Admissions Policy

Maintained Nursery

Cambridge Nursery School is one of three schools that are maintained by the Sefton Local Authority.

General Statement

Children are eligible for nursery education in the term following their third birthday.
We have 120 part time places available within the nursery school. This comprises of 80 places for 3 & 4 year olds and a further 40 places for 2 year olds who meet the eligiblity criteria.
The majority of children attend either morning or afternoon sessions although we do have a number of full time places for the children of parents who meet the 30 hour eligiblity criteria.
Applications forms can be downloaded from the website, collected in person from the school office, ,requested via email or you can phone to request a paper copy in the post.
Application forms, which are dated upon receipt, must be submitted for all those requesting a place in the nursery school.

Admission to Nursery

Children may be admitted to the maintained Nursery in the term after their 3rd birthday. The main intake will be in September of each academic year and we also admit children in January and April if places are available, late applications will also be considered in the order set our in the admission criteria.

Admission Criteria

This section outlines the criteria to be used to decide upon eligibility for a place when places become available mid year.

Priority is always given in the allocation of places to children with special educational needs where parents have specified the nursery as their preference within their statement.

The same applies to Looked After Children

When the nursery school is oversubscribed the admission criteria below is used to determine the allocation of places. The children are numerically scored, receiving one point for each of the criteria met, those with the highest score at the time of admission will take priority.

Having regard to a pupil with Special Educational Needs naming the nursery to professionals working with the family, the criteria for allocating places is listed below, if over subscription for places occurs, the children will be scored numerically. The highest score at the time of admission will take priority.

With the exception of children with special educational needs and looked after children our children are admitted using the following criteria

Our admissions are given on the following criteria:

Looked After Children when preferences are expressed.
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan or diagnosis of SEND that specifically names the nursery.
A 'vulnerable child' who has been suported with a Early Help Assessment (EH) or identified as a 'child in need' by the Social Care Team.
Children in order of proximity of their home to the nursery who have the shortest walking distance between home and school.
Children who are currently on a child protection plan
A request for a place has been made by outside agencies i.e. portage/ health visitor
A child who has been supported by a funded 2year old place.

If, in any category, there are more children than places available, places will be determined by reference to order of birth, eldest first.

If there are any children with identical dates of birth, the child named on the registration form submitted earliest (all forms are dated upon receipt) will be offered the place. the child living nearest to the preferred school will be offered the place.

Waiting Lists

If the nursery school is to full capacity and we are unable to offer a child a place, their name will be added to the waiting list, which is held in criteria order and by date of birth within the criteria (eldest first). Places regularly become available throughout the year as children move away from the area allowing us to allocate places to children from our waiting list.

Places will only be allocated from the waiting list when the number of children in the nursery falls below the Admission Limit. If a place does become available it will be allocated to the child at the top of the list as soon as possible.

Children can only be added to one waiting list and will be removed from that waiting list if they secure a nursery place elsewhere.

Multiple Addresses

Where a child is resident with parents at more than one address, the address used for admission purposes shall be the place at which the child spends the majority of the school week during term time. Where there is a clear 50/50 split, parents should decide.

Ordinarily Resident

Reference to where a pupil is ordinarily resident means that they are habitually and normally resident at their address, other than for occasional absences, for a settle purpose which is not solely to receive education. If parents are moving address they will only be considered as being ordinarily resident and, therefore, considered under this criterion, when they are living at their new address.

The table below details when children become eligible for a 3/4 year old place

A child born in the period: Will become eligible for a place from:

1st September 2017 to 31st December 2017 1st January 2021 (Spring Term)

1st January 2018 to 31st March 2018 1st April 2021 (Summer Term)

1st April 2018 to 31st August 2018 1st September 2021 (Autumn Term)

1st September 2018 to 31st December 2018 1st January 2022 (Spring Term)

1st January 2019 to 31st March 2019 1st April 2022 (Summer Term)

1st April 2019 to 31st August 2019 1st September 2022 (Autumn Term)

1st September 2019 to 31st December 2019 1st January 2023 (Spring Term)

1st January 2020 to 31st March 2020 1st April 2023 (Summer Term)

1st April 2020 to 31st August 2020 1st September 2023 (Autumn Term)

Session times:

Morning: 8.45am - 11.45am

Afternoon: 12.30pm - 3.30pm

Children accessing 30 hours: 9.00am - 3.00pm (please provide packed lunch)

Should you have any questions regarding a place for your child please contact Linda Lomax, our Office Manager, who will be happy to assist.