What are the admissions criteria for Nursery Schools and classes in Community Primary Schools?

If more children apply for a nursery place at a particular school than there are places available, the Headteacher will allocate places according to how many are available. Priority will be given in the following order:

• Children in public care or subject to a Child Protection Plan who live within the current recruitment area for a place at that school.
• Children with an educational, medical or social need for a nursery place.*
• Children whose parents can take up or stay in a teaching post in one of Hackney’s schools.**
• Children with brothers and sisters already at the school at the time of the proposed admission (includes half and step brothers and sisters living as a family unit at the same address).
• Children living nearest to the school as measured in a straight line from their home address or their child minder’s address using a map or website for calculating distances.***

NOTES

* This applies to the nearest school unless your child’s need justifies a place at a particular school. Headteachers can take into account educational or medical needs such as developmental, speech and language delay or physical needs. The school will need to see evidence of this from a doctor, hospital consultant, health visitor or education and child professional.
** If you are a Hackney school teacher, you can apply for a nursery place for your child under this scheme – but only for one child in each class, or two places in the case of twins. You must apply to the primary school where you teach, or one that is within one mile of your place of work.
*** If your child is cared for by a child minder during the week (Monday to Friday). The school will ask to see proof of this arrangement. When the school work out distances, they will decide which method to use to calculate the distances.
If we need a tie-breaker decision for priorities 1, 2, 3 and 4 in this list, we will use distance as measured in item 5 above

Free 30 hours Nursery entitlement

From 1 September 2017 the government introduced FREE 30 hours nursery entitlement for working parents with children aged 3-4.

The current entitlement

All 3 and 4 year old’s will continue to be eligible for 15 hours per week of free early education. This is a universal entitlement for all children. Our universal entitlement sessions are either 8.30 – 11.25 am or 12.30 – 3.25 pm. The new entitlement is an extension of the current entitlement and provides an additional 15 hours of free childcare for children that are eligible.

Definition of qualifying children for the new entitlement

The new entitlement to 30 hours free childcare is intended to support working parents with the cost of childcare and enable them, where they wish, to return to work or to work additional hours.

The additional 15 hours will be available to families where both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family), and each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW), and less than £100,000 per year. Working will include employed and self-employed persons. Parents do not necessarily need to actually work 16 hours a week, but rather their earnings must reflect at least 16 hours of work at NMW or NLW, which is £107 a week at the current NMW rate. This includes those parents on zero contract hours who meet the criteria.

The new entitlement is to support parents to take up work or increase their working hours. Parents who are studying will not qualify for the new entitlement, unless they meet the criteria outlined above.

How do I apply?

You can apply on line the term before your child’s 3rd birthday at:
https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ (Childcare%20Choices).

The on-line application process should take about 30 minutes and the result in most cases is instant. Once you have your results, please visit the school office who will ask to see the confirmation email and 11 digit unique reference code that you will have received. If you are not entitled to the free 30 hour provision you will still be able to receive the 15 hour nursery provision provided to all 3-4 year olds.

Admissions Criteria for our Two Year Olds

Families will be eligible to register for a two year old place for their child, after their child’s first birthday. The criteria for our two year old places are stated below.

A looked after child or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order.

Children with an educational, medical or social need for a nursery place.

Children who are entitled to two year old funding, which includes the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (SA)
• Universal Credit
• Tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• The working Tax Credit 4-233k run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Children whose parents can take up or stay in a teaching post in one of Hackneys’ schools.

Children with brothers and sisters already at the school at the time of the proposed admission (includes half and step brothers and sisters living as a family unit full-time at the same address).

Children living nearest to the school as measured in a straight line from their home address or their childminder’s address using a map or website for calculating distances.

Consideration of other social factors that may impact on children’s well being.

We offer 15 hours per week, term-time only sessions for our two year olds, either 8.30 am – 11.25 am or 12.30 pm – 3.25 pm.

How to apply for a nursery place at Wentworth

We ask parents to either complete the form on line and email the school: admin@wentworth.hackney.sch.uk. Application form can be found here: School nursery application form 2020-21 (1)

or call into the nursery school and we will complete an application form with parents; any time from 8.30-2.30pm. We hold regular open afternoons where prospective parents/carers are invited into the nursery to see the provision we have to offer and ask any questions you may have. We strongly recommend parents/carers contact the school to arrange a visit; visits are 4pm -4.45pm on most Wednesdays term time only.