

To book a place, please contact the school office on 0208 303 7266 from the week commencing 15th January 2024.  Spaces for each session will be limited to 10 families and places will be offered on a first come first served basis.  

Reception

Upton will admit 60 children in total, between the two Reception classes each September.  If your child is born between 01.9.19 and 31.08.20, you can apply online for a reception place from 01.09.23 to 15.01.24.   Please note that the school does have a number of siblings entering Reception each year so this does reduce the catchment area of the school.

Information regarding the primary schools available in Bexley together with full details on the application process is available here:  https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/primary-schools/admission-primary-schools/message-parents

Please note that parents/carers applying for a place on behalf of a Looked After Child or Post LAC application should read the updated information here.

The following days and times have been allocated for the Reception Meetings:

Tuesday 10th October 2023 10.00 am - 11.00 am

Tuesday 14th November 2023 10.00 am - 11.00 am (only offered if 10.10.23 is full)

Tuesday 12th December 2023 10.00 am - 11.00 am (only offered if 14.11.23 is full)

Tuesday 9th January 2024 10.00 am - 11.00 am (only offered if 12.12.23 is full)

This one-hour meeting will provide an opportunity to view a presentation with senior leaders, view the EYFS learning environment, and ask questions.

To book a place, please contact the school office on 0208 303 7266 from the week commencing 11th September 2023.  Spaces for each session will be limited to 10 families and places will be offered on a first come first served basis.  

Admission criteria to Nursey and Reception

If there are more applications than places available, the London Borough of Bexley will use its admission criteria to decide which applicants should be offered a place. For accurate information on this click here. A summary of priorities includes:

1. Priority 1 is given to children in public care (looked after children) and children previously looked after immediately before being adopted or subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order.

2. This is given to children with a medical condition such that it is essential, on medical grounds, for the child to attend the preferred school.

3. This is given to children with a brother or sister who will be attending the school of parental preference at the time the child is due for admission to that school.

4. This is given where either the disability or medical condition of a parent or sibling or exceptional social or domestic circumstances would result in significant hardship if the child did not attend the school nearest to home, nearest to the place of work of the parent not suffering the condition, or convenient to the family’s childminder.

5. This gives priority to pupils living nearest to the school based on the distance from the home address to the nearest school entrance measured as a straight line in accordance with the London Borough of Bexley’s policy on the measurement of home-to-school distance.

In–Year School Admissions (all year groups)

Upton is a thriving and popular, over-subscribed school, however, places do sometimes become available during the year, when families move away or change schools. Parents/carers seeking an in-year admission should do so directly to the Local Authority and your child will be placed on a waiting list.  Once a space becomes available, the school informs the local authority and is provided with an up-to-date waiting list.  The school will then contact the families in order and invite you and your child to visit our school before you decide to take up the offer of a place.  You will also have the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, and their class, and to familiarise yourself with our building.  Once you have accepted the offer and completed all relevant documentation, your child will usually join us within the following two weeks.

Applying for Secondary School Places

The deadline for applications to start Secondary school in 2024, is 31st October 2023 and the application window opens on 1st September 2023.  For parents of year 6 children who will sit the Bexley selective schools test (11+), you must still complete the application for all schools before the deadline. The 11+ test will take place on 12th September 2023 and parents should wait for selection test results before submitting their preferences.  

Information regarding the secondary schools available in Bexley together with full details on the application process are available here: https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/secondary-schools/admission-secondary-schools/message-parents