Guidance notes for completing the secondary in-year admission common application form

1. Details of child

Proof of address – The address listed on the form must be the address where your child normally lives. The address of a grandparent, other relative or any person looking after your child during the day must not be used. If you are a resident of Hammersmith & Fulham we will seek to check your residence against council tax records.

If you are resident in another borough, or if you are not registered for council tax you will need to provide proof of your address with your child’s application. Evidence that will be acceptable includes a mortgage/tenancy agreement, recent utility bill in your name (within last 3 months), child benefit (if eligible) or Inland Revenue documents.

2. Details of parent or carer

This section should be completed by the main parent or carer, who has parental responsibility for the child.

Optional second contact details can be supplied for cases where the main contact may have difficulty in communicating with the admissions team and to assist the admissions team or school in contacting the parent/carer if a place becomes available.

3. Children in public care

Children in Public Care (Looked After Children) and children who have been adopted or made subject to a residence order or special guardianship order immediately following having been looked after receive priority for admissions to school. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).

The child’s social worker must submit a letter to the school admissions team confirming the legal status of the child and the local authority to which the child is/was in care, quoting the child’s full name, date of birth and current address.

4. Background information

A child who has a statement of Special Educational Needs or Educational, Health and Care Plan must contact the special educational needs team or equivalent team in their home authority for guidance on procedures relating to moving schools.

5. Educational history

Please ensure that this section is fully completed failure to do so may delay the processing of your application. The admissions team reserves the right to contact the previous or current school for further information.

6. School preferences

Please remember you are applying for schools at a time when places have already been allocated, so you will need to be aware that schools that you may prefer, or are closest to your home, may not be able to offer a place. The school admissions team will be able to offer you guidance on schools that may have vacancies or short waiting lists. 

If you feel there are exceptional reasons for your child to be considered as a priority on a waiting list for a particular school, you must indicate this in the area provided or in the additional information box on part 9 of the form. All requests for priority consideration must be supported by a professional, such as a doctor or a social worker. Please be aware that not all schools have this criterion in their admissions policy.

If your child has a sibling (brother or sister) who is currently on roll at your preferred school you must include their details where requested. The definition of sibling is indicated in the admission criteria for each school. Relatives such as cousins, uncles and aunts are not considered as siblings, even if they are at the same address.

Those schools that are participating in the locally agreed co-ordinated in year admissions scheme are listed below. You can name any of these schools on the Common Application Form.

Those schools that also require a supplementary form (SIF) are marked with an asterisk*. The SIF is available directly from the school.

7. Child who has entered or re-entered the UK in the last 6 months

Please provide details of the date your child entered the UK if within the last 6 months. The admissions team reserves the right to ask for additional evidence confirming the basis upon which a child has been admitted to the UK and their present residency status.

8. Fair Access Protocol

We would like to ensure that any child resident in Hammersmith & Fulham without a school is secured a suitable place as soon as possible. A referral for a school placement in accordance with Fair Access arrangements is made by the admissions team. A parent/carer cannot request a Fair Access referral or placement. Referrals are only made for children without a school place. In most cases, a referral is made when it has not been possible to secure a school place that is considered a reasonable distance from the home address within 6 weeks of registering an application. It may also be as a result of a school refusing admission based on previous school history, such as an exclusion or behavioural problems.

9. Additional information

Please provide information you feel is relevant to the reasons for your application including expanding on any exceptional reasons why your child should be considered as a priority for your preferred school.

10. Declaration

The application will not be valid unless it has been completed by the parent/ carer with parental responsibility.

The following schools have not chosen to participate in the locally agreed co-ordinated in year admission scheme and will accept applications directly. It will NOT be possible for the authority to process an application for one of these schools and if you name one of these schools the details of your application will not be forwarded to the school.

Non-co-ordinating schools

Application to be made to schools directly and not on authority form