FreeholdAdmissions
Information for Parents
Admissions Policy 2024-2025
admissions policy 2024 2025.pdf
Admissions Policy 2025-2026
freehold admissions policy.pdf
Admissions Policy 2026-2027
freehold admissions policy 2026 27.pdf
How old is my child when they start Nursery?
Children are admitted to Nursery in the September of the school year in which they are 4 years old.
What do I do if I want my child to attend Nursery?
Parents or guardians wishing to enrol their child for Nursery are advised to contact the school in good time to place their child’s name on the waiting list. You can register your child for nursery from birth. You will need to bring with you your child’s birth certificate (long version) in order to do this.
Parents who accept a place for their child in Nursery will be invited to a meeting, where they will be given a date for them to start. Please also let us know if you change your address whilst still on the waiting list. Prospective parents/guardians are welcome to visit the school and should contact the Head teacher to make arrangements.
What do I do if I want my child to attend Reception?
Children are admitted to the Reception class in the September of the school year, in which they are 5 years old. The Local Authority (LA) allocate places for Reception Classes for all maintained schools and applications must be made online.
Please note that a place in the Nursery class does not automatically make the child eligible for a place in Reception.
For children wishing to move school at any time, admissions are also controlled and allocated by the LA. Please go to the Civic Centre for further information about transferring school.
Appeal Arrangements
The Local Authority (LA) allocates places for classes for all maintained schools. Parents wishing to appeal against LA decisions may do so in accordance with appeal arrangements set out below:
What is an appeal?
If you applied for a place at the school and were not offered one, you have the right to appeal against this decision. Please note however that appeals must be submitted in writing and are only upheld in very specific circumstances. For full information about school admissions appeals, please refer to the DfE Advice for parents and guardians on school admissions appeals.
Why was my child not offered a place?
If we could not offer your child a place, this means that the children who were offered a place had greater priority, as set out in the oversubscription criteria in our Admissions Policy. For example, they may have a sibling at the school, or live closer. The letter you received confirming that you were not offered a place should include information on why.
If you have made an in-year application and this has been refused, it will be because the year group to which you have applied is full, therefore no spaces are available.
Find out more…
It is the local authority’s responsibility to ensure that every child has a school place, and we strongly advise you to contact your local authority to enquire about vacancies at other schools.
How appeals work
Appeals for children refused admission will be heard according to the regulations in the School Admission Appeals Code (October 2022).
All appeals must be submitted in writing.
Your appeal will be heard by an independent panel of three people who will consider two main questions:
- Was the school’s decision made properly according to admissions law and its own policy?
- Are your child’s individual circumstances so exceptional that it would be worse for them not to have a place at a specific school than it would for that school to accept an additional child? This is called the balance of prejudice test.
How to submit an appeal
Your appeal is made by clicking on the link below:
An independent clerk will then manage the case and will write to you with further information about how the process will work. Appeal hearings may take place in person or via video conferencing.
Appeals Timetable
Main round appeals
Primary Offer Date: 16th April 2025
Deadline for submitting appeal: 9th May 2025
Appeal panel hearings will take place within 40 school days of the deadline date for submitting an appeal. The independent appeal panel clerk will notify parents/carers of the date of their appeal at least 10 school days prior to the hearing date and will include whether the hearing will be held in person or virtually.
Appeals for late applications will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline date for appeals, where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being submitted.
In year appeals
Appeals for an in-year admission, for example to year groups other than Reception, must be submitted within 20 school days of notification that a place has not been offered.
Appeals for children refused an in-year admission will be heard within 30 school days of receipt of the appeal. Parents/carers will be notified of their appeal hearing date by an independent appeal panel clerk.