Admissions
All families in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare or early education for 3 and 4-year-olds for 38 weeks. Children can access nursery education the term after their third birthday.
Batford Nursery School is a state maintained nursery school serving the whole of Harpenden and the surrounding area; we receive funding for nursery education from Hertfordshire County Council. We are responsible for our own admissions procedure but adhere to a timetable coordinated with other schools in Harpenden who offer nursery class provision.
Places are offered at Batford Nursery School on the condition that the 15 hours should be accessed solely at Batford Nursery School.
To see if you think Batford Nursery is the right place for you and your child, please take a look at our 'Virtual Visit' video on the School Welcome page of our website.
We also have a 30 hours' offer for eligible families - scroll down for more information.
|
Wraparound care is provided on site from 7.30am to 6pm during term time and school holidays by Batford Day Care Ltd. Batford Day Care Ltd is also responsible for the catering provision for children attending Nursery under the 30 hours’ scheme. Note that Batford Day Care has its own Admissions procedures and all enquiries for term-time wraparound or holiday care should be made direct to the Batford Day Care Office. You can read their admissions procedure on the Batford Day Care page. |
Batford Nursery School operates a single intake to the nursery in September meaning children take up their nursery place in the September following their third birthday. However, if the Nursery in undersubscribed in the autumn term, the Headteacher may consider admitting children in January or April in the term after their third birthday.
We have space for 120 children (60 morning places and 60 afternoon places). Where applications exceed the number of places, the Admission Rules below are applied in order. If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, a tiebreak will be used. That means the next rule will be applied to those children. If more children qualify under Rule 8 or 9 than there are places available, priority will be given to those who live nearest to the school (measuring distance as specified in Rule 8).
Rule 1: Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school will be allocated a place in accordance with section 324 of the Education Act 1996. Also children with an EHC (Education, Health and Care) Plan that names the school.
Rule 2: Children looked after and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order).
Rule 3: A child ‘at risk’ (or the sibling of a child ‘at risk’) who is the subject of an inter-agency child protection plan.
Rule 4: Medical or Social Needs – Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to come to Batford Nursery School.
Rule 5: Children currently attending Batford Day Care
Rule 6: Siblings of children currently on roll at Batford Nursery School or Batford Day Care at the time of application.
Rule 7: Children of staff at Batford Nursery School or Batford Day Care.
Rule 8: Child’s nearest school – Children for whom it is their nearest maintained nursery class. We compute distances using a computerised mapping system, taking the measurement from the AddressBase Premium address point of your child’s house to the address point of the school.
Rule 9: Any other children
The nursery sessions run from 8.30—11.30 and 12.30-3.30 during term time, although we can agree flexibility at drop off and pick up for those parents who have older children at primary school.
For further details about admissions, please read our Admissions Policy below.
30 hours' free childcare
Working families who meet certain criteria are eligible for 30 hours free childcare and information about the scheme is available via the link to the right of this page.
Note that childcare providers are not obliged to participate in the 30 hours’ scheme are free to restrict their offer to parents based on the school environment, impact on staff ratios and financial implications.
At Batford Nursery School, we are able to offer some 30 hours places to children of eligible families and, although we will endeavour to accommodate all requests, it should be noted that eligibility does not guarantee the offer of a 30 hours place. Places will be offered in such a way as to support the financial viability of both the school and Day Care: this means that fee paying places (i.e. for children whose parents do not meet the 30 hours criteria) will take precedence over funded 30 hours places.
For further details of how places are allocated, please see our Admissions Policy above..
Note that it is the responsibility of parents to provide their eligibility code to the Nursery in order to be considered for a 30 hours place; eligibility is reviewed termly and should a child fall out of eligibility during any term, fees will become payable.
If you require any further information, please speak to Beth in the School Office to find out more or to make an application, or take a look at the government website, Childcare Choices (link below).
