If your child is due to start primary school in September 2023, you need to apply for a primary school place. The deadline for applications is 15 January 2023.

If you miss the closing date, you'll still need to apply online. 

Planned admission timetable

Reception admissions process for entry in September 2023

Stage of process	Date
Application period starts	1 September 2022
Closing date for applications	15 January 2023
Outcome of applications	17 April 2023
Deadline for accepting the offer	2 May 2023
Appeal hearings	June and July 2023

Before you apply

You can apply for up to six primary schools, listing them in order of preference.

Consider each school's admissions policies and previous years' application rates to see whether your child is likely to be offered a place.

For an indication of addresses offered by each school in the previous admission, check our primary school offers map.

Your preference schools can be in Royal Greenwich or in other areas, but they cannot be independent (fee paying) schools.

You do not have to list six schools, but the more schools you list, the better your chances of being offered a place at one of them.

View the primary school admissions booklet 2023 to 2024

Tips on using your preferences wisely

Your preferences are up to you, but do be realistic. There's no guarantee you'll be offered a place at a preference school but here are some of our recommendations:

• don't 'waste' a preference by naming a school where your child is unlikely to be offered a place
• don't name a school that you'd not wish your child to attend - any preference may be offered
• don't list the same school more than once as duplicates will be deleted
• include schools nearest to your home address - otherwise, your child may end up being allocated to a school much further away.

How to apply

You can apply for schools in any area. If you live in Royal Greenwich you need to apply through us. If you live in another borough, you need to apply through your home authority even if you wish to apply for a place in a Royal Greenwich school.

If you have an older child or children already attending the school, you must make this clear on your application.

Apply online

The easiest way to apply is through the eAdmissions portal – it's quick, easy and secure - and it's the fastest way to hear the results.

View guidance on how to make an online application (eAdmissions website)

Please make sure that you rank your preferences in the order you genuinely want them to be considered. Any changes you wish to make to your preferences after the closing date will only be considered when all applications, including those submitted late, have been processed.

If you would rather complete a paper form and live in Royal Greenwich, you must use the Royal Borough of Greenwich's common application form.

If you would rather complete a paper form and live in Royal Greenwich, you must use the Royal Borough of Greenwich's common application form. To request a PDF of this form from the School Admissions Service to print off and complete, please email school-admissions@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. Receipt of a paper form cannot be provided.

Junior school

Some boroughs have infant and junior schools. If you live in Royal Greenwich and your child attends Year Two in an infant school in another area, you'll need to apply through us for a Year Three place in a junior school.

Apply for a Reception place for admission in September 2022 (eAdmissions website)

Supplementary information forms for voluntary aided schools

You'll also need to complete a supplementary information form if you're applying for a place at:

• a voluntary aided school as a faith entrant
• St Mary Magdalene CE, regardless of faith

This must be returned to the school by the same date as the deadline for the main application form.

A number of schools have applied for in-year variations to faith based admissions criteria due to the impact of COVID-19.

An 'in-year variation' is a process an admission authority can follow to change their admission arrangements after they have been legally agreed. The inability for people to go to their places of worship during COVID-19 means some faith schools have changed how they assess the faith practice criterion.  

Check which primary schools need supplementary information forms 

• Check which primary schools need supplementary information forms

  The following Roman Catholic primary schools have their own supplementary information forms. You can download them from the schools' website:

  • Holy Family RC School
  • Notre Dame RC School
  • Our Lady of Grace RC School
  • St Joseph's RC School
  • St Margaret Clitherow RC School
  • St Mary's RC School
  • St Patrick's RC School
  • St Peter's RC School
  • St Thomas a Becket RC School
  • St Thomas More RC School

  The following Church of England primary schools have their own supplementary information forms. You can download them from the schools' website:

  • Bishop John Robinson CE School
  • Christ Church CE School (Greenwich)
  • Christ Church CE School (Shooters Hill)
  • Eltham CE School
  • St Alfege with St Peter's CE School
  • St Margaret's CE School
  • St Mary Magdalene CE School

There are additional arrangements for schools with split sites. Refer to the admissions booklet for details on the schools you are interested in.

• Bannockburn School
• Heronsgate school
• Invicta School
• James Wolfe School
• Plumcroft School
• St Mary Magdalene School
• St Thomas a Becket School
• Windrush School

Medical or social reasons for preferences

In most cases, medical or social needs can be met in any mainstream school.

However, if you feel that there's a chronic medical or social care reason why your child should be offered a particular school, you need to state this in your application.

Where the need relates to another family member, that family member must live at the same address as the child.

We don't consider moderate learning difficulties such as delayed speech and language or dyslexia as being a chronic medical or social care need. 

Work commitments and childcare arrangements are not considered as being a social care needs and so will not be considered by the panel. Contact the Families Information Service for help with childcare arrangements.

We can only consider a request for a place in a school's Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) if it's supported by our Special Educational Needs Service.

In your application you'll need to:

1. Give evidence of the chronic medical or social care need, such as a professional medical diagnosis or a statement.
2. Give reasons why your child should attend a particular school, stating the consequences if they have to attend an alternative school.
3. Provide documentation from the relevant professional, such as a health or social care professional which supports your application to a named school on the grounds of medical or social need.

Get help with your application

Royal Greenwich holds school admission information sessions to help parents and carers with applying for a school place.

The Families Information Service offers support to parents and carers who may need support with the school admissions process.

The service is available to everyone and provides:

• a wide range of information on local primary schools
• support in making informed and realistic preferences
• help in completing the relevant forms
• information about the appeals process.

If you have questions about which schools will best meet your child's academic and developmental needs, or you require support in making your application, please contact the Families Information Service.