Admissions

  1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Admissions

Admissions

 

Please see our virtual tour below. Alternativly, if you would like to view Howbridge Infant School, please contact the office on 01376 512153.

 

Click here to watch a short video about our school.

Click here to view our prospectus.

 

Admissions Pack:

 

Before you apply

You should:

You may want to check the priority admission catchment area schools.

You can also watch a video on applying for a primary school place.

In-Year Applications

If you wish to apply for an in-year admission to change your child’s school to Howbridge Infant School, during the school year, please click here to complete our online in-year transfer form. Alternatively, a paper version is available by contacting the school office on 01376 512153.

 

Applications

Applications for Reception and Year 3 places for September 2026 will open on 10th November 2025 until 15th January 2026. All applications made after this date are considered to be late and may result in your child not being offered a school of your choice. For further information, please visit: https://www.essex.gov.uk/topic/admissions.

 

School Place Offers

Offers will be sent to online applicants by email on 16th April 2026.

From 16 April 2026, if you applied online, you can log into your account to see your allocation.

Find out more about what to do after you get your school offer.

 

Appeals

For further information please visit our appeals page.

 

Our Admission Policy

 

Published Admission Number 2025/2026: 90

Published Admission Number 2026/2027: 90

Published Admission Number 2027/2028: 90

Early Years Admissions

In line with legislation, the school will make arrangements for all children to be admitted in September full-time. Parents can request that the date their child is admitted to the school is deferred until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in the school year i.e. the start of the term after the child’s fifth birthday. Parents can also request that their child attends part time until the child reaches compulsory school age. Parents cannot, however, defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the end of the academic year for which the original application was accepted.

Admissions Policy

There is no guarantee of a place for children living in the priority admission areas. In the event of over-subscription places will be allocated using the following criteria in the order given:

  • Looked After Children, Previously Looked After Children and Children Previously Looked After from outside England;
  • Children with a sibling* attending the school or the partner Junior school; (this includes year 2 to year 3 children but excludes year 6)
  • Children living in the school’s priority admission area;
  • Remaining applications

Education, Health and Care Plan children that name the school will be admitted irrespective of the over subscription Criteria.

Applications should be made direct to Essex County Council by the statutory national closing date, as detailed in the Primary Education in Essex booklet. Late applications will be dealt with as detailed in this booklet.

In the event of over-subscription within any of the above criterion, priority will be determined by straight line distance** from home to school, those living closest being given highest priority.

The school will maintain a waiting list for unsuccessful applicants until the end of that academic year.

You have a statutory right to appeal against the decision not to admit your child. You have 20 school days from the date of your refusal letter to make your appeal. Detailed information about how to appeal will be sent to you with your offer pack.

Where a parent of a ‘summer-born’ child (I April — 31 August) wishes their child to start school in the autumn term following their fifth birthday, they will need to apply for a place at the correct time for the normal admission round for the following academic year. Supporting evidence from relevant professionals working with the child and family stating why the child must be placed outside their normal age appropriate cohort should be submitted.

The admission authority for the school will decide whether the application for a Reception place will be accepted or whether it will be treated as an application for a Year 1 place, the child’s normal age appropriate cohort. If the application for a Reception place is not accepted this does not constitute a refusal of the place and there is no right to an independent statutory appeal.

In-year applications are co-ordinated by the school – the electronic form is available on the Howbridge Infant School website, or a paper version is available by contacting the school office on 01376 512153.

The school will advise you if there is a place available for your child within 10 school days. If the school is unable to offer a place, a formal refusal letter will be issued and right of appeal given (if it was a first application for that year group). Second or subsequent applications for the same academic year do not have to be determined and no right of appeal will be given, unless there is a significant and material change in either your circumstances or the circumstances of the school.

* the definition of sibling applies as defined by the Local Authority as set out in the Primary Education in Essex booklet (see below).

A relevant sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, adopted brother or sister or stepbrother or stepsister living in the same family unit, in the same family household and address, who attends the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year. Biological and adopted siblings who attend the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year will also be treated as siblings, irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings.

For in-year applications the only variation to the definition above is the child should be attending, or has been offered a place at, the preferred school at the time of application and determination and with a reasonable expectation that the sibling will be attending at the time of admission. Biological siblings who attend the preferred school will be treated as siblings irrespective of their place of residence.

** distances are measured by the Local Authority as defined in the Primary Education in Essex booklet.

Click Here to view our Admissions and Appeals Timetable

Also in this section