Admission Policy
Statement of Intent:
It is our intention to make our Preschool accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community.
Aim:
We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the Preschool through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.
Method:
In order to achieve this aim, we operate the following admissions policy.
- We ensure that the existence of the Preschool is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.
- We ensure that information about our Preschool is accessible – in written and spoken form – and, where appropriate, in different languages. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through signing or an interpreter.
- We arrange our waiting list in birth order. In addition take into account if siblings already attend Abbots Farm Infant School.
- The Preschool is open to every family in the community.
- No more than 24 children may attend at any one session.
- Children are admitted on their 3rd birthday, dependent upon the availability of space. However, funding does not start until the term after they are 3.
- Due to the school admissions policy of all children starting school in the year that they are 5 most children start with us during the Autumn term. We are unable to keep places open for those children who have either a Spring or Summer birthday. However, they are given priority should places become available and usually can have the sessions of their choice in the following Autumn term.
- Children may attend Abbots Farm Preschool for between 3 and 10 consecutive sessions per week, these sessions are 3 hours long. Children are expected to attend a minimum of 3 sessions a week. Less than this does not give enough continuity for a child to settle adequately within the Preschool.
- We welcome children regardless of their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English. We will liaise fully with parents and professionals to ensure that it would be in the child’s best interests to attend the group.
- Parents/carers are encouraged to visit with their child shortly before admission is due, and are invited to attend a ‘Stay and Play’ session.
- A home visit must be completed before their start date and all paperwork returned.
- Funding is available for children who are already 3 and 4 years old. We will inform parents if they are eligible. (Funding available term after the child is 3).
- If a child is to leave our setting before moving on to school, or to reduce the number of sessions attended, parents must give at least four school weeks’ notice of the leaving date in writing. Fees will be payable (or funding grant claimed by us), until that date.
- We are flexible about attendance patterns and wherever possible accommodate the needs of individual children and families.
- The nursery education funding rules state that ‘I understand my child could lose their funded place if they do not attend regularly without a reason being provided for their absence’. Therefore, if your child has not attended for 75% of their sessions in any half term period (usually 6 or 7 weeks) they will lose their place at the Preschool unless they have a valid reason (e.g. letter from doctor in the case of serious illness or holiday). If your child has not attended Preschool for 25% of their sessions without any explanation we reserve the right to offer their sessions to another child after contacting you and discussing the situation.