Admissions
Come and visit our school!
If you would like a tour of our school, please email the school office (office@downham-ceap.sch.uk) or telephone on 01268 710387 to make an appointment with our Executive Deputy Headteacher, Miss Bailey.
Admission for September 2027
Children join the Reception class at the beginning of the school year in which they are five (children born on and between 1st September 2022 and 31st August 2023). If you are an Essex resident you must apply for your child's school place via Essex County Council's website. The online application system will open on 1st September 2026 and the closing date for applications is 15th January 2027.
Once a child has been offered a place in our Reception class, parents and children are invited to transition meetings at the school.
School place offers
Offers will be sent to online applicants by email on 16 April 2027.
Mid-year applications
You can apply to change your child's school during the school year. This is called a mid-year admission. Your child is not guaranteed a place at your preferred school. You should not remove your child from their school before you have received another offer.
Mid-year applications should be made direct to our school, using the application form below.
Essex County Council recommend that you:
- speak to your child's current teacher or headteacher before applying to another school
- contact the schools you are interested in before making a decision to move house or submit an application
If you are moving to a new house, you need to provide proof of your new address with your application.
If your child has an education, health and care plan (EHCP), you need to contact the SEND Operations Team.
Please use the link below to find out more information about waiting lists, and mid-year admissions.
https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions
Useful links
The link below gives you all the information you need regarding school admissions, term dates, school closures, school transport, school governors and school consultations.
https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools
The link below takes you to the priority admission area section, where you can check which schools' priority admission area an address is located in. Simply enter your postcode and select your address from the list of results. Please ensure you read all of the information on the page once results are displayed.
Please note that living in the priority admission (catchment) area of a school does not guarantee entitlement to school transport. Please use the link to the school transport pages to find information about home to school transport and the transport policy criteria.
https://secureapps.essex.gov.uk/cas/Priority-Admissions-(Catchment)-Area.aspx
Appeals
If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school, you can appeal against the decision.
You will receive an email with the appeal hearing date within 30 school days for mid-year appeals and 40 school days for normal admission round appeals.
Essex School Admissions Website
Secondary School Admissions