Admissions

Admission Criteria for Honywood School 2025-2026

  • Academy (co-educational 11-16 year olds)
  • Published number to admit September 2025 - 160
  • Number on roll as of September 2024 – TBC
  • In September 2024 the last child was admitted under criterion TBC

Admissions Policy:

There is no guarantee of a place for children living in the priority admission area.  In the event of oversubscription places will be allocated using the following criteria in the order given:

Admissions Criteria (Primary to Secondary school transition - From September 2025)

1.   Looked After Child or Previous LAC(1)

2.   Children of teaching and non-teaching staff (employed at Honywood School) who have been

        (a)   Employed at the school for two or more years at the time of application for the school place; and/or

        (b)  Recruited to fill vacant posts for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage;

3.   Children with a sibling(2) attending the school (at the time of application and admission)

4.   Children currently attending the named feeder primary schools(3)

5.   Other children living within Honywood’s designated admissions area

6.   Remaining applications

 

In the event of oversubscription within any of the above criteria, priority will be determined by straight line distance from home to school, those living closest being given the highest priority.  Exceptional circumstances (determined by the school) may override the above criteria (other than Looked After Children).

In addition, we will allocate three places, in agreement with the Local Authority, to children requiring a placement in our enhanced provision, My Learning Hub (MLH).  MLH supports the integration into mainstream secondary school of children who have an Education Health and Care Plan specifying that a primary learning need is overcoming Autism Spectrum Condition.

1.   A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements or special guardianship order.  This also includes those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (as defined in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).

2.   A sibling is defined as a child living in the same family unit in the same family household and address as a child who attends the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year.  This includes brothers, sisters, stepbrothers and stepsisters or adopted brothers or sisters.  In addition, biological siblings who attend the preferred school in any year excluding the final year will also be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence.

3.        Our feeder schools list is based on the list of schools within Honywood’s designated rural area.  They are as follows:

Chappel C of E Primary School

Colne Engaine C of E Primary School

Copford C of E (VC)  Primary School

Cressing Primary School

Earls Colne Primary School

Feering C of E Primary School

Fordham All Saints C of E (VC) Primary School

Great Tey C of E (VC) Primary School

Great Totham Primary School

Heathlands C of E (VC) Primary School, West Bergholt

Holy Trinity C of E (VC) Primary School, Halstead

Kelvedon St Mary’s C of E Primary Academy

Rivenhall C of E Primary School

Silver End Academy

St Andrew's C of E Primary Academy, Marks Tey

St Peters C of E (VC) Primary School, Coggeshall

Stisted C of E Primary Academy

Main Round
For all main round admissions (Year 6 to 7), applications must be made directly to Essex County Council as these are dealt with centrally.
 
For further information please see the Essex County Council website .  Once a place has been confirmed, families will be contacted by the school.

Mid-Year Applications and Waiting Lists
If you would like to apply for a place at Honywood School outside of the Main Round (current Cohort 7 to 11), please contact Miss Vandome, Admissions Officer at the school to discuss. The application form can be found via the menu. Forms need to be downloaded to be completed and should then be returned to the school, by post, email
(admissions@honywoodschool.com) or by handing them in at Reception. If you are unable to download the form, please contact Miss Vandome in the School Office who
can arrange for one to be posted to you. Please note that Page 3 (information from the current/previous school) MUST BE completed for the application to be considered.If you wish to visit the school before making a Mid-Year application please complete the form to request this (see section below).

Mid-Year Pre-Application visit
If you would like to request a pre-application visit for a Mid-Year admission (Cohorts 7-11 only), please complete the form, available from the menu and we will be in touch to confirm a date for your visit as soon as possible (response times will be longer during school holidays).

Please note this will be a general tour and there may not be the opportunity to meet individual members of staff such as the SENCO.

Waiting Lists
Waiting lists (expression of continued interest) for Main Round and Mid-Year
applications are held at the school. All lists are held on a termly basis at which point
they will be dissolved. At the end of each term, the school will contact you to ask for
written confirmation whether you would wish to be included on the new term’s waiting
list. (All applicants held on the waiting list are ranked by line of distance irrespective of
the date of application).

For more information on the admissions process and priority area, please contact Miss
Vandome on 01376 561231 (Option 3), or email admissions@honywoodschool.com

Transport

Transport to school is assessed by Essex County Council based on the County Policy for Home School transport and not organised by the school. The full policy can be downloaded via the menu.


Please check this policy carefully for eligibility for bus transport before applying through Essex County Council.
 
Admissions Appeals

As required by the law, parents have the right of appeal against any refusal to admit. Please see www.essex.gov.uk/admissions for more information on how to appeal. Appeals should be lodged within twenty school days of the date on the letter confirming refusal.  Appeals will be heard by an independent appeal panel convened by the LA.

Contact Us
Please contact the school reception on 01376 561231 for further information regarding admissions. 

ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION  

Please see details below regarding our admissions criteria.  

  1. Admissions Criteria 2024-2025
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