Owlsmoor pre-school
Admissions policy
Statement of intent
It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all
sections of the local community.
Aim
We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting
through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.
Methods
In order to achieve this aim, we operate the following admissions procedure:
 We ensure that the existence of our setting is widely advertised in places
accessible to all sections of the community.
 We ensure that information about our setting is accessible, in written and spoken
form and, where appropriate, in more than one language. Where necessary, we
will try to provide information in Braille, or through British Sign Language. Where
possible we will provide translated written materials where language needs of
families suggest this is required as well as access to an interpreter.
 We arrange our waiting list in birth order. Therefore we approach parents in birth
date order as a place becomes available.
 In addition our policy may take into account the following:
- the vicinity of the home to the setting
- siblings already attending the setting
- where free entitlement applies, maximum hours are offered as flexibly as
possible in birth date order
- 2 yr olds eligible for free entitlement may be given priority to a place for
up to 6 hours per week over older ineligible children; more hours
can be offered if available at time of application once all older
children have been offered an earlier start.
- Where possible sessions allocated on previous term are honoured
the following term.
 Every effort to accommodate 2 yr free entitlement is made at the point of
application allowing for the above criteria.
 We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an
emergency admission.
 We describe our setting and its practices in terms that make it clear that it
welcomes fathers and mothers, other relations and other carers, including
childminders.
 We describe our setting and its practices in terms of how it treats each child and
their family, having regard to their needs arising from their gender, special
educational needs, disabilities, social background, religion, ethnicity or from
English being a newly acquired additional language.
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We describe our setting and its practices in terms of how it enables children
and/or parents with disabilities to take part in the life of the setting.
We monitor the gender and ethnic background of children joining the group to
ensure that our intake is representative of social diversity.*
We make our equal opportunities policy widely known.
We consult with families about the opening times of the setting to ensure we
accommodate a broad range of family needs.
We ensure all parents are aware of the conditions of our admissions policy at the
time of registration.
We are flexible about attendance patterns on entry into pre-school where
possible to accommodate the needs of individual children and families, providing
these do not disrupt the pattern of continuity in the setting that provides stability
for all the children.
Free Entitlement
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We are in receipt of grant funding for children from the term after their third
birthday.
We will endeavour to provide 15 hours per week for all children who require it,
however, this is not always possible and parents are entitled to use any
funded hours we cannot accommodate at another setting.
We are required by the local authority to follow up non-attendance for the
purposes of safeguarding, improving outcomes for children and accurate
funding.
We reserve the right to withdraw a funded place/allocated hours if a child
does not attend on a regular basis without:o prior notice of holidays
o in the case of persistent sickness a letter from a doctor for either the
child or the parent.
Fee’s
 If a child starts pre-school prior to the term after they become 3 years of age,
they will be charged a fee per hour (currently £4.00p), unless they are entitled
to 2 yr free entitlement.
(Criteria can be supplied on request)
 Fees will normally be required to be paid half a term in advance, unless
particular arrangements are made with the management of the pre-school.
The pre-school is to receive cleared funds prior to 2.30 p.m. on the last day of
the half term i.e. cash on the last day or cheques a week before the end of
the half term. Non receipt of these cleared funds will result in the immediate
withdrawal of the child’s place and the child we be placed back on the waiting
list.
 If fee’s fall into debt due to the families difficulty to pay, the pre-school will
assist the family to apply for financial support if available.
 If there is not any entitlement to financial support, and the debt remains, the
pre-school reserves the right to ask the parent to remove the child from the
pre-school until further payment is received.
 If a parent wishes to remove the child from the pre-school during term time,
one months notice must be given. A penalty of one month’s fee’s can be
charged for instant removal without notice.
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Should a funded child be removed by the parent without the appropriate one
month’s notice the pre-school reserves the right to withhold one month’s
funding..
This policy was adopted at a meeting of Directors of
Owlsmoor
Pre-School
Held on (date)
11th March 2013
Signed on behalf of the Management Committee
Role of signatory
This policy was reviewed on
(date)
continue as necessary
(date)