Primary School Applications for September 2021

Is anyone else struggling with this year’s Primary School admissions?

Among other evidence, Lewisham’s website specifically says you need to confirm your child’s address:

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The first two options are applicable to me, except that when enquiring with the GP if found:

1. They don’t issue NHS registration cards anymore (which is why we don’t have one I guess)
2. There wasn’t a prescription in the last 12 months that we have, and while the GP will write a medical letter, it will cost £25 and take up to 21 days.

Despite GPs having better things to do right now, after some pleading, I have a PDF which I think would constitutes a ‘medical letter’, except eadmissions.org.uk doesn’t have category for Proof of child’s address in which to upload this:

Contacting Lewisham’s Primary School admissions team by email was a waste of time, but they were helpful on the phone and suggested uploading the letter in the “Proof of parent/carers address”.

Both the GP and Lewisham’s admissions team complained they are getting lots of queries about this…

Note the deadline for applying for a primary school place is 15 January 2021

Thank you for the heads up. This is helpful as we will be applying and I’ve heard friends say what a nightmare this is.

Apart from this, once you are registered on eadmissions.org.uk it’s not that bad provided you have the documents requested. I used a PDF of TV Licence, a PDF of the recent Council Tax bill and photo of child’s passport. This proof of child’s address must have changed in the last few years and is more troublesome - apparently they can’t ask for half the things they did before due to GDPR as some of the documents could contain other info not necessary for processing the school application.

Good luck with your application!

That’s helpful. Thanks. Must remember to add to the to-do list!

So having done all the application stuff to my best ability, I’ve received a generic letter from Lewisham School Admissions asking to “Provide the requested documents”, all of which I believe to have supplied and can still view on my application.

Nicely they sent the email today, Friday, when the office phone lines are only open Monday to Thursday 9am to 1pm. What a fantastic system!

That’s harsh. The admin person is probably so busy writing and sending all those emails that it would be unfair to expect them to answer the phone at the same time.

Not sure. I think any confusion must have come from the fact that they are asking for forms of ID that are no longer issued (NHS registration cards for example) and also the web form doesn’t have an upload category for “Proof of child’s address” meaning they have to pick through the submission a bit more to work out what’s what.

I’m pretty sure I nailed the application, so now I’m going to have to phone them on Monday taking even more of their time. I just hope the phone lines aren’t busy as there is a deadline of March 8th in the letter.

Addendum, they’ve left the out of office reply on the emails too?

Please note that Lewisham’s School Admissions Team office is closed until 4th January 2021. Your email will not be responded to until after this date.

I sense a great amount of needless frustration coming my way