Admissions

Going to a new school is a very important step for your child. Applications to join Ashlyns School are dealt with by Hertfordshire County Council. The information below is intended to assist you through the application and allocation process. Please visit:

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/school-admissions-and-transport.aspx

In year applications are where children wish to change school outside the usual transfer period. We are delighted to welcome students into all year groups if we have places available.

Applications are dealt with by Hertfordshire County Council. More information about the process for applying can be found on the In Year pages using the link:

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/in-year-admissions-change-schools-during-the-year/in-year-admissions-change-school-during-the-year.aspx

The Council aims to process In Year applications within 10 working days of receipt, although at busy times of the year please allow 15 working days.

The process for joining us in any year group is similar to our Year 7 procedures.  Parents/carers complete an online admission form and are invited into Ashlyns for a meeting with the relevant Head of Year.

Students are allocated a form group and allocated a buddy to help them settle into our community. The teaching groups they are placed in are dependent upon the student’s ability and current class sizes.

Parents wishing to appeal need to set up an appeals account via the online portal:

https://schoolappeals.hertfordshire.gov.uk/home

In order to set up an account the following information is required:

• Application Reference Number
• Child ID

For In Year appeals, parents will receive the codes in a letter from Hertfordshire County Council. These appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

For Secondary Transfer Appeals, parents can access the codes via their admissions account; these will be on the page where parents are notified of their child’s secondary school place.

Parents who live out-of-county will need to contact the Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 in order to obtain registration details.

September 2025 entry – Appeals resulting from Secondary Transfer applications for admission in September 2025 will be heard according to the following timetable:

• Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.
• Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 10 clear working days in advance of the hearing.
• Appellants will be sent a copy of the school’s case 7 working days in advance of the hearing.

Additional Supporting Information

Any appellant wishing to submit any supporting evidence after they have lodged an appeal will need to get that to the Appeals Team at least 7 working days before the hearing.

Please remember that any confidential medical/social evidence submitted to the Admission Authority in support of an application will not be provided to an appeal panel. If an appellant wishes to rely on this in support of an appeal they will need to submit it separately to the Appeals Team.

A short document (like a doctor’s letter which was not previously available) will be accepted up to 4 working days before the hearing. Any additional evidence received after this deadline will be accepted only at the panel’s discretion.

Companies that offer admissions advice are not endorsed by Hertfordshire County Council. Everything you need to know about applying for a school place can be found on the Hertfordshire County Council website. If you have any questions or need help with your child’s application for a school place you can call our the Hertfordshire County Council Customer Service Centre. The admissions team is there to help you, offering up-to-date and accurate information with a free and confidential service.