The Road to Learning 2008

Filling in your forms

The common application form

If you do not fill in and return the Common application form ( PDF 155K) by the closing date, we may not be able to give your child a place at the school you prefer. This applies even if your child is at that school's nursery or if you have another child in that school. Do not fill in a paper form if you apply online.

You should list up to 3 preferences on the application form, making sure you rank them in order of preference. Number 1 is the school you most prefer and number 3 the school you least prefer. You may include any schools within Barking and Dagenham
If 1 of your preferences includes a voluntary aided school, you must fill in a priest reference form for that school

The information you need to put on your common application form is as follows, whether you apply online or fill in your paper form.

Section 1 - Child's details

Child's name - this should be your child's legal name given on their birth certificate or passport.

Child's date of birth - please put the figures in the day, month and year boxes. For example, you should write 12 September 2003 as follows.

1 2 0 9 0 3

Child's sex - please tick the relevant box to show if your child is male or female.

Child's address - this must be the permanent address where the child lives with their parents or legal guardians and where child benefit is addressed. You will be asked to provide proof of where you and your child live at your child's induction.

The schools will need a photocopy of your 2008-2009 council tax bill or a copy of your tenancy agreement as well as a photocopy of your child benefit book or a letter from the Benefits Agency. The name of your child and your name and address on both these documents must match the information on your application form.

Section 2 - Children with disabilities or special educational needs

Please tick the relevant box to show if your child has a full statement of special educational needs
Please tick the relevant box to show if your child has a disability and give details in the box provided

Section 3 - Children in care

Please tick the relevant box to show if your child is in the care of a local authority. If so, please give details by providing a letter from the social worker confirming the legal status of the child and the local authority the child is in the care of. The letter should also provide the reasons for the schools you have listed.

Section 4 - School preferences

Please write the name of up to 3 different schools you want to apply for. You must list the schools in the order you prefer them. Number 1 is the school you most prefer and number 3 is the school you least prefer. You must list all community and voluntary aided schools within Barking and Dagenham.

Reasons for your preference

We only use the admission criteria to your application and do not consider your reasons for the schools you have listed. Although you may give your reasons for your preferred schools, we cannot consider other circumstances not listed in the criteria.

Siblings (brothers and sisters)

If your child has a brother or sister (sibling) at the school you name as a preference, please give the name, date of birth and sex of any brother or sister who is already at that school. This includes a full, half, step, adopted brother or sister or long-term fostered child living at the same address and currently at the school. We do not consider siblings who you do not name on your common application form.

Section 5 - Declaration and signature of the parent or carer

The person or people with parental responsibility for the child named in section 1 must sign the declaration to confirm that they have read and understood the information in these web pages and that the information they give is accurate. Please also give your full name and contact details, and tick the relevant box to show your title and relationship to the child named in section 1.

For example, tick 'other family member' if you are a sister caring for the child. Please remember to provide documents as proof of legal guardianship if you are not the child's natural parent.

If your address is different to the child's address, please explain why on a separate sheet of paper. Also, if parents share custody, please say this and give both addresses on a separate sheet of paper. If we ask for proof of address, please make sure that the guardian named on the application form is also named on the 2008-2009 council tax bill or tenancy agreement. See frequently asked questions section for more details.

Section 6 - Receipt

If you apply online and successfully submit (make) your application, you will be given an application reference number. You can phone us to check that we have received your online application.

Forms received at Barking and Dagenham infant or primary schools will be recorded by the school administrator.

If you hand in your application at the Barking Learning Centre or you post your application to us, proof of posting is not proof that we have received it. If you want us to let you know that we have received your form, you must fill in the receipt slip (section 6 of the common application form) and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. If you do not hear from us within 14 days of posting your form, it is likely that we did not receive it. In that case, we strongly recommend that you apply online. We cannot confirm over the phone that we have received your paper form.

However you apply, please keep your receipts in a safe place as you will need to show them to us if we have any questions we need to ask you.

Priest's reference forms

There are 3 stages if you want to apply for a place in a reception class at one of the borough's 6 voluntary aided Roman Catholic or Church of England Schools.

You will need to fill in the Common application form ( PDF 155K) and return it to the Admissions and Attendance Team by Friday 15 February 2008
You must also fill in the priest's reference form for each of the voluntary aided schools you are applying for. These forms are in the back of these web pages in alphabetical order. You can also get more copies from each of the voluntary aided schools or our website. This second form shows your commitment to your faith as shown by your links to your local church.

Once you and your parish priest have filled in this form, the priest will need to return the form direct to the school by Friday 15 February 2008. Please give your priest or minister a stamped addressed envelope with the school's address on it, so that they may return the reference directly to the school. Pastoral meetings will be carried out by some schools, so please contact them direct for an appointment. Once you and your priest have done this, the priest will need to return the form direct to the school by Friday 15 February 2008
You must also send a photocopy of the following information direct to the school and enclose a letter giving the name of the priest you left your priest's reference form with (and the date you left it).
- The child's birth certificate
- The child's baptism certificate (not needed for applications to St Margaret's School)
- Proof of the parent's address (including utility bill within the last 3 months)
- Proof of the child's address (child benefit book or letter from the Benefits Agency)

All the voluntary aided schools will need you to fill in the priest's reference form for their school. The admission criteria for all voluntary aided schools are listed in alphabetical order. Please read the admission criteria and procedure of your preferred school before applying. Each school will then apply their admission criteria to your application and the Admissions and Attendance Team will let you know the school's decision by Friday 4 April 2008.

Important notes

Your application is not valid if you do not fill in and send us the common application form, priest's reference form and provide the information we need. Within each admission criterion (category) for each of the voluntary aided schools, children in care of a local authority will receive priority.