Joining our school in Reception 2024/25
We are looking forward to welcoming you to our Great Bardfield Primary School family in September 2024.
For more information about joining our school, read on…
Once you have been allocated a place at our school we will then send you a Welcome Pack giving you lots of information, forms to complete and letting you know about our induction process. Your child will be invited to attend three induction sessions before the end of the summer term.
We invite new parents can come along to our Induction meeting on Wednesday 3rd July at 9.15am-10.15am.
Mrs Whittaker, our Reception teacher, and Miss Smith, our Learning Support Assistant, will make an appointment to come and visit you and your child at home during the Summer Term (10th/11th June).
Our proposed induction programme and phased start timetable for new children starting in September 2024/25:
|
Date |
What will happen |
| Induction Sessions
|
Your child will have three opportunities to come and visit their new classroom and meet their teachers.
Wednesday 19th June 9.15am-10.15am Wednesday 26th June 9.15am-10.15am Wednesday 3rd July 9.15am-10.15am |
| Home visits
Monday 10th June Tuesday 11th June (Summer Term) |
We will email you a time to come and visit you at home with your child. The visits will last no more than 20 minutes and please be reassured that we are not checking up on you. It is simply an opportunity to get to know you better and for your child to feel more comfortable knowing that trusted adults have come to visit them from school. |
| Wednesday 4th September | Your child will spend their first day at school. They will stay until 12pm. |
| Thursday 5th September | Your child will stay until 1pm and have lunch.
|
| Friday 6th September onwards… | Your child will stay all day and be collected at 3.15pm. |
Great Bardfield Primary School-Admissions in other Year Groups:
Currently, we have space in all of our year groups. Please be aware that at Great Bardfield Primary, some of our classes contain mixed year groups.
Admissions Policy for the 2023/24 Academic Year
The Schools Planning and Admissions Department at Essex County Council allocate all intake of children wishing to join Great Bardfield Primary School. In the first instance you will need to contact 0845 603 2200 to request a common application form or apply online at https://www.essex.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-school-place
If you would like to come and have a look around Great Bardfield Primary School and meet Mrs Elizabeth Crow, Headteacher, please contact 01371 810252 to arrange an appointment. Please note that we offer tours in the Autumn term, prior to your child starting school the following September.
At Great Bardfield Primary School Primary School all children born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 will be admitted in full time education in the Autumn term of 2024. Please contact the school if you and your child would like to meet our Headteacher and Staff and have a look around the school before you make your application to Essex County Council. Please note that the published number for the September 2024 intake is 20 children.
For mid-year applications to Great Bardfield Primary School please contact us so that we can let you know if we have space in your child’s Year Group.
Mid-year applications also need to be sent to the Local Authority, Planning and Admissions in the normal way either by contacting 0845 6032200 or applying online at www.essex.gov.uk/Education- Schools/Schools/Admissions/Pages/Applying-mid-year-for-a-school-place.aspx
Applications must be made in accordance with the coordinated scheme operated by the child’s home local authority. For children resident in Essex, this is detailed in the Primary Education in Essex booklet. Applications for Foundation Stage children must be made by the National Closing Date, detailed in the Primary Education in Essex booklet, which is available from Essex County Council. Late applications will be dealt with as detailed in this booklet for children resident in Essex.
Children resident outside Essex should refer to the process for handling late applications published by their home local authority. All mid-year applications will be processed by Essex County Council.
There is no guarantee for a place for children living in the priority admission area.
If applications for admissions exceed the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit.
- Children Looked After *
- Children with a sibling** attending the school
- Children living in the catchment area***
- Remaining Applications****
*Children Looked After or children who have previously been looked after by the Local Authority.
**Sibling is defined as a child living in the same family unit, in the same family household and address as a child who attends the preferred school or partner school in any year group excluding the final year. This, therefore, includes brothers and sisters, adopted brothers and sisters or stepbrothers and stepsisters living in the same family unit in the same family household. In addition, biological siblings, in any year group excluding the final year, will be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings.
***A map showing the defined catchment area is available from the Local Authority upon request.
****In the event of over-subscription within any of the above criteria, priority will be determined by straight line distance from home to school, those living closest being given the highest priority. Essex County Council will supply straight line distances as defined in the Primary Education in Essex booklet.
Exceptional medical circumstances (supported by medical evidence) may override the above.
Unsuccessful applications will be given the right to appeal against the refusal of a place at the school. Information about how to appeal can be found on the Essex County Council website.
A list of unsuccessful applications for children starting school in the Foundation Stage will be held at the school until the end of the Autumn term.
Early Years Admission
All children may start in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents may request that the date their child is admitted to the school is deferred until a later term in the school year or until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year. Parents may request that their child attends part time until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age.
Parents of a summer born child may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group – to Reception rather than year 1. Please contact Mrs Crow to discuss any concerns you may have about your child if you are considering deferring your child.
Applications for children out of the normal age group will be considered by the Governing Body and the relevant professionals when the LA, under co-ordination, request the school to consider such applications. In all cases supporting evidence should be provided.
This policy is reviewed annually
To be reviewed by Governors: September 2024
A downloadable copy of this policy is available below:
Great Bardfield Primary School Admissions Policy
Parents may wish to look at the Admissions page of The Essex County Council Website. Please follow the link below:
http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Admissions/Pages/Admissions.aspx