Academy Admissions
Welcome to the Harris Primary Academy Orpington Admissions information page. Reception places at Harris Primary Academy Orpington are open to all children and we are part of the Bromley Council admissions process.
Applications should be made online or via the form which is available from the council.
Our full policy, with details of our admissions criteria, can be downloaded from the bottom of the page. A summary of the application process follows for Reception and In-Year Admissions.
Academy Admissions Contact Details
Marie Dye - Office Manager
Telephone: 01689 830 383
Email: info@harrisprimaryorpington.org.uk
Address: Harris Primary Academy Orpington, Dyke Drive, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4LZ
Reception Applications
The Academy has an admission number of 60 in Reception for September 2024.
If there are more than 60 applications, places will be offered using the following criteria:
1) Looked After and previously Looked After Children
2) Children who the Harris Federation accepts have an exceptional medical or social need for a place at the academy
3) Childing with siblings at the Academy (who will still be attending on the date of admission)
4) All remaining places are allocated to children living closest to the Academy.
How to Apply
Applications for places in Reception should be made on London Borough of Bromley’s Common Online Application Form. Key information on primary school admissions can be found on the Local Authority’s website. 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).
In-Year Applications
If you are looking for a place at Harris Primary Academy Orpington because you have recently moved into the area, or your child is at another primary school and you feel that a change of school would benefit their education and/or wellbeing, you are entitled to apply for a school place.
Applications should be made using the Bromley in-year application form and name the Academy as the preferred school. 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.
Further information on how to apply through the London Borough of Bromley (including an application form) can be found by clicking on the link here.
For Parents/Carers who Wish to Appeal
Parents wishing to appeal against the Academy’s decision on admissions for Reception year group, should complete an Appeal Form (see below) stating the reason for the appeal, based on the published Admissions Criteria.
If you need advice on making an appeal and what it entails please contact Marie Dye at the School telephone 01689 830383.
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.
Reception appeals must be made in writing to the Clerk to the Appeal Panel at Harris Primary Academy Orpington Dyke Drive, Orpington, Kent, BR5 4LZ or at info@harrisprimaryorpington.org.uk using the appeals form by the 13th May 2024. All appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals.
Applicants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 14 clear school days in advance of the hearing.
Applicants will be sent a copy of the school's case at least seven clear working days in advance of the hearing.
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.
You can download a copy of the Admissions Arrangements below.
How to Apply
Complete the application form online here via eAdmissions. Please note that you cannot apply for a place directly to the Academy.
Key Reception Dates for 2024-2025
| 1 September 2023 | Local Authority Online Application Website Open. |
| 15 January 2024 | Online closing date for Application Forms. |
| 16 April 2024 | Local Authority informs Parents/Carers of allocated school. |
| 30 April 2024 | Acceptance of place deadline. |
| 13 May 2024 | Deadline for appeals to be made in writing to the Academy. |
| May - June 2024 | Appeals to be heard. |
| 7th January 2025 | 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 2025, if still waiting. |
In-Year Applications
Applications should be made using the Bromley in-year application form naming Harris Primary Academy Orpington as the preferred school. Please note that there is no guarantee that a place will be available, however, you do have the right to appeal should a place be refused.
Further information on how to apply through the London Borough of Bromley can be found here In-Year Applications.
