Admissions

Moving from Primary to Secondary School in September 2025

If your child was born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015, you will need to apply for a secondary school place for September 2026.

If your child lives in Newham you will need to apply via London Borough of Newham. But if your child lives outside Newham, but you want him or her to go to school in Newham, you will need to apply through the local authority in the borough you live in.

We recommend that the families of all of our year 6 pupils attend as many of the Open Days and Open Evenings at the schools across Newham before making a decision what schools to name as a preference.

To maximise your opportunities of getting a place at one of your preferred secondary schools name six schools with at least one being your local school.

Remember, you must apply for a place, even if your child has a brother or sister attending the school.

Useful links:Year 7 admissions to secondary school

Determined arrangement for September 2026/27 entry

e-Admissions Portal

Guidance on applying through eAdmissions portal

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

School Finder

If your family arrives in Newham during the school year 2025/2026 and your child needs a school place in the borough, you must complete an In Year form and you are usually given a place within 10 days. The place offered may not be at the school you prefer as that school may not have a suitable place available.

In Year Admissions for September 2025 to August 2026 (Year Groups 7 to 11)

In Year School Application Form (September 2025 to August 2026)

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

School Finder

The law requires that each local authority must have a Fair Access Protocol (FAP), agreed with the majority of schools in its area to ensure that for In Year admissions 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 - is asked to take a disproportionate number of children who have been excluded from other schools, or who have challenging behaviour. Forest Gate Community School has signed up to the LB Newham’s Fair Access Protocol.

Fair Access Protocol

If more applications are received for school places than are available, then Newham pupil services will apply the oversubscription criteria to all applications.

In line with the oversubscription criteria, priority will be given to the following children

• Children looked after/ previously looked after 
• Staff child 
• Service child 
• Siblings (Only siblings expected to be on roll when the child is due to start) 
• Home to school distance 

If an offer hasn’t been given by Cumberland Community School, and it was named as a preferred school, the child will be added to the waiting list.

Families also have the right to appeal which can be done via the Newham website using the following the link below:

Newham Council - Appeals information

Newham Year 7 Admission Appeals TimetableNewham Council - How we offer places