Starting School
To help you choose the right primary school for your child, please visit us so that you can take a preliminary look at the school. Later in the summer term, before they start, new entrants are invited into school to spend several sessions in class. At this time, there is also an evening for new parents to meet school staff and talk about your child starting school.
Children now start school full time in September if their fifth birthday falls before December 31st of that year. If your child’s fifth birthday is between January and July of the following year, they start full time after the autumn half term holiday. Before then, they will attend part time for five sessions a week. However it is sometimes necessary to extend the part time attendance for some of the youngest children. We are extremely flexible on this!
Admission
Our school adheres to Somerset County Council’s policy on admissions as explained below.
Each new year group starting in September has a planned admission limit (PAN). This is set annually, after consultation between the Education Authority and the Governors of the school. The PANs aim is to ensure that schools, and the education service as a whole, are run efficiently and that there is no waste of resources. This may mean that at some schools there are not enough places for all of the children whose parents would like to enrol them.
Our current PAN is 8.
First Admissions – September
In September, pupil detail forms are circulated to parents of children who will be 4 years of age in the coming academic year which let the local education authority know that a school place will be required in the year after that.
In the following January, school place application forms are issued to parents who have completed a pupil detail form. The application form will state the catchment school from the home address and invite parents to list up to three ranked preferences of schools they would like their child to attend.
Placement letters are sent to parents by the local education authority in March. The majority of applicants will gain a place for their child at their most preferred school although there is an appeal system in place for those who do not. Decisions are made in accordance with the county over subscription criteria which is explained in a booklet entitled ‘Starting School Guide For Parents’, a copy of which is available to you by contacting the Parent Enquiry Line on (0845) 6045555 during office hours.
Additional Admissions
Some parents will request places for their children at the school outside of the normal intake timetable. The school is able to allocate places up to the admission number of the year group concerned. If the school is full, there is an appeal process for parents whose children are refused admission. Please contact the school initially to discuss the possibility of a place. Further information about the school admissions policy and the appeal process is then available from the School Admissions Officer on (01823) 355835.