Admissions
Welcome
Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. At Chingford CofE Primary School, our aim is for every child to flourish personally, academically and spiritually, growing the knowledge, skills and character to achieve highly and act for the good of others, at home, across Britain and the world.
We would love to show you around. Whether your family shares our Christian faith or not, you are warmly welcome here: our doors, and our values, are open to everyone in our community.
Look beyond. Flourish together.
Our Values
Everything we do is shaped by four values: Wisdom, Hope, Community and Dignity. They guide how our children learn, how we care for one another and what we hope every child carries with them long after they leave us. You'll see these values reflected in our classrooms, our assemblies and the way our staff and children treat each other, right from a child's first visit.
Visiting us
We run tours from September 2026 to January 2027 for prospective parents applying for a Reception place in September 2027, led by the headteacher or a member of the senior leadership team. Tours last around an hour and include both our Infant site (Kings Road) and Junior site (Cambridge Road), so you can see the whole journey your child will take with us.
Book a place through the links below. Places are limited to two tickets per request, and we recommend making alternative arrangements for prospective pupils while the tour is in progress, since it works best as a chance for you to look, listen and ask questions. Tours can be booked through Eventbrite and can be accessed by clicking on your selected date below:
- Wednesday 30th September 2026, 10.00am–11.00am
- Thursday 15th October 2026, 2.00pm–3.00pm
- Wednesday 11th November 2026, 2.00pm–3.00pm
- Thursday 26th November 2026, 10.00am–11.00am
- Wednesday 2nd December 2026, 10.00am–11.00am
- Friday 8th January 2027, 10.00am–11.00am
All tours start at the Infant site. Please arrive at Infant School Office five minutes before your tour time to be signed in. Buggies and prams cannot be brought inside but can be left securely on the school grounds.
Applying for a Reception place - September 2027
Children start school in September after turning four. If your child was born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, they are due to start primary school in September 2027.
You must apply for a Reception place even if your child attends a nursery linked to a school, or has an older brother or sister who already attends the school – neither guarantees a place.
If you live in Waltham Forest, you apply through Waltham Forest Admissions, not directly to us. If you live outside Waltham Forest, you apply to your own local authority.
- Applications open on the eAdmissions website on 1 September 2026
- The closing date is 15 January 2027 at 11.59pm – applications after this date are treated as late
- National Offer Day is 16 April 2027
- The deadline to accept or decline an offer is 30 April 2027
- The full process is set out in Waltham Forest's Starting Primary School 2027 brochure, and applications are made at eadmissions.org.uk
- If you are unable to apply online, you can download the primary common application form. Instructions for submitting your paper application are on the back of the form.
How places are allocated
As a Voluntary Controlled school, Chingford CofE Primary School follows Waltham Forest's published criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools. If more applications than places are received, the admissions team will consider applications in the following order:
- Children in public care (looked after children) and previously looked after children
- Children with an exceptional medical or social need, or who are "at risk"
- Children with a sibling already attending the school
- Children of school staff
- Distance, measured as a straight line from home to school
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted separately, ahead of this list.
Joining us in Years 1 to 6
Places for other year groups are also managed by Waltham Forest. If a space is available in the year group you need, you can apply at any time. Where there is no space, your child's name is added to the waiting list and offered in line with the borough's criteria as places arise.
SEND and EHC plans (EHCP)
If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, applications are considered separately by Waltham Forest's SEND team, alongside your usual application. For advice, contact the Waltham Forest SEND team or speak to our SENCO directly – we're happy to talk this through with you before you apply.
Keeping the process fair
Waltham Forest takes any attempt to gain a place by giving false information (for example, a false address) very seriously and will investigate where this is suspected. If you're concerned about a fraudulent application, you can report it to Waltham Forest anonymously.
Where parents are separated and cannot agree who should apply, Waltham Forest has a process for resolving this, based on the child's main home address – full detail is available on their website.
Frequently asked questions
What if we live outside Waltham Forest?
You apply to your own local authority, not us directly
What if we don't get offered a place?
If Chingford CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, you'll be added to a waiting list automatically, in the same order as our admissions criteria – so your position can improve as places become available (This waiting list is maintained by Waltham Forest Admissions Team). You also have the right to appeal the decision to an independent panel. Waltham Forest's offer letter will explain exactly how to do both, and you're welcome to contact us directly if you'd like to talk it through.
Can I look around outside the published tour dates?
Schools are very busy places and while we try to accommodate everyone, we can't promise tours outside our published dates. We've provided six tour dates between September 2026 and January 2027, so there's plenty of opportunity to see the school in action.
My child already has a place at your nursery or a sibling here - do I still need to apply?
Yes. Neither guarantees a place and you must submit a Reception application through Waltham Forest by the closing date, the same as every other family. If you have a sibling already at the school, make sure you list their details on the application – if you don't, we won't be able to consider your child under sibling priority.
What if my child has an EHCP?
If your child has an EHCP, they are admitted separately from the main process. Contact Waltham Forest's SEND team directly to discuss this, rather than applying through the usual Reception process – they'll guide you through the steps alongside your application.