Early Years Admissions

Early Years Admissions

 Admission to Nursery

Application

Children may attend Preston Grange Primary School Nursery from the age of 3, in the term following their third birthday. School admits children in September and January each year.

Criteria

Places are allocated according to the following criteria, in priority order if we are oversubscribed:

  • Children who are looked after, or those children at risk of becoming looked after.
  • Children living within the catchment area of school.
  • Children living with an exceptional social or medical reason that means that they can only attend that specific school (eg. where one or both parents has a disability that means the child can only go to one school)
  • Children who have a sibling who already attends the school and who is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission, living in the catchment area or greater catchment area of the school.
  • Children resident in the greater catchment area of school.

Admission Cycle

In early February, school allocates places according to the criteria, for the following September and January intakes. If your child has been on our waiting list for some time, it is at this point that a place will be formally offered to you. We do not offer places in advance at other times of the year.

Offer of a place

Once places have been allocated, you will receive a letter advising whether a place will be offered to your child. You must accept to this offer promptly (dy the date specified in the letter), as we may have children on the waiting list.

If you are not offered a place, your child’s name will be placed on the waiting list. If a place becomes available, this will be offered in accordance with the admissions criteria above.

If you accept the offer of a place, the school office will be in touch as we will need a copy of your child’s birth certificate /passport by a given date, in order to avoid a delay in your child’s start date.

What you are accepting

By accepting a place, you are committing to your child regularly attending our universal 15 hour Nursery offer (morning Nursery.) Places may be withdrawn where attendance is unsatisfactory.

It is also expected that your child attends a phased transition programme (stay and play sessions) in advance of their start date, to help them settle into Nursery more easily.

 

For September starts, stay and play involves:

Two sessions with parents (1 hour each) – April and May

One session without parents (1 hour) – July  

For January starts, stay and play involves:

Twos sessions with parents (1 hour each) – September and November

One session without parents (1 hour) - December

In line with our transition procedure, any previous settings will be contacted to help us build up a picture of your child.

*Please also see our 30 hour leaflet for additional information on how to access our extended Nursery offer*

 

Reception

Admission to Reception

Reception class places are allocated by the Local Authority. Please see the link in our admissions section of the website to find the key information and forms you will need for the application process.

  

Please also see our Early Years Policy and Transition Policy for further information.