Reception Admissions
Applying for a Reception place starting in September 2024
When to apply and important dates
All children can start Reception in the September following their 4th birthday. If your child attends a Merton School Nursery you will be provided with information at the correct time. If your child does not attend a Merton School Nursery, please return to this website the September after your child's 3rd birthday to make an online application.
The application process for children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 begins on 1 September 2024. If your child was born between these dates, please read the following information carefully and ensure you have submitted your online application by 15 January 2025.
We urge all parents to read through the starting primary school information online. If you are unable to do this, you can download the Starting Reception 2025 application booklet.
Full details of Merton's admission arrangements can be found on our website, however the information provided on these pages contains everything you need in order to make an application.
Applying for a Reception place starting in September 2025
Key dates:
The key dates for the Reception process can be found in the following table.
- Please ensure that you meet the date for submitting your online application.
- Submitting a late application could seriously jeopardise your chances of being offered a place at one of your preferred schools.
- You must apply for a Reception place even if your child currently attends the nursery at a school. If your child currently attends our nursery, they will be considered a priority for applications.
- Schools cannot guarantee places for children who are in their nursery, and your request to be considered for that school cannot be considered unless you submit a Reception application.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| September to December 2024 | Parents can contact primary schools to arrange visits. |
| 15 January 2025 | Closing date for receipt of online applications. Common Application Forms should be returned to your first preference school, if this is a Merton school. If your first preference school is not a Merton school, forms should be returned to School Admissions. All supplementary forms should be sent directly to the relevant schools by this date. |
| 12 February 2025 | Closing date for applications from people moving into the borough or changing address after 15 January 2025. |
| By 8 March 2025 | Applications are ranked according to admissions criteria. |
| 16 April 2025 | Offer day, letters are posted to applicants who applied using a paper form. Parents who applied online will be able to view the outcome of their application from the evening of 16 April 2025. |
| 30 April 2025 | Deadline for parents to respond to offers |
| June to July 2025 | Admission appeals.
|
| September 2025 | Children start school in Reception. |
Appeals
Parents / Carers wishing to appeal against the Academy’s decision on admissions, for any year group, should contact the Academy and request an Appeal Form stating the reason for the appeal, based on the published Admissions Criteria.
Completed forms should be sent to the Clerk to Governors at:
Harris Primary Academy Merton, Abbotts Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 1JW
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.
Contact London Borough of Merton Admissions
School Admissions Team
Civic Centre
Morden
SM4 5DX
Email: admissions@merton.gov.uk
All Reception places must be applied for via the Local Authority that you live in. Please call the Merton Admissions team on 020 8274 4906 to request a Common Application Form (in-year admissions form). The Admissions Offices are open between 9am and 2pm.
