You can place your
child's name on a waiting list for a nursery at the beginning of the school
year (1st September to 31st August) in which your child has his or her second
birthday.
by visiting the nursery school or unit of your choice.
You will be
asked to complete and sign an application form.
You will be given a receipt which confirms that your child's name has been
placed on the waiting list.
This does not guarantee that your child will be
given a place.
You can place your child's name on any waiting list.
Schools in the same area
usually work together to share information on multiple applications and final
admissions.
Once you accept a nursery place your child's name should be
removed from other waiting lists.
Letters offering nursery places are sent out to parents in May for the
following September intake.
What happens if there isn't a place for my child?
We are able to
offer 87% of children some nursery education before they begin primary school,
but this can vary from three to five terms depending on the demand for places
in a locality.
Very occasionally there are too many children on a waiting list
for a nursery to offer every child a place.
If this happens we will try to let
you know if there are vacancies at other nurseries in the area.
What happens if I move house?
Transfers between nurseries can be very
unsettling for young children and are agreed only in very exceptional
circumstances, such as a house move which makes it impossible for a child to
continue to attend a particular nursery school or unit.
If, after your child
has started nursery, your circumstances change and you think that a change of
nursery may be necessary, you should talk to the nursery staff who will be able
to advise you.
How can I find out more about nursery education?
Contact the nursery
school or unit you would like your child to attend.
It may be possible for you
and your child to visit and see for yourself what goes on in the nursery
classroom.
If you need information about where nursery schools and units are located
within the administrative area of Durham Local Education Authority, a list is
available from:
The Early Years Helpline Tel 0191 383 4800
or
Nursery Admissions
Education
County Hall
Durham DH1 5UJ
Tel 0191 383 4800
Durham County Council Nursery Admissions Policy
We are the admission
authority for nursery schools and units in Community and Voluntary Controlled
schools.
In Aided (Church) schools, the governing body is the admission
authority.
Nursery aged children with special educational needs can be supported at any
Nursery School, Nursury Unit or Early Years setting.
Nursery provision is also
made available in certain Special Schools.
These places are allocated by the
Local Education Authority through Statutory Assessment procedures.
Nursery education is defined as education suitable for children who have not
reached compulsory school age.
Nursery education can be provided at nursery
schools and units or in private, voluntary and independent establishments.
Attendance will normally be on a part-time basis i.e.
morning or afternoon.
each session will last at least two and a half hours.
There are no catchment areas for places in specific nursery schools or units
but preference will be given to children whose parents live within our
administrative area.
All children (regardless of race, gender, religious belief or affiliation,
intellectual or physical ability, social or cultural background) should have
equal access to places in nursery schools, nursery units or primary schools
irrespective of whether or not they are likely to transfer into the reception
class(es) of the infant/primary school in question.
The offer of a place in a nursery unit attached to an infant or primary school
does not entitle a place nor entitle a greater priority for a place in that
school for the period of statutory education.
With effect from April 2004 all 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to free early
years education.
The entitlement begins in the term after the child reaches
their third birthday.
Maintained nusery education provision is not yet
universally in County Durham and therefore nusery classes serve a wider area
than that served by the school where they are located.
Nursery places are
offered to children on the understanding that when they are due to transfer to
reception class, they will attend the nearest appropriate school for their home
address.
A maximum of two part-time nursery places should be retained until the end of
the Autumn half term in order to accommodate emergency referrals of children
"in need" as defined in the requirements of the Children Act, 1989.
It may not be possible to offer your child a place at your chosen nursery
school or unit if that unit receives more applications than it has places.
Where this happens, places will be allocated according to the following
criteria in the order of priority set out below:
(i) Children In Need
1.
The Children Act 1989 defines a child "in need" as follows:
He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of
achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development
without the provision of services by the Local Authority under Part 3 of the
Act.
His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or
further impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services.
He/she is disabled.
2.
In addition the LEA has determined that children of families where
English is not the main language of the family will be considered under this
criterion.
(ii) Children with previous experience of primary or LEA nursery
education
Once a child has begun attending a particular nursery it is usually in the
child's best interest to remain at that nursery until transfer to the next
phase of education.
However, parents may need to move house during their
child's career at school, making it impractical to remain at the same school.
There may be other exceptional reasons why a transfer from one nursery to
another without a change of address would be appropriate, but this would be a
rare event and subject to the agreement of the school following guidance from
the LEA.
Wherever possible, however, schools and units will seek to provide
for children who have already started primary or nursery education.
(iii) Age
The offer of a place will be prioritised according to
age.
This means that the oldest children within the year group will be given
priority.
In the event of a place becoming available and two or more
applicants have the same date of birth, priority will be given to the earliest
date of application.
(iv) Children living in other authorities
When all children living
within the boundary of County Durham have been allocated a place, a child
living in a neighbouring area may be offered a place.