Admissions

Welcome to Willow Bank Primary School and thank you for your interest in educating your child our school.  We welcome visits to our school before you apply for a place. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a visit, please contact our school office on 0208 3201900 or by email at wbpoffice@watschools.org.uk

 

The following notes are designed to provide guidance on enquiries or applications for places. Woodland Academy Trust is the admission authority for the schools within the Trust and the allocation of school places has been delegated to the Local Authority School Admissions Teams.

 

 

2026-2027 Admissions

The Published Admission Number (PAN) for Reception at Willow Bank Primary School is 30.

 

Parents and carers must apply for a Reception place through the Bexley Council admissions. The application period for Reception 2026 places is now open and the closing date is 15 January 2026. Admission to Reception in September 2026 is for children born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022.

How to apply: Please visit the Bexley website: Bexley website starting primary school 

To view our admissions arrangements, please visit our 'Policies and Procedures' page and look for 'Admissions Arrangements' in the list.

 

Previous years’ admissions arrangements are available on request.

 

In- Year Admissions

 

If you wish to apply for a place at Willow Bank Primary School outside the normal admissions round (for example, if you are moving into the area or wish to transfer schools mid-year), this is called an in-year admission.

Pease do get in touch with us if you are looking for an in year admissions place for your child to find out if we have spaces.

To apply for, please visit the Bexley website in-year admissions page: Bexley website Applying for school-in-year 

 If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Please note the 2022/2023 Admission Policy has been updated in line with the requirements of the new School Admissions Code which came into force on 1 September 2021. Changes to the policies have been made to clarify the key issues around the admissions for vulnerable children, in-year admissions and Fair Access Protocols.

We welcome visits to our school before application and are flexible in trying to ensure you can look around at a mutually convenient time. Please telephone the school office to make an appointment. If possible, we will try to arrange for a member of the Senior Leadership Team to be available for further questions.

Applications for Reception places at our school will be made in accordance with the Bexley Council coordinated admission arrangements.

Information about school is displayed on our website. The school will use the timetable specified by the Local Authority each year and published annually to parents for admissions of pupils to primary schools. For detailed information, please check the Local Authority website.

In year admissions (those that take place to all other year groups) are made as places become available.

We do currently have some spaces available at our school and welcome enquiries. Formal applications can be made to Bexley selecting your school of choice. Please contact the school office for further information.

In-Year Admissions

If you wish to apply for a place at Willow Bank Primary School outside the normal admissions round (for example, if you are moving into the area or wish to transfer schools mid-year), this is called an in-year admission.

 For ‘in year’ admissions, applications are considered as soon as a place becomes available. 

Waiting lists are maintained by the Local Authority and all enquiries should be made to them. Children on waiting lists are ranked according to the priority they have under the published admission arrangements. Waiting lists do not operate on a ‘first come first served’ basis; if new applicants have a higher priority, they will be ranked higher than those who have been on the list for some time.

Please click the below link to in year admissions information:

London Borough of Bexley

Parents/carers who are not offered a place for their child will be entitled to appeal to an independent committee under the provisions of the:

School Standards and Framework Act, 1998.

A service level agreement has been taken out with Local Authority Independent Appeals Services and Clerks Associates to carry out the role of clerk to administer appeals hearings.

Click below for the Admissions Dates and Appeals timetable:

Appeals Timetable 2025

Details of the consultation on admissions arrangements for 2026-2027, can be viewed on the 'Consultation on Admissions Arrangements 2026-2027' page in the Key Information tab of our website