Eltham Schools Guide: Primary and Secondary Schools in SE9 and How Admissions Work

Schools in Eltham are a mix of council-maintained and academy schools, and admissions for all of them are coordinated by the Royal Borough of Greenwich. This guide lists schools from the council's own directories and sets out the published admissions timetable. We do not rank or review schools. For quality information, use each school's own website and its published inspection reports.

Which primary schools are in SE9?

The council's primary schools directory lists each school with a postcode district. Those shown as SE9 are Alderwood, Deansfield, Ealdham, Eltham Church of England, Gordon, Greenacres, Haimo, Henwick, Middle Park, Montbelle, St Mary's Roman Catholic, St Thomas More Roman Catholic and Wyborne. SE9 covers Eltham, New Eltham, Mottingham and Avery Hill, so not all of them are in the town centre; each school's record in the directory gives the address.

Which secondary schools are there?

The council's secondary schools directory lists 19 schools across the borough. The only one the directory page itself marks as being in Eltham is Eltham Hill School, Eltham Hill, SE9 5EE, telephone 020 8859 2843, which the council describes as a community day school for girls aged 11 to 19 with an all-ability intake and an International Baccalaureate World School. The directory page gives no postcodes for the other schools, so check each school's address to see which is nearest. The council also lists sixth form centres and skills centres from its find a nursery, school or college page.

How do I apply for a primary school place?

You apply to the council if you live in Royal Greenwich, even for schools outside the borough; people living elsewhere apply through their own council. The council's primary application page sets out four steps: choose your schools, complete the application form, complete any extra forms an individual school requires, and respond to the offer. Independent schools are not part of the coordinated process.

The council's when to apply page gives these dates for September 2027 entry:

• Applications open: 1 September 2026
• Applications close: 15 January 2027
• Offers published: 16 April 2027
• Acceptance period closes: 30 April 2027
• Appeal period closes: 14 May 2027, with hearings in June and July 2027
• Late applications received by 11 February 2027 will be assessed for good cause; those later than that are processed after on-time applications, from June 2027

How do I apply for a secondary school place?

The process is the same four steps on the council's secondary application page, and the council says it ensures all applicants receive their offer on the same day. Its when to apply page lists these dates, which relate to entry in September 2027:

• Applications open: 1 September 2026
• Applications close: 31 October 2026
• Offer day: 1 March 2027
• Acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027
• Appeals deadline: 29 March 2027, with hearings in May and June 2027
• Late applications received by 7 December 2026 may be treated equally if there is good cause; later ones are processed from April 2027

The page also says families moving into the borough before 7 December 2026 should have their application transferred from their previous local authority.

The council's allocation page says that for community schools priority goes, in order, to children with an education, health and care plan naming the school, children in local authority care, children with a medical or social need to attend, siblings, children of staff, and then children who live nearest. Academies and faith schools set their own admission arrangements, so read each school's policy.

What about a place during the school year?

If you move into the borough or are changing schools, see the council's in-year admissions page. It says the council manages in-year admissions for some schools while others handle their own, with different procedures for primary and secondary.

Term dates

See our school term dates guide.