Admissions Policy

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirement: Information and records

Providers must maintain records and obtain and share information to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting, and to help ensure the needs of all children are met

 

Statement of intent:

It is our intention to make our preschool accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We are registered to provide care for children from the age of two years old and will admit children after their 2nd birthday if spaces allow, we usually allow children to start from 2 years 4 months.

 

In order to achieve this, we operate the following admissions policy:

  • We describe our preschool and its practises in terms of how it treats individuals, regardless of their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English, and make it clear that it welcomes fathers, mothers, other relations and carers including childminders.

 

  • We make our equal opportunities policy widely known and available.

 

  • We consult with families about the opening times of the preschool to avoid excluding anyone.

 

  • We are flexible about attendance patterns to accommodate the needs of individual children and families.

 

  • Application forms are required in every instance. Assistance is available to complete the form if required.

 

Allocation of spaces

  • Spaces are offered firstly to the cohort of children due to start the next reception year.  Parents/carers will be contacted in order of when we received the application form and available spaces allocated.  Whilst we endeavour to contact parents/carers before allocating the next space, if this is not possible, we may allocate space and move on to the next person.  Where possible we will try to accommodate request of days and spaces.  However, if this is not possible (when available spaces have been allocated) we will allocate as near as possible to the requested sessions.
  • Once the next reception year cohort waiting list has been exhausted we will allocate remaining spaces to children remaining on our waiting list in date of birth order, oldest first, regardless of when we received the application form or how long they have been on the waiting list.
  • We may, take into account, siblings who already attend the setting, where financially viable. 
  • We may prioritise children of Ladybirds employees, where the need arises for them to fulfil their contracted role.
  • Children residing in the Southampton Local Authority area at point of admission will be allocated spaces before children in other Local Authorities.
  • Older Children Ladybirds Preschools are registered to take children up to the age of 5. We do not guarantee spaces for children to continue in preschool when they have been given a due date for starting the school reception year.  However, in exceptional circumstances we may accept a child who could otherwise start Reception in September for up to a full-time position until their 5th birthday. This is entirely at the management’s discretion in consultation with parents and supporting professionals where appropriate. 
  • We have, an open-door policy for parents/carers wishing to visit the preschool, meaning that they are invited to visit at any time during a session, without prior appointment.  Upon visiting, to ensure our children’s security and safeguarding we require visitors to provide ID upon arrival. In addition, we require that mobile phones and recording devices are stored in the preschool office during the visit, or not brought into the setting.
  • July 2021 during COVID parents need to book appointments for the end of sessions and wear masks

 

Document ID-

Amber 4

Policy adopted at meeting – Oct 2017

Reviewed by : Ladybirds Directors

 

Date reviewed

 

 21/10/2019

 

Oct 2017

 15/10/2020

 Zoe and Diana

 Feb 2018

 

 July 2021

 

 

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