Admission Procedures for the Foundation Stage (children aged 4-5)

Groombridge St Thomas' School accepts children in the Reception Class in September in the year where their fifth birthday falls.

When a place is offered parents are informed whether the place is full-time or part-time. As a guide, children are offered a full-time place at the beginning of the term in which they are five.

Le Petit Robot Rouge

For children born on or after 1st January admission will initially be offered on a part-time basis from September.

All parents are welcome to make an appointment to visit the school as well as to attend a collective Open Day and Presentation on Wednesday, 27th January 2010 at 9:15 am in the school hall .

All children intending to start their education at St Thomas' will be integrated into school through involvement in pre-school visits, and invitations to events such as sports day and school concerts. Our reception teacher also visits the village pre-school and homes to help with the transition to school.

Admission Criteria

The Admissions Policy 2009-10 has been compiled in consultation with the Diocesan Board of Eductation, East Sussex County Council and local schools.

All applicants must state which admission criteria they are applying for.
In the event of being oversubscribed the order of priority for allocation of places is as follows:

1. 'Looked After' Children.

2. Children of parents/legal guardians either or both who have been regular worshippers and participants* at St Thomas' Church Groombridge or any other Christian Church for one year and are residents in the community + of Groombridge. A clerical reference form is available from the school on request.

3. Children who will have a brother or sister in the school at the time of admission, and live in the community + of Groombridge.

4. Children of parents / legal guardians whose main residence is in the community + of Groombridge.

Woolly Mammoth

5. Children who have an older brother or sister at the school at the time of admission.

6. Children with a known special education, medical or social need who would benefit from a place at Groombridge St Thomas’ C.E.P. School. Documentary evidence from a doctor, social worker or educational psychologist should be submitted with the application.

7. Children of parents / legal guardians, either or both, who are regular* worshippers at a Christian church.

8. Other children.

Notes

'Looked After' means a child who is looked after by the local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time an application for his/her admission to a school is made, and who the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the time when he/she is admitted to the school.

When deciding between applicants who have equal entitlements under the above criteria, priority will be given to those children who live nearest to the school using surfaced passable routes. Distance will be measured using the County Council's geographical information system (GIS).

* 'Regular worshippers and participants' is defined as a) those parents / legal guardians ( either or both ) who attend a Christian church at least once a month over a period of at least 12 months prior to the date of application and b) who are actively involved in any other aspect of work and worship of the Church other than as a regular worshipper. Applicants applying under this criteria will be required to submit and attach with their application a letter from their priest or minister confirming that the criterion is satisfied.

+ A map showing the boundary enclosing the community of Groombridge can be inspected at school.

‘Brother’ or ‘sister’ includes foster and adoptive siblings.

‘Christian Church’ is a Church that is a full member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or the Evangelical Alliance.

The criteria do not include any reference to a family’s working or child-care arrangements. Nor does it include any reference to a child’s aptitude or ability.

Late applications are considered after all those applications received by the specified deadline.

There is a right of appeal to an independent panel if admission is not granted. Please contact the school for further details.

Children born from September to December are entitled to a full time education. In addition, from 2008/2009, all Reception Class children born between May and August are entitled to full-time education from January rather than waiting until April