Admissions

Tunbury welcomes children from both Kent and Medway addresses.

To apply for a Reception place for September 2026, please apply via your ‘home’ local authority:

Kent residents apply at School places - Kent County Council
Medway residents apply at Schools and learning | Medway Council

To apply for a school place at any other time, please contact us at the school office to request an In Year Admission Form. This process is the same for both Kent and Medway residents.

If you have any queries, please do contact us via the school office so that we can help you.

Determined Oversubscription Criteria for Tunbury Primary School

Before the application of oversubscription criteria, children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school will be admitted. As a result of this, the published admissions number will be reduced accordingly.

If the number of preferences for the school is more than the number of spaces available, places will be allocated in the following priority order:

Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care – 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. 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).
Current Family Association - a brother or sister in the same school at the time of entry where the family continue to live at the same address as when the sibling was admitted – or – if they have moved – live within 2 miles of the school, or have moved to a property that is nearer to the school than the previous property as defined by the ‘Nearness’ criterion’ (below). In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother and sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters, foster brothers or sisters. Where a child secures and accepts a place at the school through the coordinated admissions process but has yet to start, other siblings would gain priority under this criterion where they apply via the in year admissions process.
Children who live within a 0.5 mile radius of the school - Children will be ranked according to the distance from their home to Tunbury Primary School with those living closest being ranked highest. The distance is measured between the child’s permanent address and the school in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child’s home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody.
Children who live in the Parish of Aylesford or Boxley and who are also within a 1.5 mile radius of the school– Children will be ranked according to the distance from their home to Tunbury Primary School with those living closest being ranked highest. The distance is measured between the child’s permanent address and the school in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child’s home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody.
Health and Special Access Reasons – Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents’/guardians’ physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school.
Nearness of children's homes to school - we use the distance between the child’s permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child’s home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody. When we apply the distance criterion for an oversubscribed Community or Voluntary Controlled school, these straight line measurements are used to determine how close each applicant’s address is to the school.

In the event of any of the above criteria being oversubscribed, priority will be given based on distance as described above with those closest being given higher priority. In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.

If siblings from multiple births (twins, triplets, etc) apply for a school and the school would reach its Published Admission Number (PAN) after admitting one or more, but before admitting all of those siblings, the LA will offer a place to each of the siblings, even if doing so takes the school above its PAN. If the admissions are to Year R, and so result in a breach of infant class size legislation, the additional pupil(s) will be treated as “excepted” for the time they are in an infant class or until the numbers fall back to the current infant class size limit, as defined in the School Admissions Code.

Waiting list will be held for at least the first term of the academic year in oversubscription criteria order.

Where an offer has been made, the school will provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents can choose to defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year, but not beyond the start of the term after their child reaches compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year. Where parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year, but not beyond the start of the term after their child reaches compulsory school age.

Requests for admission to Reception outside of the normal age group should be made to the Headteacher of each preferred school as early as possible in the admissions round associated with that child’s date of birth. This will allow the school and admissions authority sufficient time to make a decision before the closing date. Parents are not expected to provide evidence to support their request to defer their application, however where provided it must be specific to the child in question. This might include medical or Educational Psychologist reports. There is no legal requirement for this medical or educational evidence to be secured from an appropriate professional, however, failure to provide this may impede a school’s ability to agree to deferral. Parents are required to complete an application for the normal point of entry at the same time, in case their request is declined. This application can be cancelled if the school agrees to accept a deferred application for entry into Year R the following year. Deferred applications must be made via paper Reception Common Application Form (RCAF) to the LA, with written confirmation from each named school attached. Deferred applications will be processed in the same way as all applications for the cohort in the following admissions round and offers will be made in accordance with each school’s oversubscription criteria.

Further advice is available at www.kent.gov.uk/primaryadmissions

Admission for Children with an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP)

The admissions arrangements for children with an Education Health Care Plans (EHCP) are the responsibility of KCC.

For advice on the arrangements to admit your child into school, you should contact your local SEN Officer through your local Additional Needs and resources offices which are listed below:

Districts of Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Malling

West Kent SEN Team,
Worrall House,
30 Kings Hill Avenue,
Kings Hill,
West Malling,
Kent ME19 4AE

Telephone | 03000 420997
Email | SENWest@kent.gov.uk