Academy Admissions

Consultancy for admissions 2021 update 

The Academy will have an admission number of 30 in Reception for September 2021 - please see the admissions policy below.

Academy Admissions

Welcome to the Harris Academy Benson Admissions information page. Please look at our news page for details of our open evenings for prospective Parents, Carers and Students. Our full policy, with details of our admissions criteria, can be downloaded from further down the page.  A brief summary of the application procedure follows, Reception and in-year admissions.

Academy Admissions Contact Details

Reception Applications

The Academy has an admission number of 30 in Reception for September 2022

Applications for places in Reception should be made on the home Local Authority’s Common Application Form. These are accessible on the LA’s website and 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).

If you are unhappy that you did not receive an offer of a school place at Harris Primary Academy Benson, you have the right to lodge an independent appeal with us.

In-Year Applications

If you are looking for a place in Harris Primary Academy Benson because you have recently moved into the area, or your child is at another school and you feel that a change of school would benefit their education and/or general well-being, you are entitled to apply for a school place. 

Please complete our 'In Year Admissions' form here and if we will contact you regarding your application. 

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.

For Parents/Carers who Wish to Appeal

Parent(s) wishing to appeal against the Academy’s decision on admissions, for any year group, should complete an Appeal Form (see below) stating the reason for the appeal, based on the published Admissions Criteria.

If you wish to appeal you must complete the admissions appeal form.

All appeals must be made in writing to the Clerk to the Appeal Panel at Harris Primary Academy Benson, West Way, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 8RQ using the appeals form by the 16^th May 2022. All appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals.

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.