Admissions Process

How to apply

You must apply on the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) via Kent LEA Online.

The school at the top of the list is regarded as your first preference. In order to have the best chance of securing a place at The Leigh Academy, we would highly recommend that you place The Leigh Academy as your first preference.

The Leigh Academy also uses a Fair Ability Banding Assessment in order to apply our criteria. Parents/Carers are able to register students for this assessment by completing the online form. It is essential that this form is completed by the same closing date as for the SCAF, Tuesday 31st October 2023. If you are unable to access the online form, please collect a Fair Ability Banding Form from our reception at the address below:

The Leigh Academy
Green Street Green Road
Dartford
Kent
DA1 1QE

Please note, registration for the Fair Ability Banding Assessment for September 2024 admissions has now closed.

Students who name The Leigh Academy will be invited for a test as part of the national process of ‘fair banding’. This is not a pass or fail assessment, it just ensures that children across the full ability range are admitted.

The order in which places are given at the academy are clearly detailed in our Admissions Arrangement documents below.

Admissions Arrangements 2023-24 Admissions Arrangements 2024-25

Open Evenings

Two Open Evenings will take place on Wednesday 27th September and Thursday 12th October 2023. A booking form will be available on this page in July.

Fair Banding Test

The Fair Banding Test will be held on Saturday 18th November 2023. Booking for the test will open on Monday 26th June and close on Tuesday 31st October 2023, inline with the national closing date for Kent application forms.

In Year Admissions

To apply for a place at The Leigh Academy in any year group, applicants will need to complete and return an ‘In Year Admissions’ form to the academy.

Download In year application form

Please contact reception for information regarding Year 7 and In-Year Casual Admissions on:

Stacey Thomas,
Admissions Coordinator
Tel: 01322 620504

Appeals

If you have not been offered a place at the academy, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. All appeals will be heard online which has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work.

If you wish to appeal, please use this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is suggested that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form.

Appeals Explanatory Booklet - Education Appeals

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but on different forms.

Any letters or reports that you wish the panel to see should be uploaded at this time. You are asked to bear in mind that if you later send additional information, the closing date is 5 working days before the STAGE 1 hearing. All appointed panels have agreed NOT to take any late letters or reports after the 5 working day deadline. This will be strictly enforced. For secondary/primary transfer appeals, the hearing will take place at least TWO months after the refusal letter. This gives you plenty of time to get your evidence together if you act early and take account of school holidays.

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months. If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing.

If you wish to contact the clerk – email : clerk@educationappeals.com

Timetable for Appeals

Last day for lodging appeal forms for a place in year 7 to start in September 2024

4pm on Tuesday 2 April 2024 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard in the first tranche of appeals. Appeals lodged later may not be heard until the second tranche which could be in September 2024. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply any documentary evidence at this stage.

The stage 1 part of the hearing (with other parents present) will take place on

Friday 24 May 2024

Part 2, the individual private hearings will take place on

Friday 24 May 2024, depending on the number of appeals.

Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel

At least 10 school days before the stage 1 hearing.

Any additional supporting evidence

Closing date is Friday 17 May 2024. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please provide the Clerk with FIVE copies of any new additional evidence BY POST ONLY. All such evidence to be submitted in A4 format and NOT bound, but may be stapled on the top left hand corner. Paperwork submitted with your appeal form does not need to include 5 copies. These must be sent to EdAp, Sopers House, Sopers Road, Cuffley, Herts, EN6 4RY.

Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel

Due to the high number of appeals held at this time, this may not be sent until up to 10 working days after the last hearing for the school.

Mid-Term Applications Appeals

Last day for lodging appeal forms following a refusal for a place ‘in year’ or ‘mid-term’ excluding 6th form.

You must lodge the appeal form within 20 school days upon receipt of your letter of refusal. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply documentary evidence at this stage. Appeals are held within 30 school days of receipt of the appeal form.

Sixth Form Applications Appeals

Last day for lodging appeals

4pm on Thursday 29 August 2024 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard within the first weeks of September. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal on the online form and supply any documentary evidence at this stage e.g. a copy of your result sheet.

Please note the timetable is very short to enable those appellants who win appeals to start as early into the school year as possible.

Click here for the 6th form appeal form

Appeal date

The date will be during the month of September 2024.