Admissions & Appeals

As a Foundation School, Fortismere is its own Admission Authority. This means the Governing Board is responsible for agreeing the admissions policy and making admission decisions.

Applications for places at Fortismere in the normal admissions round should be made via the Local Authority in which your child lives. The normal admissions round is the process where parents apply for their child to transfer from primary school to secondary school (Year 6 to Year 7 transfer) or to start school for the first time in Reception.

Applications for a place at Fortismere in the normal admissions round (Year 6 to YEAR 7 TRANSFER)

If you want to apply for a place at Fortismere for a September entry to Year 7, as part of the normal admissions round (also known as Secondary Transfer), you should apply via the local authority in which your child lives. Every local authority will publish information on its website explaining how to do this – make sure you read this information carefully. If your child lives in Haringey, you can make an application and find information about all the local schools on the Haringey website - School Admissions

All applications for places at Fortismere will be considered in line with our Admissions policy and places will be allocated on the basis of these arrangements only.

ADMISSIONS POLICIES

Read our Admissions policies below for details of how places are allocated at Fortismere and how to make an application. If you have any queries about our admissions policy, please email admissions@fortismere.org.uk.

In-year applications for a place at Fortismere

If you want to apply for a place at Fortismere at any time other than when your child is moving to Year 7 as part of the secondary transfer process, you will be making what is referred to as an in-year application. For example, if you are applying for your child to move to Fortismere from their current secondary school, or if you are moving into the area part way through the year.

In-year applications for places at Fortismere are handled on behalf of the school by Haringey Local Authority Admissions Service. Please contact Haringey Admissions Service to make an in-year application for a place at Fortismere – see this link for information on making an in-year application.

Contact Haringey Admissions Service by email: schooladmissions@haringey.gov.uk or by telephone: 020 8489 1000

In-year applications will be dealt with in accordance with the criteria set out in the school’s Admissions policy (see above). If there are no places available in the required year group and your application is refused, you can request that your child’s name is added to the waiting list for the school. If you make an in-year application for a place at Fortismere and your application is refused, you will have the right of appeal as outlined in our Admissions policy and on this page below.

How to Appeal for a place at fortismere

If your child has not been offered a place at Fortismere, you have the right to appeal against that decision to an Independent Admission Appeal Panel. The panel that hears your appeal is completely independent of the school and the local authority. Appeals for places at Fortismere are handled on behalf of the school by Haringey Local Authority who use an independent provider for all appeals.

You can make a Sixth Form Appeal if your child is not offered a place in Year 12. The timetable for sixth form appeals is published further down this page.

All appeals will be heard online and follow the statutory process set out in the School Admission Appeals Code. Appeals are organised in accordance with the timetables published further below.

If you wish to appeal for a place at Fortismere - please complete the online form via this link to submit your appeal.

We suggest that you download and read the Appeals Information Booklet available here before completing your appeal form. This will help you to understand the process and what the appeal panel will be considering when hearing your appeal.

You can appeal for a place at more than one school, but you must submit separate appeals for each school. The Department for Education has produced advice for parents on school admission appeals – see this link for a copy.

You should include any evidence or supporting information with your online appeal form, and you must give the grounds (the reasons) for your appeal at the time you submit your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. If you are appealing for more than one child at the same school – a separate form must be completed for each child, and you should use different email addresses.

Any reports or letters that you wish the appeal panel to see should be uploaded with your appeal form. If you send any additional information at a later date, be aware that the closing date for all information is 5 school days before the appeal hearing. The appeal panel will not accept any late letters or reports received after the deadline. This will be strictly enforced.

Please note that the appeal form will ask you to include two utility bills (dated in the last three months). If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files. Please ensure any photographs are clear before sending them.

Your appeal will be organised by the Clerk to the independent appeal panel – they will send you full details about the hearing with your invitation. You can contact the Clerk by email at: clerk@educationappeals.com

TIMETABLE FOR APPEALS

Timetable for In-Year Appeals from September 2026:

Deadline for lodging your appeal form	Within 20 school days of receiving the decision that your child has not been offered a place at the school. You must state the reasons for your appeal and supply any documentary evidence when you submit your appeal.
The appeal hearing	Your appeal hearing will be held within 30 school days of receipt of your appeal form by the Clerk to the appeal panel.
Invitation letter giving you details about your appeal hearing and a copy of the school's information	At least 10 school days before the appeal hearing. This letter will be sent via email by the Clerk to the appeal panel.
Deadline for submitting any additional supporting evidence for your appeal	The deadline is by 12 noon 5 school days before your appeal hearing. Any additional documents can be uploaded to your online appeal folder by the deadline above. Late additional evidence received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account by the appeal panel.
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the appeal panel	An email is sent a few working days after your hearing with the decision of the panel. This is followed up around 20 school days later with a further letter (sent by email) outlining the panels’ reasons for the decision.

Timetable for Sixth Form Appeals (entry in September 2026):

Deadline for lodging sixth form appeals

31 August 2026. Use this online appeal form link here

For sixth form appeals only, the appeal form can be completed by the student or the parent.

Invitation letter giving you details about your appeal hearing will be sent by the Clerk

In order to facilitate an appeal hearing as soon as possible, an email will be sent at very short notice. However, if you want to have 10 school days notice of your hearing date, this must be indicated on the appeal form.

Date of appeal hearing

September 2026

Timetable for Secondary Transfer Appeals (entry to Year 7 in September 2027): This timetable will be updated in the spring term 2027

Last day for lodging your appeal form (to start Year 7 in Sept 2027)	DATE TBC Appeals lodged after this date may not be heard until the second round of appeals, which could be after school has started in in September 2026. You must state the reasons for your appeal and include any supporting documentary evidence at this stage.
Invitation Letter giving you details about your appeal hearing and the school's information sent by the Clerk to the appeal panel	At least 10 school days before the Stage 1 hearing
Deadline for submitting any additional supporting evidence for your appeal	DATE TBC
Stage 1 appeal hearing - this is a group hearing for all parents to hear the presentation of the school's case together.	DATE TBC
Stage 2 appeal hearing - this is your individual private hearing with the appeal panel for you to present your appeal case.	DATE TBC
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the appeal panel	DATE TBC