Nursery Policy

General Information

The Authority will admit a child to a maintained nursery school at the beginning of the school year if the child has achieved its 3rd birthday on or before 31 August of that calendar year.

Nursery schooling in English and Welsh medium schools within the Authority will be provided on the basis of 5 x 2 ½ hour sessions per week for each child.

Parents may express a preference for any school irrespective of where the home is in relation to the school, however, expressing a preference does not guarantee admission to that school.

Nursery education is a statutory provision, but is not compulsory, and parents have no right of appeal under the Education legislation if they are unsuccessful in gaining a nursery place.

Applications for nursery school admission are available from headteachers at all nursery/ infant schools from January each year. Parents may be asked to provide official documentation showing their children's date of birth.

When making the decision about the "nearest suitable school" the Authority will accept only the pupils home address and not that of, for example, childminder or grandparents. Parents may be asked to provide official documentation showing home address. Parents are advised that a school place may be lawfully withdrawn if the information given on their application form is fraudulent or misleading.

Transport to Nursery school will only be provided by the Authority in exceptional circumstances.

In the event of over-subscription applications for nursery places shall be dealt with by applying the following criteria:

• the Local Education Authority (LEA) will consider the needs of children in public care (looked after children);

• the LEA will consider the special educational needs of children; other special circumstances (including medical reasons);

• the LEA will allow younger brothers or sisters (siblings) to attend that school at which the older child is registered for the year of admission;

• the LEA will take full account of the proximity of the child’s home to the school for which a preference has been expressed. The LEA will ensure as far as possible that a place will be offered at the child’s nearest suitable school within the County Borough. In implementing this criterion, account will also be taken of transport arrangements and any potentially hazardous route between home and school.