EDUCATION COMMITTEE 30 April 1998 Appendix A Admissions Policy
Jump to Appendix B Nursery Service Agreement Main Committee Report
Admissions Policy : Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes with effect from September 1999This policy should be incorporated into each schools own admission policy. It will be reviewed as necessary and its implementation monitored through the existing regular school visits of the Local Education Authority.
1. The allocation of nursery places should be governed by four key principles:-
a) A child may only be admitted to the nursery after he/she has had their third birthday.
b) Priority in allocating places, and in allocating full time places, priority should be given to Children in Need (as determined below).
c) Ensuring that all 3 and 4 year olds who want a place are guaranteed at least a part time place.
d) Ensuring that all places at the nursery are taken up. Schools should note that funding will be based on the FTE places actually filled on the termly count dates.
2. When admitting children to the nursery class, priority should be given to Achildren in need@ as defined in the Children Act 1989, and identified as:-
2.1 those referred by Social Services, with particular reference to those considered to be at risk in terms of child abuse. High priority should be given to consideration of full time places for any child on the Child Abuse Register;
2.2 those identified as having special educational needs as defined by the Education Act 1981, and whose needs can be met within the nursery in question; if the headteacher feels that this is the most appropriate placement;
2.3 those with educational, emotional or social needs not covered in 2.1 and 2.2 above. These children might be referred by other professional agencies e.g. health visitors, Social Services, GPs, or might be identified during discussions with parents at the time of contacting or visiting the school.
2.4 When identifying Achildren in need@, schools should refer to the Priority Matrix (attached). It is proposed that any child who meets any of the criteria to the left of the bold line (i.e. boxes 1 - 4 inc) should be regarded as a Achild in need@. The use of the matrix will be kept under review to ensure its effectiveness.
3. Schools should ensure that there is a balance between children identified as Achildren in need@ and others. The target balance should be determined annually by schools on the basis of admission pressures and the actual balance should be reported in the termly counts.
4. All nursery schools and classes should send their offers of places to Bristol parents during the first week of May and it is recommended that parents are asked to confirm whether they wish to take up the offer of the place within two weeks of receipt of the offer. The emphasis should be on ensuring that all places are allocated to Bristol children no later than the end of August, and are taken up by the September count date.
5. Places should only be offered to non-Bristol children if the school is able to deliver the four key principles for Bristol children. Schools will need to allow for late Bristol applicants up to the end of the first full week in September, and on numbers based on previous experience.
6. Schools should not generally hold any places vacant for children (in need or otherwise) who might apply for places during the school year. If such an application is received after all the places have been allocated, the school may wish to consider whether an additional place can be offered within the existing staffing resources and space available. Vacancies arising during the year should be filled as soon as possible.
7. If a parent chooses to delay their child=s date of entry to reception class, the nursery place for that child will not generally continue unless it is recognised that the child has very exceptional needs and the delayed transfer is agreed by parents, both headteachers and by an officer of the LEA.
8. Each nursery should include this policy within its own written admissions policy as part of its prospectus, a copy of which should be available to parents. The policy should clearly state the criteria for
 | admitting pupils other than Achildren in need@; |
| allocating full time places; |
| ensuring objective fair and equitable procedures for allocations. |
N.B. Nursery classes have been established by the LEA as area provision therefore priority cannot be given to children who are anticipated to continue attending the school in the reception class
9. It should be made clear to parents that:
| admission to a nursery class does not guarantee an automatic right to continued education in the same school; |
| whilst more than one nursery may offer a place to the same child, only one of the offers for their child may be taken up; |
| regular attendance is required to maintain a place in the nursery class or school, but close liaison should take place with health visitors or social workers as appropriate if there are concerns regarding a child=s attendance. |
10. With regard to admissions schools will be expected to discuss and co-operate with other local schools and appropriate agencies e.g. health visitors, Social Services, etc to ensure this policy is delivered.
11. The LEA will:
 | review annually the take up of places and the allocation of places in order to analyse the match of nursery provision to the level of demand. |
| work towards developing integrated provision of care and education involving the local authority, the private and voluntary sectors, and within the context and objectives of the Bristol Early Years Development Plan. |
| consider the possibility of a charging policy for mixed care which extends beyond the normal school day. |
APPENDIX B
NURSERY SERVICE AGREEMENT
| Quality |
| Commitment to The Bristol Standard |
| Commitment to The Partnership |
| Equal Access |
| There should be equal access to high quality Nursery Education, for as many children as possible within the resources available. |
| Delivery |
| Nursery education should be delivered by appropriately trained and qualified staff. |
| Sessions of Day |
| The sessions of the nursery day (morning and afternoon) should be of equal length and offer similar educational experiences and opportunities to the pupils. |
| Minimum - 5 sessions of 2.5 hours - 190 days a year - 5 Inset days. |
(The Authority would want to offer 5 sessions of 3 hours).
| Admissions Policy |
| Flexibility of transfer - particularly summer born children. |
| Entry Assessment |
| Priority for places should be given to Achildren in need@ whilst endeavouring to ensure that a balanced intake of Achildren in need@ and others is maintained. |
| Each school should have their own admissions policy relating to own circumstances but based on the Bristol Authority policy and ensuring all places are filled. |
| Curriculum |
| The curriculum should be an appropriate Early Years curriculum based on very clear educational philosophy and principles. |
| It should clearly reflect the aims of the school. |
| It is important to build on the experiences a child brings from home and to celebrate cultural diversity and similarities. |
| It should address Achievement in the longer term - every child having entitlement to opportunity. |
| Training |
| All staff should have an entitlement to regular training to support the delivery of a high quality service. |
| Partnership |
| Many nursery schools already service simplified partnership groups. |
| An explicit commitment to empowering parents and practical actions to achieve this should be included. |
| Devolved Funding : Supply Budget |
| Regular analysis needs to be carried out of staff absence figures and expenditure on supply during previous financial year before identifying appropriate budget for each school. There is a need for clear guidance to schools on use of supply budget and criteria for accessing central budget. |
| SMSAs |
| To further ensure the safety of pupils during the lunch break and maximise this time as an additional learning opportunity the ratio should be examined. Often the most vulnerable children attend on a full-time basis. |
| Nursery Nurses |
| Recognition of the very valuable work of nursery nurses and their contribution to team work and planning. |
| Clerical Support |
| If this is reviewed, account should be taken of the total number of children on roll and of the number of children attending full and part time. |
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