Bradford Council Admissions Policy

  • Bradford Council (Education) is the admissions authority for Ben Rhydding Primary School. Below are the current admissions arrangements.
  • Admission forms (from Bradford Council) are sent to all registered names in the December before admission. They have a return date in January.
  • The admission forms can be returned to school for forwarding to Bradford Council or direct to Bradford Council.

Bradford Council follows the Admissions Procedure which is based on the following criteria:-

Where the number of preferences for a school exceeds the number of places available, priority will be given to children in the following categories:

  1. Looked after children or children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a residence or special guardianship order.
  2. Children who have exceptional social or medical needs, supported by a written recommendation from the child’s paediatrician/consultant or professional from Children’s Services. The letter must explain why the school is the only suitable school to meet the child’s needs and why no other school could provide the appropriate support for the child.
  3. Children who have a brother or sister, living at the same address and who will still be attending the school at the time of admission.
  4. Children whose home address is within the school’s priority admission area*.
  5. Children whose home address is outside the school’s priority admission area.

NOTES

  1. A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is in the care of the local authority, or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (as defined in the Children Act 1989).
  2. The term ‘sisters’ and ‘brothers’ refers to children who live with the same family at the same address. Children living with the same family e.g. foster, adopted children and step-sisters and brothers are also included.
  3. ‘Home address’ refers to the child’s permanent home at the date of admission. Where the child lives with parents with shared responsibility, it is for the parents to determine which address to use when applying for a primary school. Proof of residency may be required at any time during or after the allocation process.
  4. ‘Nearest Church of England School’ is measured by a straight line distance from the Ordnance Survey address point of the home to the main entrance of the nearest Church of England primary school, including those in neighbouring local authorities.
  5. Twins or triplets – where a family of twins or triplets request admission and only one of the siblings can be offered a place, the remaining siblings will also be offered places above the admission number.

When demand exceeds places in any one of the above criteria, the distance between home and school, measured by a straight line, from the main entrance of the home to the main entrance of the school building, will be used to decide who is given a place; those living nearest being given the available places.

  • Bradford Council informs the parents if they have a place. We then begin an Induction process (see Procedural Policy for the Induction of Children into Reception Class).
  • Information given to parents prior to admission:-
  • Welcome to Ben Rhydding Primary School booklet.
  • Information sheets on pre-school activities.
  • After and Before School Care Club information (The Play Station).
  • School Meals Pack.
  • Admission Form.
  • Holiday List.
  • Uniform List.
  • Name Tape Form.
  • Introduction to PTA Leaflet.
  • Letter offering home visit.
  • Information given to parents on admission:-
  • Calendar of Events.
  • Home School Agreement.
  • Local Visits Permission.
  • Medical Information.
  • Information on Pupil Attendance.

Entry into Years 1-6

Our standard admission number is thirty per year group. If an application is made for a place and the class number is below thirty a place will be given. If no place is available parents are informed of the right to appeal and given the contact numbers of the School Placement Officer at Bradford Council. We also hold a waiting list – names are held on the waiting list for one academic year only. We check in the following academic year if parents still wish names to be held on the waiting list. Details held on the waiting list are names of parents, name of child, DOB, address and telephone contact number.

Procedural Policy for Induction of Children into Reception Class

It is the policy of the school to admit children at the beginning of the Autumn Term of the academic year in which the child’s fifth birthday falls.

In order to facilitate this policy and with an awareness that compulsory schooling does not begin until the term of the child’s fifth birthday, we operate a staged and flexible admissions’ policy.

The process of induction begins in the Summer Term.

  • Having received our admissions list from Bradford we invite all parents to a meeting with staff to explain the process of induction, share information about the curriculum and schemes of work and answer parents’ questions.
  • Home visits are offered in the second half of the Summer Term. The purpose of these visits is to enable the child and the teacher to meet on home ground and to become familiar with each other. These visits also enable the teacher to listen to parents’ accounts of the child’s development and note any concerns; they also help to relieve any anxieties the child might have.
  • An afternoon visit to the Reception Class with the Early Years’ Team is also offered. The intake are divided into two groups of 15 and each group visits on separate afternoons. The children in school move on to their next teacher to make the Reception classroom available for the new intake.
  • During these afternoons parents are invited to share refreshments with the Headteacher and PTA, providing another opportunity for questions to be answered.
    The Reception teacher visits the local playgroup to see children in their pre-school setting.
  • Parents and children are invited to PTA activities in the Summer Term.

Beginning School

In order to make the children feel confident and secure all the children attend school mornings only for the first two weeks of term. This enables them to concentrate on settling into classroom routines before having to deal with lunchtime procedures.

The intake is divided into two groups – younger and older children, the cut off is dependent on the balance of age in the intake but for guidance purposes is usually February/March. The younger children in the year come for the first two days of the term and the older children join them after the first 2 days. This enables the teacher and early years’ staff to give more attention to the younger children before the rest of the year group join the class.

At Ben Rhydding Primary School we recognise that being successful and feeling confident and secure are major factors in ensuring a positive start to school and in fostering a delight in learning.

Our Policy is designed to ensure that we give the children the best possible start to school life.

Children joining established classes are invited to spend time in school (one or two sessions) prior to admission.

Information to be sent to parents of children joining Years 1-6:-

  • Admission Form
  • Calendar of Events.
  • Holiday Lists.
  • School Uniform List.
  • Home School Agreement.
  • Local Visits Permission.
  • Medical Information.
  • Information on Pupil Attendance.