Admissions
Apply HERE for Reception/Y1/Y2/Y3 classes
opening from September 2026.
Please do not use this form if you wish to apply for Foundation Stage/Reception from September 2027.
Foundation Stage (Reception) Admissions - children aged 4-5 years
In September 2027, Orchard View will accept 60 pupils in Foundation Stage (Reception), in the September of the academic year of their fifth birthday.
Prospective parents wishing to find out more about Orchard View Primary Academy are welcome to contact the academy office: office@ovpa.school.
All applicants must fill in the Buckinghamshire Council online starting primary school application form. Applications open in early Novemeber 2026.
The closing date for Foundation Stage (Reception) applications is January 2027. This means applications after this date will be considered as late by the Local Authority.
National primary offer day is in April 2027. This is for children starting primary school or moving up to junior school.
If you've applied online, you will receive an email from Buckinghamshire Council with your offer in April 2027. You can view your offer online from 2pm.
Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust determines Orchard View Primary Academy’s admission arrangements in agreement with Buckinghamshire’s Admission Authority (LA).
All Foundation Stage (Reception) applications for September 2027 must be made via Buckinghamshire Council Admissions. Please do not use our online application form.
Admissions policies are visible here:
IFPT Admissions Policy for OVPA 2026-2027
IFPT Admissions Policy for OVPA 2027-2028
In-year admissions and waiting lists
As a brand-new academy, Orchard View is currently open to Foundation Stage, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 pupils. We will increase in pupil numbers each year, as pupils move up through to Year 4, 5 and 6.
We currently do not have any classes in Year 4, 5 or 6 for the academic year 2026-27.
Our planned admission number in September 2026 is 60 pupils in both Foundation Stage and Year 1 and 30 in Year 2 and in Year 3.
As of August 2026, we currently have spaces remaining in our Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 classes.
In-year admissions (any child wishing to join the Academy after the September intake of pre-5 year olds) are handled by the Academy and the online application form is here:
Please complete the application form if you would like to apply for a place for your child. If we do not have any available spaces, you will be added to our waiting list.
Please do not use this form if you wish to apply for Foundation Stage/Reception in September 2027.
Questions and queries
If you have any questions or queries on the admissions process for Reception pupils, please visit the Buckinghamshire County Council contact us page: contact school admissions.
If you would like to ask a question regarding applications to our current or future year groups, please contact our academy office: office@ovpa.school
Admissions Appeals
You have the right to appeal, however, appeals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are rejected due to the government-imposed legal limits of 30 children in a class for under 8s.
Exceptions would be a child new to the area who was 'Looked After' or had an EHCP, in which case they would be admitted above the limit of 30 under our admissions policy and no appeal would be necessary. The only other exception would be where a parent provides exceptional medical, social or educational reasons for choosing the school, supported by evidence, which means Orchard View is the only school that can provide an appropriate education for the child. You would need to be able to prove, with very strong evidence, why the school your child is (or will be) attending cannot provide the education required and Orchard View can.
Please note that the following reasons are not valid reasons for appeal when the year group is full:
- Parental preference
- Living in the catchment area
We would also ask you to consider that we, as the academy, pay for every appeal that parents make and this money comes out of the budget meant to serve the children who are already on roll here.
The chances of winning an appeal are extremely low. In our experience, this is because almost all appeals being put forward by parents are not for valid reasons beyond their personal preference for the school and/or because going above our agreed admissions number would be detrimental to the children who are already here. If this is why you want to appeal, we would strongly advise you to reconsider.
Buckinghamshire Council:
Most appeals fail because primary schools are full and cannot admit additional children without harming the education of the existing children or breaching the law relating to infant class sizes. Appeals can be stressful for parents and are expensive for schools.
The DfE:
You should be aware that an appeal can prolong the period of uncertainty for parents and children, so it’s important to be realistic about your reasons for appealing and the chances of being successful.
