Simon Marks Jewish Primary School is a one-form entry, inclusive, modern orthodox Jewish school which nurtures strong ties with Israel. We welcome children from across the spectrum of Jewish practice and also from local families who are sympathetic to and respect the school’s Jewish and inclusive ethos.
The school will admit 30 children to the reception class, including children for whom the school has been named in an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Admissions Criteria – 2025/2026
In the case of over subscription, the school will give priority to those who meet a religious practice test based on guidelines from the Chief Rabbi. Those applicants wishing to be considered as priority applicants for available places will need to obtain a Certificate of Religious Practice (CRP) based on criteria such as the family’s synagogue attendance, prior commitment to Jewish education and voluntary work within the community.
Order of Priority
If there are more applications than places available for the reception class or any other year group, the governors will admit pupils in the following order of priority:
- A looked after child with a CRP or a child with a CRP who was previously looked after. (see definition below)
- Children with a CRP subject to a Child Protection Plan.
- Children with a CRP for whom there is a demonstrable need on the grounds of their acute medical or social need.*
- Children of a member of staff, employed at SMJPS for at least 2 years or who have been recruited to fill a post where there is a skill shortage on the date they are due to start, with a CRP.
- Children with a CRP with a sibling on the roll of the school at the time of the proposed admission.**
- Other children with a CRP.
- Other looked after children or children who was previously looked after. (see definition below)
- Other children subject to a Child Protection Plan.
- Other children for whom there is a demonstrable need on the grounds of their acute medical or social need.*
- Other children of a member of staff, employed at SMJPS for at least 2 years or who have been recruited to fill a post where there is a skill shortage on the date they are due to start.
- Other children with a sibling on the roll of the school at the time of the proposed admission.**
- All other applicants.
In the event that there are more applicants in any category than places available, priority will be given to children living nearest the school. Distance is measured from the address point for the home address to the address point of the school site using the local authority’s computerised mapping system based on ordnance survey data. In cases where applicants live equidistant from the school and places cannot be offered to both children, the available place will be allocated using a random computer selection.
The child’s residential address shall be determined at the deadline for application, ie 15th January 2025. Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility, each for part of a week, the home address will be where the child resides for the majority of the week. If your child is cared for by a child minder during the week, the minder’s address can be used to determine nearness to school. The school will ask to see proof of this arrangement.
Places can be withdrawn by the school after an offer has been made if it is found that the offer was made on the basis of false or fraudulent information.
How to Apply
Parents are invited to visit the school prior to applying. Please phone the school office to book a place: 020 8806 6048.
Parents must apply to their home local authority, even if the school is in a different borough, by completing the relevant Common Application Form (CAF), by the deadline of 15th January 2025.
Supplementary Information Forms (SIF) and a Certificate of Religious Practice (CRP) should be completed and sent to the School office by 15th January 2025. Applications arriving after this date will be treated as late applications and will be considered after those received on time.
The local authority will inform parents whether or not their application has been successful in April 2025.
Parents are requested to indicate in writing their intention or otherwise to take up a place by 30th April 2025.
Right of Appeal
Applicants refused a place in Reception, or higher classes, have the right to appeal. If parents decide to appeal, they should write to the Clerk to the Governors at the school within 14 days from receiving the outcome of their application (the offer).
Waiting List
All unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list and children will be ranked on the list in accordance with the admission criteria above. The waiting list will be maintained throughout the school year. Ranking on the waiting list is strictly based on the admissions criteria listed above. Priority will not be given to children based on the date of their application.
Applications For Places Outside the Normal Admissions Round
Parents should make a formal application to the local authority by completing the In Year application form. The Supplementary Information Form and Certificate of Religious Practice should be returned to the school. Applications will be considered in conformity with the oversubscription criteria and without delay. If a waiting list exists for the age appropriate class a CRP will be required and the applicant will be added to the list. If there is a vacancy a CRP might not be required.
Deferred Entry
If a place in a Reception class is offered before a child is of compulsory school age, parents can request that their child’s entry be deferred until later in the same school year. This means that the place is held for the child and is not available to be offered to another child. Parents would not, however, be able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted.
Fair Access
The school is committed to taking its fair share of children who are vulnerable and/or hard to place, as set out in locally agreed protocols. Accordingly, outside the normal admissions round the governing body is empowered to give absolute priority to a child where admission is requested under a local protocol that has been agreed for the current school year. The governing body has this power even when admitting the child would mean exceeding the published admission number (PAN).
Children with an Educational, Health and Care Plan which names the school will be admitted.
If a child is already in Simon Mark’s nursery class attendance in the nursery does not guarantee admission to the school. A separate application form must be completed for transfer from nursery to primary school.
You can contact the Admission Officer as follows:
Simon Marks Jewish Primary School, 75 Cazenove Road, London N16 6PD Tel: 0208 806 6048 Email: info@simonmarks.hackney.sch.uk
Notes
* For educational or medical reasons, Head Teachers can take into account any specific needs such as developmental, speech and language delay or physical needs. The school will require further information from doctors, hospital consultants, health visitors, education and child professionals.
** For these purposes, ‘sibling’ includes adopted siblings, step- or half-siblings, and other children who are living as permanent members of the household. Where necessary, preference will be given to multiple-birth children, to avoid them being split into separate schools.
Definitions
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” (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989)
A previously looked after child is one who immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements or special guardianship order.
