Leigh Academy Rainham is a non-selective academy for boys and girls. Prospective pupils are not required to take or pass the Medway Test or any other entry tests to apply for a place at the Academy. This page provides the necessary documentation to understand the Admissions Arrangements for prospective Year 7 pupils. Leigh Academy Rainham’s PAN is 180. (PAN = the number of student spaces per year group.
No. Children do not need to sit or pass the 11 plus or any other form of test to apply for our Academy. We are an inclusive academy that will be open to all pupils regardless of their academic ability.
Yes you should apply elsewhere as we cannot guarantee anyone a place. We strongly encourage you to use all your options as there has been significant interest in the Academy and it is very possible we may be oversubscribed. It is crucial that you also apply to other schools in the area via this website so that your child is not left without a place at a local school:
There is no defined distance, postcodes or council areas we will be offering places to so if you live in Medway, or Swale, we encourage you to apply! We are often asked what mileage from the academy you will need to be in order to receive a place but there is not a specific border to our catchment. Whether you are successful in receiving a place is determined by the number of other applications we receive from children that may happen to live closer to the Academy than you. This means the catchment distance may vary year to year based on how many other people apply at various distances. If we are oversubscribed we apply our admissions criteria (as outlined in the document at the top of this page) and distance will be one of these criteria.
Yes and we encourage you to apply! As outlined above if we are over subscribed, distancing criteria is applied, therefore places are offered based on distance, not councils. Leigh Academy Rainham will be represented on both Medway and Kent County Council Admissions Pages so that you can apply regardless of which council you live in.
At LAR, we are committed to sustainability and helping our community. We have set up a Uniform Recycle Bin located just outside the reception area. Parents are encouraged to drop off any uniforms that are no longer needed.
Here’s how it works:
Drop Off: Place your no-longer-needed uniforms in the bin.
Collection: The bin is periodically emptied, and all donations are thoroughly washed.
Reuse: Cleaned uniforms are displayed at our open events for parents to purchase for a small cash donation.
Your contributions help other families and support our community.
Thank you for your generosity and participation!
Open Events for September 2027 Admissions
Open Event for Parents and Carers of Year 6 Students
Year 6 Parent Tours
We invite parents with children currently in year 6 who are looking for a secondary school place for admission in September 2027 to book a space on our ‘Year 6 Parent Tours’. A member of the senior leadership team will give you a guided tour of the academy while answering any questions parents / students may have.
These tours are being held daily starting on Monday 5th October and finishing on Friday 16th October.
The tours will start at noon (so please arrive by 11.55am latest) and will last approximately 1 hour. Booking is essential as spaces are very limited, please note one ticket allows entry to one family comprising of one parent plus one year 6 child.
If you require assistance on the tour (for example if you need to use the lift and cannot use the stairs) please email:-info@rainham.latrust.org.uk to request this.
(These tours are aimed at families who were not able to attend the main open event on Wednesday 30th September)
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the Academy via our email address admissions@rainham.latrust.org.uk
In year admissions
For in year admissions at Leigh Academy Rainham, an application form is available via the link below.
Furthermore, if you have any admission enquiries for Leigh Academy Rainham, please contact the Academy on 01634 412440 or via email at admissions@rainham.latrust.org.uk.
Appeals
If you have not been offered a place following an in-year application, you are entitled to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. In accordance with the 2022 School Admission Appeals Code, the admission authority and all appeal panels have elected for all admissions appeals to be held online. Online appeals have the advantage of being heard from your home or place of work. No longer do you have to travel to a hearing.
If you wish to appeal, please use this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is highly recommended that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form.
For 6th form appeals an Appeal form can be downloaded on this link
You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form (photos of your child will not be accepted). You MUST state the grounds of your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you give the grounds of your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but a separate form must be completed for each school you wish to appeal for. If you are appealing for more than one child, a separate form must be completed for each child and use a different email address.
Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months. If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs using a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.
Information and a timetable for Summer Transfer appeals will appear on this website before 28 February 2027.
Timetable for appeals for in-term applications is as follows:
Last day for lodging appeal forms
20 Schooldays after the decision letter informing you that you had not been offered a place.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel
This will be EMAILED at least 10 school days before the hearing unless you have opted on the appeal form for a shorter notice period.
All in-year appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being lodged.
Closing date for any additional supporting evidence
Up to 12 noon on FIVE school days before your hearing you can upload additional documents to your online appeal folder. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account.
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel
Due to the high number of appeals, 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 emailed letter outlining the panels’ reasons.
Timetable for appeals for the 6th form is as follows:
Last day for lodging appeal forms
31 August 2026. For 6th form appeals only, the appeal form can be completed by a student or parent.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel
In order to facilitate a hearing as soon as possible, an email will be sent at very short notice. However, if a student or parent wishes to have 10 school days notice, this needs to be indicated on the appeal form.
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