Admissions to Nursery
Highfield Hall Nursery provides term-time early years education for 3 and 4 year olds for a maximum of 52 children. This comprises of 26 morning places and 26 afternoon places. Nursery admissions are the responsibility of the school, with Governors having final say on all admissions.
We take children from the term after their 3rd birthday at three main points during the year:
• September
• January
• April
Our Nursery admission aims are:-
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to provide the best nursery education for as many eligible children as possible
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to ensure that the admissions of pupils to nursery enables staff to maintain the balance and smooth running of the nursery
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to ensure that the admission of pupils enables staff to effectively plan and provide consistent, high quality provision of the Early Years nursery curriculum over five days.
All 3 and 4yr old children are entitled to 15-hours free (government funded) nursery education, per week. Working families are entitled to 30-hours free (government funded) nursery education per week. To check whether your child is eligible for 15 or 30 hours childcare please visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Our 26 morning and 26 afternoon places comprise a combination of part-time and full-time places.
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A full-time place (30-hours) can be funded using a childcare code for free additional 15 hours available to working families. We do offer a limited number of full-time (30-hour) places, which are filled in September.
30-hour places are offered over Monday to Thursday 8.40am – 3.30pm and Friday 8.40am – 11.30am. There is an option to stay until 3.30pm on a Friday. Please refer to the ‘Optional Extras’ below.
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Part-time places are made up from the universal 15 hours childcare for all. Our 15-hour places are offered over 5 morning sessions of 3 hours or five afternoon sessions of 3 hours.
15-hour places
Morning session: 8.40am – 11.40am
Afternoon session: 12.30pm – 3.30pm
30-hour places: Monday to Thursday 8.40am – 3.30pm
Friday 8.40am – 11.30am
(There is an option to stay until 3.30pm on a Friday. Please refer to the ‘Optional Extras’ below.)
Highfield Hall Nursery is inclusive and places are not restricted to children in the normal area. The Governors wish to provide nursery education for as many children as possible but cannot guarantee a place to every child. Where more applications are made than are available, places will be allocated in date of birth order. However, we will also take account of the following where possible:
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Children who are looked after by a local authority
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Children on the Child Protection at risk register.
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Children with identified Special Educational Needs
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Children whose families are suffering severe social and psychological stress which could significantly affect the child’s development
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Children who live in the normal area served by the school
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Children outside the normal area who have siblings at the school
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Children from the wider area
Please note that parents do not have an automatic right to a place in their normal area school nursery. The rules on admission and appeal do not apply to nursery places.
If a child is given a Nursery place, this does not guarantee a main school place. Parents will need to apply to Derbyshire County Council for their child’s choice of school and a place in Reception.
Parents can register an interest in their child attending our Nursery by contacting school any time after their child is 18 months old.
Applications for places should be made directly to the Highfield Hall Primary School office, who will maintain a waiting list and contact you as soon as a place is available. Visits to our nursery are warmly encouraged.
To apply please complete a Nursery Admission form and return it to the school office. Application forms are available from the school office.
Admission to Reception
All parents are entitled to send their children to Reception in the September of the year in which they are five years old. Our Pupil admission number (PAN) is 60.
Applications for places are handled by Derbyshire County Council under the co-ordinated admissions policy. The school has no authority to offer places.
Whenever possible we follow the admissions advice from Derbyshire County Council including that relating to early and delayed admission and transfer to school.