Admissions

The staff, governing body and pupils of Odessa Infant School welcome you to apply for a place at our school. To do this you must follow the correct process for your child’s age as detailed below.

Nursery Admissions

We accept children’s names for the nursery waiting list from their second birthday. We cannot guarantee you a place but we do try to offer all children at least three terms in the nursery before entry to school.

We offer children either a morning or afternoon place. If you would like to put your child’s name on our nursery waiting list, we suggest you do this before their third birthday. Please click on the link to complete the online form.

30 Hours Extended Entitlement

We offer 30 hour funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds. Find out if you are eligible to apply for an eligibility code via http://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ Once you receive your code, contact the school who will confirm your eligibility.

Am I eligible?
You will qualify for a free place if both parents in a two parent family are working
or if you are a single parent who is working and, on average earns:

  • A weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage
  • Less than £100,000 per year.

School Admissions

We are a school maintained by the London Borough of Newham, which means they are the admission authority for this school. All applications for Odessa Infant School are online via Newham’s Pupil Services on the following link – Pan London eAdmissions portal

Reception Admission for September 2024 entry

For all children born from 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 inclusive, their parents/carers will need to apply for a reception class place in an infant or primary school for September 2024 entry.

Applications for September 2024 opens on 1st September 2023 on the following link:

Pan London eAdmissions portal

All reception applications are through the family’s local authority. For children living in Newham, families must apply via London Borough of Newham. For children living outside Newham whose family wants them to attend this school, their application is through their home borough naming this school as a preference on their application.

All parents/carers must apply for a reception admission even if the child already attends our nursery or has a sibling attending our school.

Before submitting a school application, we strongly recommend families read the ‘We are Going to School’ guide to find out information about the school you are interested in. See link below:

Parents/carers of all nursery aged children who will be moving to reception in September 2025 – Starting School

National closing date for on time reception applications 15 January 2024
National offer date for on time reception applicants 16 April 2024

Infant to junior school transition for September 2024

Children born from 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 who attend our school need to apply for a year 3 junior place in a junior or primary school for September 2024.

All applications for 2024 entry are through the family’s home local authority. For children living in Newham families must apply via London Borough of Newham. For children who live outside Newham, whose family wants them to attend this school their application are through their home borough naming this school as a preference on their application.

Before submitting a school application, we strongly recommend families read the ‘We are Going to School’ guide to find out information about the school you are interested in. See link below:

Parents/carers of all nursery aged children who will be moving to reception in September 2025 – Starting School

National closing date for on time junior applications 15 January 2024
National offer date for on time junior applicants 16 April 2024

In Year Admissions for 1 September 2023 to 16 July 2024 (Year Groups: reception to Year 6)

If a family arrives in Newham during the school year 2022/2024 and their child needs a school place they must complete an In Year form naming their preferred schools.

We recommend you use the Newham School Finder tool to determine the location of your preferred Newham schools and calculate home to school distances – School Finder

School places are usually offered within 10 days of application. The place offered may not be the families 1st choice. This may be due to school of preference not having available places.

To apply follow the link below:

In Year school application form (all year groups) for September 2021 to July 2024

Fair Access

The law requires that each local authority must have a Fair Access Protocol, agreed with the majority of schools in its area to ensure that outside the normal admissions round unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. In agreeing a protocol, the local authority must ensure that no school including those with available places are asked to take a disproportionate number of children who have been excluded from other schools, or who have challenging behaviour. Odessa Infant School has signed up to the LB Newham’s Fair Access Protocol.