At Shotton Primary School we have three intakes of children into our Nursery over the school year. One in each of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms.  Our Nursery has a maximum of 78 places.  

Children can be added to our waiting list from birth. To do this parents/carers can telephone the school to arrange a suitable time to call in to complete the necessary forms, or they can complete the N1 Nursery Admissions Form on this page.  All applications must be accompanied by a copy of the child’s birth certificate.  All applicants will be given a receipt that their application has been received.  

In the application process parents can select whether they would like their child to attend one of the following sessions:  

• 5 Mornings per week

• 5 Afternoons per week

• 2½ Days beginning of the week

• 2½ Days end of the week  

Preferences for sessions will be allocated using the criteria of child’s date of birth in the first instance.  If two children have the same date of birth, then the earliest date of application will apply.

It is recognised that some children may not be physically or emotionally ready to start at our Nursery on the basis of 2½ day sessions.  Therefore, whilst this may be the preference of the parent or carer, the school reserves the right to initially offer a morning or afternoon place to a child which will enable a smoother transition to a 2½ day place, once the child has become accustomed to Nursery routines. Everything that we do will always be in the best interests of the child. If this is the case, parents will be fully consulted prior to their child starting Nursery. If it is deemed to be in the best interests of the child the school also reserves the right to:

• Only offer ½ day sessions for the entirety of the time a particular child is in Nursery

• Move children from a morning to an afternoon placement.

• Move children from an afternoon to a morning placement.

Such decisions will always be discussed fully with parents in order to reach a shared understanding.  

Arrangements for selecting pupils who apply, and the allocation of places, are written in the Durham County Council Admission to Community and Voluntary Nursery Schools and Units including Oversubscription Criteria attached.

Please note: Shotton Primary School Nursery currently does not offer the 30 hour extended entitlement, due to capacity issues. In line with Government guidelines, priority should and will always be given to children’s 15 hour entitlement.  

Autumn Term Intake September

April to August birthdays will be admitted in the September following their 3rd birthday.  During May, paren ts will be informed in writing that their application has been successful and that a place is available.  Parents will be invited to attend a presentation by the Head Teacher and EYFS staff where further information about starting Nursery will be given, ap plication packs completed and parents will have an opportunity to ask questions.  The presentation will take place in the Summer term.  Parents will also be invited to visit the Nursery with their child to familiarise them with the setting and meet staff.

Spring Term Intake January

September to December birthdays will be admitted in the January following their 3rd birthday.  Parents will be informed in writing when a place becomes available for their child, and will be invited to attend a presentation by the Head Teacher and EYFS staff where further information about starting Nursery will be given, application packs completed and parents will have an opportunity to ask questions. Parents will also be invited to visit the Nursery with their child to familia rise them with the setting and meet staff.

Summer Term Intake April

January to March birthdays will be admitted in the April following their 3rd birthday.  Parents will be informed in writing when a place becomes available for their child, and will be invited to attend a presentation by the Head Teacher and EYFS staff where further information about starting Nursery will be given, application packs completed and parents will have an opportunity to ask questions. Parents will also be invited to visit the Nursery with their child to familiarise them with the setting and meet staff.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Admission to Early Years Settings

The majority of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can be supported school, nursery unit or early years setting at any nursery.

Nursery provision is also available in certain specialist schools which cater for complex needs.  Additional support for individual pupils is determined by Durham Local Authority through an Education, Health and Care Assessment. This is a formal assessment process which involves a wide range of professionals working together alongside the school. It is not always the school who leads this process.

The Durham Local Authority Admissions criteria stipulate that children are offered a nursery place according to their age. However, children identified with SEND are given priority irrespective of when they have their third birthday.

If parents feel that their child has additional needs that we need to con sider and that may entitle them to be given priority during the admission process, they should inform the school when completing their application form.

If parents would like to discuss their child’s SEND requirements in detail they should contact the school to arrange an appointment. Mrs. L. Henson is our Inclusion Manager and is always very happy to meet with parents. She works very closely with our Foundation Stage Leader, Miss C. Donoghue.

Attendance

Although it is only compulsory for children to attend school after their 5^th birthday, we do expect children in Nursery to attend regularly.

If your child does not attend regularly, the Nursery place may be withdrawn. Our whole school attendance target is 95%. Children whose attendance drops below 90% are classed as being persistently absent. Attendance even for our youngest children is monitored closely. It is very important to build good attendance habits from the outset.

Miss Harcourt is our Safeguarding and Attendance Officer. She works closely with parents and carers to support good attendance. Please speak to her if you require support and advice.

Parents and carers must inform us if their child is absent. If we do not know where a child is then we view this as a safeguarding issue.

Application Form and Admissions Policy