NURSERY ADMISSIONS POLICY

Rushmere Hall Primary School Nursery Admissions Policy Review of the policy The Behaviour and Discipline Policy will be reviewed annually.

Date of implementation:

November 2016

Date of review:

November 2017

Our School Mission Statement In partnership with the local community we aim to promote a love of learning within a safe and happy environment, which is underpinned by a belief and practice where every person matters.

Rushmere Hall Primary School Nursery Admissions Policy 2015-17 Introduction: Rushmere Hall Primary School is located in the town of Ipswich.

Aim: The aim of this policy is to set out the school’s Nursery Admissions Policy and procedures for applying for a place at the School Nursery for the school years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. The policy also outlines the over-subscription criteria for the School Nursery.

Admission Number (AN): There are 52 Nursery places at the school. There are 26 spaces available for the morning session and 26 spaces available for the afternoon session. The allocation of a place in the School Nursery does not guarantee a place in the Reception Class. A separate application for a place in the Reception Class needs to be made in line with the County Admissions Process.

Eligibility: Children are eligible for a Nursery place, the term after their third birthday, if one is available. This means children can start in Nursery…  from the beginning of the Autumn Term if their birthdays are between 1 April and 31 August  from the beginning of the Spring Term if their birthdays are between 1 September and 31 December  from the beginning of the Summer Term if their birthdays are between 1 January and 31 March Children are entitled to 15 hours of free provision. This is broken down into 5 x 3 hour sessions e.g.. every morning or afternoon

Applications: We always welcome enquiries for entry to our School Nursery. In the first instance, please contact the school office to make an appointment for a tour of the school. Pupil admission packs are available at the school office. Once completed, they should be submitted to the school office.

Processing:

As Early Years Funding to schools is based on the number of sessions attended, places are allocated first to children wanting five sessions. Applicants wanting five sessions will be listed in date of birth order (oldest to youngest). Children in each academic year group will then be considered according to the following criteria: 1. Children who have a statement of Special Educational and Disability Needs (SEND) or an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) which names the School Nursery must by law be offered a place at this school. 2. ’Looked after Children’ (children in care) and ‘Previously Looked After Children’ (children who are looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order, immediately following having been looked after). 3. Priority will then be given to children who are ‘ordinarily resident’ within the schools defined catchment area. Ordinarily resident refers to the place where a child usually lives. Proof may need to be provided. A child will not be treated as ordinarily resident if the home rented or owned in the catchment area is a second home and the family do not usually reside there or if another address is given which is not used as a primary residence. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families will be considered as ‘ordinarily resident’ for these purposes. Details of the catchment area of a school can be obtained from the school or from The Admissions Team, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP12BX. Living within the school’s catchment area is no longer an absolute guarantee that a place will be available at the school. Priority to in catchment children will be given in the following order: a) Those children applying to go to the school nursery who have a brother or sister (or other children in the same household) who are already in attendance at the school and who will continue to be at the time they would commence. Brother or sister includes half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling. Priority will be given to those with the smallest age difference. b) After the above priority, remaining places will be allocated to children on the basis of their home’s distance from the school in a straight line (‘as the crow flies’) with those living nearest being given highest priority. All straight line distances are calculated

electronically by Suffolk County Council using data provided jointly by the Post Office and Ordnance Survey. The data plots the co- ordinates of each property and provides the address-point between which straight line distance is measure and reported to three decimal places. Where there is more than one home within a single building (for example apartments) we will measure to a single point within that building irrespective of where those homes are located. 4. If places remain following allocation on the above-outlined basis, places will be allocated to children who reside out of the catchment area in the following order: a) Those children applying to go to the school nursery who have a brother or sister (or other children in the same household) who are already in attendance at the school and who will continue to be at the time they would commence. Brother or sister includes half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling. Priority will be given to those with the smallest age difference. b) After the above priorities, remaining places will be allocated to children on the basis of their home’s distance from the school in a straight line (‘as the crow flies’) with those living nearest having highest priority. All straight line distances are calculated electronically by Suffolk County Council using data provided jointly by the Post Office and Ordnance Survey. The data plots the co-ordinates of each property and provides the address-point between which straight line distance is measure and reported to three decimal places. Where there is more than one home within a single building (for example apartments) we will measure to a single point within that building irrespective of where those homes are located.

Children Wanting Less than Five Sessions a Week: Once all children wanting five session or more per week have been allocated a place, the same procedures will be used to allocate any remaining places to children wanting fewer than five sessions. We will give priority to those wanting the most sessions.

Multiple Births: If the final place at the school is offered to a twin/triplet, etc. and the remaining sibling(s) would ordinarily be refused a place, the governors will offer places to the remaining sibling(s). It is not the Governors policy to separate twins/triplets, etc.

Shared Responsibility: Where a child lives with separated parents who have shared responsibility, each for part of the week, the address at which the child is ordinarily resident will be considered to be the address that the child lives at for most of the week (excluding weekends and school holidays). Both parents must provide evidence in writing to confirm the child’s living arrangements at the time of the application.

In cases where the child spends an equal proportion of the school week with both parents, evidence of the main contact address will be required to support the application. Both parents must agree in writing which address is to be used as the ‘ordinarily resident’ address. This address will then be used when processing all school preferences expressed. It is not acceptable to use an address for one school preference and another address for another school preference.

Tie Breaks: If the admissions limit is reached within one of the above categories and a tie-break is required to separate applications, the determining factor will be the distance from home to school as outlined in sections 3c and 4c above. In the unlikely event that two applicants, competing for a single place at the school, live the same distance from the school, the place will be offered to one of the applicants on the basis of lots drawn by someone independent of the school and all results carefully noted.

Waiting List: A waiting list will be maintained by the school nursery of those unsuccessful in their initial application. Names are placed on the waiting list in the priority order set out in the above over-subscription criteria, not on the basis of the date on which the application is received. A child’s name will remain on the list until such time as they become eligible for a Reception Class or until their parents request that their child’s name be removed from the list. The order of children on a waiting list does not remain static – as circumstances change a child’s place on the waiting list can go up or down, for example due to withdrawals or additional applications. If you change your address whilst your child is on a waiting list, you must let us know. Please be aware that this may change your child’s position on the waiting list, particularly if you move into or out of the school’s catchment area. If a place becomes available, we will offer it to children on the waiting list in priority order. We do not offer places on the basis of the date on which names were placed on the list. Where the school is oversubscribed, late applications will be placed on the waiting list. Having your child’s name on a waiting list will not affect your right to appeal for a School Nursery place.

Children of UK Service Personnel: Admission authorities must allocate places in advance of the family arriving in the area where the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares the relocation date and Unit postal address/quartering area. They much not refuse places because the family does not currently live in the area, nor can they reserve blocks of places for children of service families.

Children from Overseas:

Children from overseas - Admission authorities must treat applications for children coming from overseas in accordance with European Union law or Home Office rules for non-European Economic Area nationals. Non–statutory guidance on this is available on the website of the Department for Education.

Appeals: The decision of the Governing Body Admissions Committee to grant or not to grant a place to a child in accordance with this policy is final. However, should a parent feel that the policy has been wrongly applied, a letter may be forwarded to the Chair of Governors who will arrange for a review to be conducted.

Making Another Application for a Place at the Same School: If your application for a place in the school nursery is refused, we will not determine a further application for a place in the same school term, unless there has been a significant change in the circumstances of the parent/carer, child or school. Such circumstances might be a house move or a place becoming available at the school. If there is no significant change in circumstances, you can make another application for the following school term however, this will not normally be considered more than one term ahead of the date when you want your child to start school.

Policy Review: This policy will be reviewed every year.