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Admissions Policy

Admissions

Policy statement

It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures. We take children from the age of two years and children can stay with us up until Reception (or move onto Nursery or another setting as the parents/carers choose). Our main intake is at the beginning of September each year. If places are available throughout the year additional children may be offered a place. Where this is not possible applications will be moved to the following September intake.

Procedures

  • We ensure that the existence of our setting is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.
  • We ensure that information about our setting is accessible, using simple plain English, in written and spoken form.
  • Our setting and its practices are welcoming and make it clear that fathers, mothers, other relations and carers are all welcome.
  • Our setting and its practices operate in a way that encourages positive regard for and understanding of difference and ability - whether gender, family structure, class, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.
  • We support children and/or parents with disabilities to take full part in all activities within our setting.
  • We monitor the needs and background of children joining our setting on the Registration Form, to ensure that no accidental or unintentional discrimination is taking place.
  • We share and widely promote our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy.
  • We consult with families about the opening times of our setting to ensure that we accommodate a broad range of families’ needs.
  • Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may ultimately result in the provision of a place being withdrawn.

Funding

  • Some 2 year olds are entitled to the first 15 hours of early education funding known as Free Two’s funding, or through the Government scheme for working parents
  • From the term following their 3rd birthday, all children are entitled to the first 15 hours of early education funding, known as Universal Funding and those with working parents may be entitled to an additional 15 hours funding, known as Extended offer. Parents must check their eligibility online and notify the Setting.
  • For those children eligible for the 2 year 15 hours working funding or the 3/4 year old 30 hours extended offer, we will allocate as many places each year for parents/carers as is financially sustainable for the Setting. These places will have set times and parents must prove their eligibility before a place can be reserved for the extended 15 hours. This is reviewed termly. If the child falls out of eligibility during a term, it is the parents/carers responsibility to inform us and fees will become payable from the date on which funding ceases to be in place.
  • Every effort is made to accommodate preferences; however, no guarantees can be given that parents/carers will be given their first choice of sessions

Allocation of Places

We allocate our places based on the following :

  • Year-round placements who require a minimum of 2 day sessions (a minimum of 6 hours per day)
  • Term-time placements who require a minimum of 2 day sessions (a minimum of 6 hours per day)
  • Year-round placements who require a minimum of 2 morning or afternoon sessions (up to a maximum of 5½ hours per day)
  • Term-time placements who require a minimum of 2 morning or afternoon sessions (up to a maximum of 5½ hours per day)
  • Funded places are offered in accordance with the Early Years Entitlements: Operational Guidance for local authorities and providers (DfE 2018) and any local conditions in place at the time
  • Where sessions are limited, priority will be given to children within our catchment area (Claydon, Barham, Baylham, and Great Blakenham)
  • All of the above are subject to management discretion, and/or provision mapping to ensure that we can meet all children’s needs where applicable