Admissions to Year 7

Applications to the school for Year 7 September 2021 are made through the secondary transfer process. Other than those applying through art aptitude, there is no supplementary form for the school.

For entry in September 2021 the following events are scheduled to assist parents. Please note, given the current uncertainty regarding arrangements for schools to re-open, these dates are provisional and potentially subject to change or cancellation. We advise you check our website for updates.

Open Evenings on  Wednesday 16th September and Thursday 17th September 2020 promptly at 18.00.

Open Mornings on Thursday 17th September and Friday 18th September 2020 promptly at 09.15.

There is no need to book a space in advance. 

Holland Park is significantly over-subscribed in each year group. The school generally receives in excess of 1800 applications for its 240 places in Year 7 each year. When vacancies arise the school admits students to all years at fixed points throughout the school year. A 'waiting list' is currently held for prospective students in all year groups.

Mr David Chappell, Academy Head, has oversight of all admissions. If you wish to apply for a place, please contact the Royal Borough's Admissions Team at the Town Hall. The full admissions criteria is attached and further guidance on the secondary transfer process can found in the 'Secondary School Brochure' at:

Click here for guidance 

Applicants with a signed Statement of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) or Education Health Care Plan which names Holland Park will be placed at the school via the SEND process as set out in Section 324 of the Education Act 1996.

The allocation and offer of places is the responsibility of the Royal Borough. When there are more applicants than places, priority is given as follows:

PUBLIC CARE

1 Children in Public Care, also known as Looked After Children in care of the local authority and children who have been adopted or made subject to a child arrangement or special guardianship order immediately following having been looked after. The child’s social worker must submit a letter to the Royal Borough confirming the legal status of the child and the local authority to whom the child is/was in care and quoting the child’s full name and current address.

Our standard Admission Number is 240 in each year group, (7 to 11). We are proud to be a genuine comprehensive school. We seek to admit and to maintain a balanced intake with students representing all levels of ability and potential. We seek to ensure that academic achievement is the very core of our purpose. The school admits students across 4 bands of ability:

Twenty four places are offered to those students who can demonstrate an aptitude in Art and Design. Aptitude Tests for admission to Year 7 in September 2021 will be held at the school on the morning of Saturday 3rd October 2020. The school's on-line application form needs to be completed and submitted before the deadline: Friday 25th  September 2020 by midnight. After this date parents will not be able to access the application form.

For the majority of applications, the following criteria is likely to be more relevant. When the applicants described in category (1) have all been offered places, the remaining places in each of the four bands will be offered in the following order of priority:

SIBLING

To brothers and sisters of children who are, and will continue to be, on the roll of Holland Park School from September 2021 (excluding the sixth form). This includes half-brothers or half-sisters, adopted brothers or sisters, stepbrothers or stepsisters or the children of the parent or carers partner provided that they live at the same address as the applicant.

DISTANCE (tie- breaker)

If, in any of the bands, there are more applicants than places available in either of the above categories, places will be offered first to children who live nearest to the school. Nearness to the school will be calculated using a straight line (as the crow flies).