Setting the Scene!
We are a Nursery Unit, attached to Rothwell Victoria Infant School, and are part of the Pathfinder Schools Trust. We currently cater for 78 children, 39 in the mornings, and 39 in the afternoons. In order to claim a funded place, parents are required to sign a blue funding form each term. This will be fully explained to you when your child starts Nursery.
Admissions
- The earliest that you can register your child for a Nursery place is the September after their first birthday. To register your child, please email or phone the Infant school office.
- You can register your child any time after this date.
- If you would like your child to attend our Nursery unit, please see details within our published admission policies. All applications for in year 2023-2024 and for future years are to be made directly to the Infant School Office. Proof of Address and your child's birth certificate will be needed to register.
- In the event of oversubscription for places the following criteria will be applied:
Admissions Arrangements
- The published total admission number for the Nursery is 78.
- Places will be allocated to pupils who have been registered with the School Office.
- Parents are able to register their child from the September following their child’s first birthday.
- The allocations will be made on a first come basis, although the session preference stated by parents at the time of registration may not always be available.
- These places will be allocated in the Spring term prior to them joining.
- Registration or referral forms received from health visitors or other agencies providing details of children requiring a place on the grounds of Special Educational Needs will be given special consideration and may take preference when allocating places.
Oversubscription Criteria:
- Looked After Children and all previously Looked After Children
- Pupils entitled to 30 hours
- Date of registration of the pupil
- Children who live in Rothwell, Harrington and Thorpe Underwood.
- Other children.
- If the admission number is exceeded within any criteria, priority will be given to those closest to the school. Measurements are carried out in a straight line basis from the child’s home address to the address point of the school.
- We often find that morning sessions are more popular than afternoons. If your child does not get offered the place you requested, you can ask for them to go on the waiting list, and when a place becomes available, it will be offered to the person at the top of the list.
- Children are admitted into the Nursery in the September after their third birthday. If we have spaces, we can also take children at other times throughout the year, but will allocate places strictly in date of birth order. So children who have birthdays in September - December may not necessarily have to wait until the following September before they can start Nursery. If places are available, we can take these children in January, and places will be offered to the oldest children first. If we still have vacancies later in the year, we may also offer places after Easter. Younger children who join us later in the year can stay with us until the July before they are due to start school.
- The majority of children who attend our Nursery then move on to Rothwell Victoria Infants School, although going to the Nursery does not guarantee a place at the Infant School, and parents/carers will need to apply for a school place online later in the year.
Nursery Parent Chats
- All parents/carers are invited to attend a ‘parent chat’ session with their child. This consists of a session for your child to play in the Nursery setting, followed by an opportunity to meet with your child’s key person and other Nursery staff members. This is usually the same date as transition day throughout the Pathfinder Schools Trust.
Stay and Play Sessions
- Children who are joining us in September are invited, along with their parents/carers to a stay and play session before they are due to start Nursery. This date will be advertised on our website and information about these sessions will be sent home to you via letter or email.
Settling In
- When your child first starts Nursery, they will be invited to visit us for some shorter settling sessions. These may vary from year to year. Details will be shared with you via email or letter.
- Following the initial sessions, your child will then be invited to attend for their full Nursery session. We can alter the induction period or session lengths by negotiation with parents/carers, for children who need a more gradual settling in period.