Admissions confusion explained

We have obtained an explanation of the confusion over the admissions policy of the Harris Junior Academy Carshalton (the school formerly known as Camden Juniors). See also our previous post.

Apparently, Harris had no intention of changing the school’s admissions policy in such a way that would stop giving priority to children from Victor Seymour.  It was just that they made a mistake in writing up their policy!

Harris had originally suggested that they could move children into the school from Victor Seymour outside of the  ‘oversubscription’ admissions criteria; they had therefore not included a specific reference to Victor Seymour in their proposed admissions arrangements.

But this would have been unlawful – as was pointed out to them by Sutton Council. To be able to continue to give priority to pupils from Victor Seymour a specific reference to that must be made in the ‘oversubscription’ criteria.

These ‘incorrect’ admissions arrangements, without reference to Victor Seymour, were the ones Harris put on their website and described in the prospectus for the Harris Junior Academy Carshalton.

Harris have now corrected their oversubscription criteria and published corrected admissions arrangements on their website.

A copy can also be downloaded here.

The description of the admissions arrangements on page 8 of the Prospectus for the Harris Junior Academy Carshalton is wrong.

Harris Carshalton admissions

Parents have raised concerns about the admissions policies of the ‘school formerly known as Camden Juniors’.

Our attention has been drawn to the fact that neither the Harris Junior Academy website or their official school prospectus refer to any specific criteria for admission for children of Victor Seymour Infants School.

We have checked the published admissions arrangements* for the Harris Junior Academy Carshalton, which do give priority to children from Victor Seymour Infants School.

Places will be given to children with a statement of special educational need.

If the school is oversubscribed, priority will be given to children in the following order:

1.  Looked after children

2.  Children attending Victor Seymour Infants School

3.  Children who are accepted as having an exceptional medical or social need.

4.  Children with a brother or sister already attending the school or Victor Seymour Infants School

5.  Children allocated a place on distance from the school.

You can read the full admission arrangements here.

(* admissions arrangements provided by Sutton Council.)