ADMISSIONS & WAITING LISTS

1. SECONDARY TRANSFER SEPTEMBER 2025

See www.hounslow.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions or more information.

Hounslow coordinates admissions to Year 7 on behalf of every school and academy in the borough for those wanting to start in year 7 at a secondary school at the start of the next academic year (see more further below and each secondary school's own website).

A list of Hounslow Secondary Schools Open Days can be found HERE.

Most children from Year 6 at Berkeley Academy transfer to Cranford Community College and their Year 7 Admissions Information is found HERE

2. BERKELEY ACADEMY ADMISSIONS

Berkeley Academy is an independent converter academy school run by Advantage Multi-Academy Trust and hence is independent of Hounslow Council and is not maintained by the council but it does support the council in meeting its statutory obligations in terms of admissions and other coordinated arrangements.

The academy is its own 'admissions authority' and adheres to the national 'School Admissions Code 2021'

Berkeley Academy manages its own admissions to Nursery Classes and all other admissions, except Reception Class (see below).

Berkeley Academy manages admissions to nursery classes, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.

Berkeley Academy also manages all 'mid-year' (also known as 'In-year') admissions for every year group including the existing nursery classes and the existing reception class.

However, Hounslow Council coordinates the admission of all children wanting to start in Reception Class at the start of the next academic year.

2a. How to apply for a Nursery Class place at Berkeley Academy

Berkeley Academy has two nursery classes (AM or PM).

Children can take up a funded (free),15-hour place in a school nursery in the September after their third birthday. They cannot be admitted before the school year in which they reach the age of four.

If your child was born was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they can start in the nursery class of a school in September 2025 (and a reception class in a school in September 2026).

For a nursery place for 1st September 2025, you will need to apply directly to the academy.

Nursery Applications in Hounslow can be made by completing a general form You can find the editable form here.

OR you can collect a form from Berkeley Academy at the end of a school day by prior arrangement (call 0208 570 5700).

Your application must go directly to the academy, either by hand at the end of a school day or ideally by post to 'Nursery Admissions, Berkeley Academy, Cranford Lane, Heston. TW5 9HQ'.

DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM FOR NURSERY PLACES TO HOUNSLOW COUNCIL.

2b. How to apply for a RECEPTION CLASS place at Berkeley Academy

See www.hounslow.gov.uk/primaryadmissions for more information.

Hounslow Council coordinates the admission of all children to Reception Year (only) for all schools and academies in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Leaflets for parents Nursery children will be distributed by the academy in early September.

Families are strongly advised to make their applications by the relevant closing dates. Late applications severely reduce the chances of families getting their preferred schools.

Contact School Admissions at Hounslow Council if you have any queries

T: 020 8583 2711/2721

E: admissions@hounslow.gov.uk

The booklet 'Starting School In Hounslow' can be found HERE

Click here to apply online using e-Admissions

If you do not live in the London Borough of Hounslow, you will need to apply through your own council.

2c. Late applications

Submitting a late application greatly reduces your chance of getting a place at one of your preferred schools. Late applications will be processed after the first allocation of places to on-time applicants in April.

2d. All other Admissions, including 'In-Year'

Berkeley Academy manages admissions to nursery classes, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.

Berkeley Academy also manages all 'mid-year' (also known as 'In-year') Admissions for every year group including the existing Nursery classes and the existing Reception class.

CLICK HERE for the 2025/26 In Year Admission application form (not yet published)

CLICK HERE for the 2024/25 In Year Admission application form

The academy operates a waiting list system to manage over-subscription. Upon receipt of an in-year application, should there be a vacancy in the appropriate year group, places will be offered after applying the above oversubscription criteria to ALL applicants, including those already on the waiting list, if one exists in the order set out in the relevant admissions policy.

Where there are more applications than places available, each application will be ranked in accordance with the published oversubscription criteria in order to allocate places. No other factors will be used to determine the offer of a place at the academy.

Parents will be informed of the outcome in writing within 15 school days of an applicatioin and the reasons for the decision and given details of their right to appeal and the process for any appeals to be heard by an independent appeals panel. Where a place has not been offered, parents will be given the opportunity for their child to remain on the waiting list.

3. ADMISSIONS WAITING LIST

Berkeley Academy is normally full and over-subscribed in all year groups and hence the academy operates a waiting list system to ensure fair admissions.

Applicants need to apply directly to the academy in order to gain a place at the academy, and, failing that, can be added to the academy's waiting list. It is never possible to provide an estimate of the position on the waiting list as, in accordance with the national admissions code, this is only determined at the point at which allocations are made by the Academy Trust Admissions Panel.

4. APPEAL DATES & INFORMATION

Appeal Dates & Information

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.

Years Reception, Year 1 and year 2: Link

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6: Link

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. Booklet Link 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.

The timetable for ‘in-year’ 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 e mail 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.

5. ADMISSIONS POLICY

Berkeley Academy consulted on its proposed Admissions Policy for 2024-2025 until Friday 31 January 2023.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AGREED ADMISSIONS POLICY 2024-2025.

Berkeley Academy consulted on its proposed Admissions Policy for 2025-2026 until Friday 31 January 2024.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AGREED ADMISSIONS POLICY 2025-2026.

The consultation was for parents of children aged 2-18, other persons in the area who have an interest in the proposed arrangements, including all other admissions authorities within the local area, the local authority and any adjoining neighbouring local authorities.

The consultation for 2026-27 opened on 6 October 2024 and will close on 31st January 2025. It will be considered by the ATB by 28 February 2025 and the agreed version published by 15 March 2025.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DRAFT ADMISSIONS POLICY 2026-27

Any consultation contributions or any admissions queries can be sent to the Head of Admissions, via the 'CONTACT US' tab on this website.

Any further queries can be sent to admissions@berkeley.hounslow.sch.uk

6. Fraudulent and Deliberately Misleading Applications

The academy may withdraw the offer of a place, even after the child has started if, for example, the application is found to have been fraudulent or deliberately misleding.

The academy may not accept an address provided in an application if we consider it to be an address of convenience.

All academy admission applications are subject to rigorous address checks to ensure school places are allocated fairly and in accordance with published admission arrangements.

Applicants may also be required to provide additional evidence to support their application.

The academy will not accept possible future addresses as a basis for allocating academy places.

If you move after submitting your application you must inform admissions@berkeley.hounslow.sch.uk within two weeks of your move.

It is for the admissions authority to determine if, on the balance of probability, the address given on an application is a child’s normal place of residence or is considered to be an address of convenience.

Some examples of circumstances which may be considered an address of convenience are:

using the address of a relative, friend, childminder or business
using the address of a parent with whom the child spends the minority of the week
purchasing a new property or renting accommodation and using this address in order to gain a school place, whilst continuing to own or rent an alternative property.
owning a property which is or has previously been used as your home address and applying from another address in order to gain a school place, but still retaining ownership of the initial property
use of a local address whilst the child lives overseas

For detailed guidance, please click here

If a fraudulent address or address of convenience is found to have been used after the allocation of places, any offer made will also be withdrawn, and this may be the case even if your child has started at the academy. The matter may also be referred to the police.