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

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 30 in Reception for September 2026.

If there are more than 30 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) Children 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 Michelle Beaumont, 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 20^th May 2026.  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 2025-2026

1 September 2025	Local Authority Online Application Website Open.
15 January 2026	Online closing date for Application Forms.
16 April 2026	Local Authority informs Parents/Carers of allocated school.
30 April 2026	Acceptance of place deadline.
20 May 2026	Deadline for appeals to be made in writing to the Academy.
May - June 2026	Appeals to be heard.
7th January 2027	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 7th January 2027, 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.

Deferred/Delayed Entry

To defer a Reception place in the London Borough of Bromley, you must first accept the offered place and then arrange the deferral with the school's head teacher, or if seeking a delayed start to the next academic year (for summer-born children), follow a specific application process with the Council. 

Option 1: Deferring Entry Within the Same Academic Year

You have a legal right to defer your child's start date until later in the same school year, without losing the offered place, as long as they start by the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday. 

1. Accept the place: You must first accept the offered school place by the deadline specified in your offer notification via the eAdmissions website.
2. Contact the Head Teacher: You must notify the head teacher of the allocated school in writing (email or letter) about your intention to defer entry. They can discuss the arrangements with you to ensure the deferral is in your child's best interest.
3. Confirm the start date: Agree on a start date within the current academic year. The school must hold the place for your child. 

Option 2: Requesting a Delayed Entry to the Following Academic Year (For Summer-Born Children)

For children born between 1 April and 31 August (summer-born), you can request to delay their entry so they start Reception a full year later, in the September following their fifth birthday. 

• This is not an automatic right; requests are considered on a case-by-case basis by the school's admission authority.
• A place cannot be held: If this request is approved, any place you may have already been offered for the current Reception year will be withdrawn. You will have to re-apply for a place in the following academic year's Reception intake as part of the normal application process.
• If the request is declined: If the request is refused and you still choose to defer, your child will likely have to enter Year 1 the following year as an in-year admission, potentially missing the Reception year completely. 

To make this request:

1. Submit an on-time application: Apply for a school place for your child's chronological year group by the national closing date.
2. Submit a formal request: At the same time you apply, send a written request for delayed entry to the Bromley Council Admissions Team via email at primary.admissions@bromley.gov.uk.
3. Provide supporting evidence: Include all relevant reasons why starting a year later is in your child's best interest. This can include professional reports (medical, social, etc.).
4. Await the decision: Bromley Council and the school's admission authority will consider the request and inform you of the outcome. There is no formal right of appeal if the request for delayed entry to the following academic year is denied. 

For further guidance, it is recommended to contact the Bromley Admissions Team directly:

• Email: primary.admissions@bromley.gov.uk
• Phone: 020 8313 4044 (call between 12-3pm)