COLDEAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Admissions

RECEPTION TO YEAR 6

Admission of children to any class from Reception to Year 6 (4 to 11 year olds) is arranged through Brighton & Hove Authority. Please follow the link below to apply. 

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/children-and-education/school-admissions

A hard copy of the admissions paperwork can be obtained from the Schools Admissions Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, King's House, Grand Avenue, Hove  BN3 2LS (tel: 01273 094911).  A copy is also available for inspection from the school's main office.

Brighton & Hove's admission policy admits children to school who are four years old by the end of August before the commencement of the school year.

For children starting Reception in September, Coldean provides the following:

Summer term before September start:

• A parents/carers meeting for to discuss ways in which the children's start at school can be as happy and positive as possible.
• Two play visits towards the end of the summer term to enable children to meet their new teachers in their classrooms and become familiar with the school layout.

Early September before child's start date:

• A home visit by the teacher and teaching assistant to meet the parent/carer and child on an individual basis.

In September, following the home visits, the new Reception children are admitted over several days so that the children can be received gradually into a settled environment.  Parents/carers are encouraged to try and leave the children as soon as possible to help them get into the classroom routines. If a child has particular difficulties in settling, their teacher would make specific arrangements with you to support you and your child.

Parents/carers may find it helpful to know that, if there are insufficient places available to meet demand, these will be allocated to children in accordance with the following list of priorities:

1. Children in the care of the local authority, or who were previously in the care of the local authority;
2. Children with compelling medical or other exceptional reasons for attending the school;
3. Children who in the coming September will have a brother or sister at the school;
4. Children transferring between a linked infant and junior school;                           
5. Other children.

If it should be necessary to decide between children within any of these priority groups, this will be done by giving the places to those children who live closest to the school.

NURSERY (Admission form below)

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO OUR NURSERY

The Governors will admit children to the Nursery who are a minimum of three years of age. The government fund children in the term after they turn three.

This means that:

• If your child turns three years of age on or before August 31st, they can start Nursery in the Autumn Term in September, in accordance with the admissions criteria below.
• If your child turns three years of age on or before December 31st, they can start Nursery in the Spring Term in January, if there is space. If there are no places available, they will start in the following Autumn Term, in accordance with the admissions criteria below.
• If your child turns three years of age on or before March 31st, they can start Nursery in the Summer Term in April, if there is space. If there are no places available, they will start in the following Autumn Term, in accordance with the admissions criteria below.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Places are available based on the following criteria:

1. Children in the care of a Local Authority (Looked After Child).
2. Children with a particular compelling educational and/or social or medical need as referred by a professional (e.g. social worker, speech therapist, health visitor, doctor, etc) up to 20% of the available places.
3. Children who will have a sibling attending the nursery or the main school at the time of admission.
4. The position of the children’s home address in relation to the school.
5. All other children

Within the above criteria, each application is always considered very carefully on its individual needs.

Where there is a tiebreak scenario within the criteria, priority will be given firstly to a child who lives closest to the nursery based on a straight-line measurement, then by date of birth, with the older child given priority

RECORD OF APPLICATIONS

Once we receive an application form your child’s details are entered into our system. This data is kept in date of birth order to ensure children are considered for a place in the term after they turn three.

We do not allocate places on a "first come, first served" basis. The length of time that we have been in receipt of an application in no way influences the decisions about places.

SCHOOL INTAKE

The September intake into Nursery will be staggered over no more than one working week and home visits will take place during this time. Other places will be allocated on a termly intake system.

DECISIONS ON PLACES

Decisions on places will be made by the Headteacher. Decisions will be based on the criteria and procedures laid out in the admission policy and places will be confirmed a minimum of two months before your child is eligible to start (at the start of the term after they turn three).

It must be made very clear to parents that the offer of a Nursery place DOES NOT in any way automatically give entitlement to the main school.