School Organisation & Admission

Nursery classes:

The Nursery has 75 places – 50 part-time and 25 full-time. We admit children into our Nursery in the academic year in which they have their 4th birthday, in September and in the following January.

Parents / Carers can obtain an application form from the office. The child’s application is then put on a waiting list and Parents / Carers will be informed when a place is available. Filling in an application form does not guarantee a place. Children will be admitted according to the school’s admission policy, where decisions are made on the basis of the following factors:

1. The number of full-time and part -time places available on the class and the number of three and four year olds

2. The educational, medical and social needs of the child (wherever possible with professional support).

3. The nearness of the child’s home to the school. For nursery classes “nearness” would normally mean residency within the current area of recruitment to the Reception class.

Children are offered part-time education in the first instance; either a morning place from 9.00 to 11.15 or an afternoon place from 13.00 to 15.15. If possible, they may be given the chance to attend Nursery full-time before they reach Infant age. Priority for full-time places will be given to siblings and for those whose first choice is Hitherfield Primary School. It is essential that children are brought to school on time and collected promptly. Places will be withdrawn if children are unable to attend regularly.

The Nursery staff plan the school day together so that children can move around the whole unit during lesson time and move on to a variety of activities which are planned to develop skills, understanding and knowledge. The class teachers or Nursery nurses will bring groups together at various times during the day for story sessions, singing assemblies, dance lessons and lunchtime. The children are continually assessed.

Primary classes:

The Primary school is for rising 5’s to 11 year old children. The school day begins at 9.00 and finishes at 15.15 – 15.30 onwards for the Reception classes. Children have a fifteen-minute break in the morning and lunch break from 11.30 until 12.30 for the Infants and 12.35 until 13.35 for the Juniors.

Children do not automatically transfer to the Reception class from the Nursery. A separate application must be made to the Primary school.

Application forms are available from the school office. Admission to the Reception class takes place twice a year, according to children's birthday – Autumn term for pupils who will turn five between September and February and Spring term for those who will turn five between March and August.

All applications will be processed strictly on the admission’s criteria:

- siblings already attending the Primary school

- nearest County school and distance from the school.

Occasionally a child will be admitted at the Headteacher’s discretion on an educational, medical or social priority. The Headteacher following Lambeth Education criteria for admission makes decisions. Part of the application form will be returned to you half a term before your child is due to start school, offering a place or stating that a place is not available and explaining the reason why.

Parents / Carers have the right to appeal against refusal of a place; the school will inform you of the procedures.

When preparing class lists we try to ensure a good balance of gender and ability. We review class lists annually and occasionally will move children around if it is considered to be in the best educational interest of the child or the class.

Enquiries regarding admission to any Lambeth schools can be made at the following address:

Pupil and Student Services

Lambeth Education

International House

Canterbury Crescent

Brixton S.W.9 7QE

Or click here to go to the London Borough of Lambeth web site