Local Authority Admissions Policy
Children are admitted to our school in accordance with the local authority admissions policy, a summary of which is found below.
Nursery Education
The provision of nursery education in Wirral varies from area to area. There are three nursery schools in Wirral and 41 nursery classes attached to primary schools.
Parents who wish their child to be admitted to a nursery school or class should apply to the Headteacher. Admission to a nursery class does not guarantee admission to the primary school in which the class is located because some nursery classes have to cover a wider area than the zone of the school in which they are located.
Priority for admission to nursery schools and classes is given to children who are educationally disadvantaged and thereafter to the oldest children and those who live nearest to the school or class. A copy of the Authority’s admissions policy for nursery schools and classes is available from the Education Department and from Headteachers.
Arrangements for Admission to County and Voluntary Controlled Schools Catchment Areas
Each county school has its own catchment area. All the children who live in the area and whose parents wish them to attend the area school have a right to do so. Parents wanting information on their school catchment area should contact the Pupil Services Section (Telephone 0151 666 2000).
Parents in zone who wish their children to enter reception in September must register with the authority by the 15th December. Forms are available from Primary Schools and should be returned to the authority.
Voluntary controlled schools also have their own catchment areas. Christchurch CE School in Birkenhead has a scheme of priorities for admission if the school is oversubscribed. Details are available from the school or from the Pupil Services Section.
Anyone wishing their child to attend a voluntary controlled school should contact the Pupil Services Section for details of catchment areas.
Out of Area Admissions
Parents who would prefer to send their children to a school other than that which serves their catchment area may do so provided there is room within the preferred school’s standard number or with special approval from the Education Authority. Parents who wish to request an out of area school place should complete the usual application form from the Director of Education and return it by 15th December. These forms are available from the Education Department, Hamilton Building, Conway Street, Birkenhead. CH41 4FD.
It may not always be possible for the Authority to grant out of area requests. Clearly if a school is already full, then the education of all the children would suffer if more children were admitted. Sometimes there will be room in the school for some children but not all the children whose parents have asked for places. In these circumstances priorities have to be determined among applicants.
The Education Committee’s policy in such cases is to give:
- first priority to Looked After Children
- second priority to children who have valid medical reasons.
- third priority to children who already have older brothers or sisters attending the school at the time when the children are due to start school. If there are more children with older brothers and sisters than there are places available, the age of the oldest child will be taken into account. Children with the oldest brother or sister will have lower priority;
- thereafter each request is considered in the light of reasons given by parents, each one being carefully considered in relation to all the other requests and the number of places available.
Earliest Dates of Admission
Children do not have to start school until the term after their fifth birthday. However Wirral children who will be five in the period between 1st September and 31st August may be admitted at the beginning of the Autumn Term on a full-time basis although admissions may be phased over the first two weeks of term.
Special arrangements may be made for individual pupils. If it is determined by the Headteacher in consultation with the parents that it is not appropriate for their child to start school at the specified time, then the date of admission may be delayed. A request for early admission, full or part-time should be made in writing to the Director of Education or, in the case of aided schools, to the Chairman of Governors, giving their reasons. Such requests will be granted only under the most exceptional circumstances.
Please note: the information contained in this prospectus relates to the next academic year and is correct at the time it was written, but it should not be assumed that there would be no change before or during the following year.
