Year R September 2025 entry

For children starting school in September 2025, applications for both Year R and Year 3 closed on the 15th January 2025. Applications are processed by Kent county Council (KCC) between the 16th January and the 15th April 2025. 

If you have not applied and are a Kent resident please email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk with your child’s:

• name
• date of birth
• full address.

They will be able to advise you of the next steps.

If you have applied for a school place but your circumstances have changed and you need to amend your application email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk so they can help you.

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) children

Most children with special educational needs and disabilities can attend mainstream schools, whether or not they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. If your child has an EHC plan, then their school placement will be arranged via the SEN Team.

Find out more about applying for a school place for your SEND child.

If you provided an email address on your application, you should receive an email on Wednesday 16th April 2025 after 4pm to tell you which school you have been offered. Alternatively, you can log in from 5pm to see your offer online on Wednesday 16 April 2025.

Offer emails will be sent to the email address you provided on your application.

The exact time you  will receive you email cannot be guaranteed - this will depend on your email service provider.

Due to data protection restrictions, offers cannot be sent to another email address without approval from the original email account. If you have changed email address, make sure you still have access to the original one to receive your offer. Or view your offer online.

If you need to reset your password you must use the email address you registered with.

Email kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk if you have any questions.

Click here to find out what to do after you receive your offer.

General Admissions (In year applications)

If you would to like to enquire about your child joining Birchington CE Primary School, please contact our Business Manager, Mrs Blake either by phoning the school office or emailing business.manager@birchington.kent.sch.uk.

If your child is already enrolled at another school you may need to complete an ‘In-Year Admissions Form’. Further information can be found here: KCC – Move to a different school.

If your child is at primary school and you want to move them to a different school in Kent, you will need to submit an In Year Admissions Form.

Unlike an admissions application when a child starts school, you are required to apply to the school(s) that you want your child to attend.

As there is no guarantee that your preferred school(s) will have a space available for your child, you should not remove them from their current school before you are sure they have somewhere else to go.

If you want to move your child into a school in Kent, you must complete the In-Year Admissions Form and send it to the school(s) you're are interested in.

You need to fill in a separate form for each child and for each school you want to apply to.

Find your nearest school.

Download and print our In Year Admissions Form (PDF, 303.3 KB).

As the availability of school spaces can change at any time, you are advised to ring schools directly to see if they have a place in your child’s year group.

If you live in Kent but want your child to move to a school in another local authority, visit the school's local authority website for more information about how their in-year admissions process works.

Appeals

If you are unhappy with the school place you've been offered, you can appeal for any of the schools you named in your application. We recommend you still accept the place your child has been offered. This will not affect your appeal and will guarantee your child has a school place if your appeal is unsuccessful. If your appeal is successful you must remember to tell the school you were originally offered that you no longer want the place.

If you weren't offered your chosen school, this is usually because the school is full and there were other children who more closely met the school’s oversubscription criteria.

If you are unhappy with your child's education, health and care (EHC) plan, contact the SEND Enquiries Hub.

Appeal Timetable

If your child is due to start school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Wednesday 16 April 2025).

You must submit your appeal before Tuesday 20 May 2025 for it to be considered by Friday 18 July 2025.

Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

For any appeals being lodged read the full copy of the KCC privacy notice outlining your rights in relation to your personal data.

Click here if you would like to appeal the school choice that you have been given.

Useful Links

Useful Contact Numbers;

Secondary Admissions Team -

Tel: 03000 416678 / Fax: 03000 422862

Primary Admissions Team -

Tel: 03000 416111 / Fax: 03000 422861

In Year Admissions Team  -

Tel: 03000 416789 / Fax: 03000 422860

Online Admissions Team -

Tel: 03000 412121 / Fax: 03000 422858