School Admissions
Our published admissions number (PAN) is 30 for Nursery and 30 for Reception.
The academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Children are admitted into our Nursery class in the academic year in which they are going to be 4. They are admitted into our Reception class in the academic year in which they are going to be 5.
The admissions process can be an anxious time for parents. Should you have any concerns, please let us know and we will do our best to help.
For both Nursery and Reception admissions, our Early Years Team offer a home visit prior to your child starting, to allow the staff to meet your child in comfortable and familiar surroundings and to offer parents/carers the opportunity to discuss any issues unique to your child.
Nursery Applications
Nursery applications are administered by the school. Parents/carers should request an application form from the school office via email admin@pottenend.herts.sch.uk or by downloading the form and returning the completed form to school. Nursery places will be allocated by the school, in accordance with Hertfordshire County Council criteria. There is one formal intake into Nursery each year, however, you are welcome to discuss a delayed start for your child should you feel this is appropriate. We currently have spaces available in our Nursery.
Nursery Application Process
- Parents and carers must apply for a Nursery place by completing an application form. This can be downloaded (Nursery Application Form), or a paper copy is available from the school office.
- Completed applications can be emailed to admin@pottenend.herts.sch.uk or returned to the school office by 13 March 2020.
- Copies of supporting documents must be submitted with the application form for criteria 1, 2 and 4. Failure to submit supporting evidence will result in the criteria not being considered.
- Potten End School will make offers to parents/carers by letter via email on 29 April 2020 if they have been allocated a place.
- The deadline for parents/carers to accept or reject offers the school has made to them for a Nursery place is 11 May 2019. If the school does not receive a response to the offer of a place, in writing, the place may be withdrawn and offered to the first child on the waiting list.
- The Head Teacher and Governors will allocate places according to the criteria below.
Admission Criteria
Admission to Nursery is based on the expression of parent/carer preference.
If there are more applications than places available, the following criteria will be applied (in order of priority):
- Children in the care of the Local Authority or adopted from care.
- Children with exceptional social, educational or medical needs identified by professionals, such as a Child Protection Plan or Education Health Care Plan, where the school is the named placement. (Evidence must be submitted with the application in order to be considered.)
- Children with a sibling in Year R and above at Potten End C of E Primary school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of normal age range of the school i.e. is in Year 6
- All other children in order of distance from the school (as measured using the distance calculator on Herts Direct).
Nursery Application Timeline
The timeline for the Nursery admissions process 2020 for children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 is set out below.
Nursery applications open: 3 February 2020
Applications can be made by completing the Nursery Application form. A paper copy of the form is available from the school office on request. Completed applications can be emailed to admin@pottenend.herts.sch.uk or returned to the school office.
Nursery applications close: 13 March 2020
Applications close for on-time applications. (Applications can be accepted at any point after this date, but will be dealt with after on-time applications.)
Nursery places offered: 29 April 2020
Places will be offered to families in a letter via email.
Deadline for accepting Nursery places: 11 May 2019
We can continue to accept applications and allocate Nursery places to children, based on availability. Please contact the school office on 01442 865022 or via the following email: admin@pottenend.herts.sch.uk.
Continuing Interest: 11 May 2020 onwards
If there are more applications than the number of places available, parents/carers may request for their child’s name to be added to the waiting list. Any places which become available will be allocated according to the admission criteria above.
June/July 2020
Parents will be requested to:
- attend a Nursery induction meeting (date to be arranged)
- complete admission forms
- complete free early years funding applications
- complete early years pupil premium eligibility applications where appropriate
- bring children to ‘stay and play’ sessions (dates to be arranged)
September 2020
Staggered start sessions into the Nursery Class (dates to be confirmed).
Reception Applications
You need to apply for a Reception place even if your child has a place in the school’s Nursery. Reception applications must be made through Hertfordshire County Council website at www.hertsdirect.org/admissions who administer the process. Parents/carers will receive communication from the County Council informing them to begin to look for a school place. Please note that securing a place in Nursery does not, in any way, guarantee or give a better chance of getting a place in Reception. There is one intake into Reception each year although there is a short staggered start at the beginning of the Autumn term to allow children to settle.
Continued Interest
If your child does not secure a place at our school, parents/carers may remain on the ‘continued interest’ register – this must be done via the County Council for Reception and with the school, for Nursery.
In Year Admissions
Nursery
Please contact the school office directly.
Reception to Year 6
Once the year has commenced, this is termed an ‘in year’ admission and must be applied for via the www.hertsdirect.org/admissions website, choosing the ‘in year applications’ section.
Please note that this request does not ‘roll on’ from year to year and a new request must be made at the beginning of each academic year if a place is still required.
School Induction
We want children to find their start at Potten End School to be a positive experience. Before their starting date, all children and parents are invited to the school for a preliminary visit. When the time comes to admit children into the Nursery and Reception Classes, we stagger the intake by admitting a few children each day so that all children have the chance to get to know the teachers and their classroom.
Starting full time education will make your child tired, even if they have attended full time nursery day care prior to coming to the school. The day is full of new learning experiences and children are required to become familiar with many new routines and expectations. For this reason, our younger Reception Class children initially come for the mornings only. Their time in school is then extended to include lunchtime and following this, it is extended to cover the whole school day. We operate this arrangement in the best interests of the children although, of course, we understand that it may cause temporary inconvenience to parents, particularly if both are working.
Secondary School Transfer
In the autumn term of the academic year in which your child is eleven, you should receive communication from Hertfordshire County Council regarding applying for a secondary school place. If you do not receive this, please let us know.
