We seek to ensure that as many 4 year old children as possible are offered a one year, part - time place in a nursery school or class which provides quality Early Years education.

If your child will be 4 years old between enter date and enter date and you would like to take advantage of part-time nursery education, you should contact as soon as possible the headteacher of the school whose nursery you would like your child to attend.

The headteacher will keep a list of pupils whose parents have asked for a place. This place will normally be for 5 morning or 5 afternoon sessions a week. The headteacher will inform you by letter in March if a place is available for your child. If there are more requests for places than there are places available, the following criteria will be used to decide admissions, in order of priority.

1. Children with Special Educational Needs

Those children who have been identified as having special educational needs, or who require assessment to decide if they have such needs and would benefit from nursery education.

2. Children with Medical Needs

These children will be children whose medical needs have been identified by professional services but would not receive a statement of special educational needs.

3. Children from Families with Exceptional Home Circumstances

This would include giving consideration to children whose families are unable to give them appropriate pre-school experience or who are recommended by other professional services.

4. Age (older children receive priority)

5. Distance from Home to School (taking into account ease of access to and distance from alternatives)

In practice, most places will be allocated using criteria 4 and 5.

The headteacher is responsible for informing parents if they have been allocated a place for their child.

Parents not allocated a place

Parents who are not allocated a place at a nursery class will be informed in writing by the headteacher. A booklet of alternative providers of nursery education will accompany this refusal letter. Parents should then make their own enquiries about vacancies directly with another school, private day nursery or pre-school.

Younger Children

Children who become 3 between enter date and enter date may be offered a place at a Nursery from enter date after their third birthday, if places are still available. Headteachers cannot save places for 'rising 3' year olds.

Please note:

If your child attends the nursery class attached to a mainstream Infant or Primary School, this is not a criterion for admission to the reception class at that school and no place can be guaranteed for your child.

Providing Information (12)