Introduction
These procedures serve to ensure that:
General
There are two ways in which parents may apply for a place at Gad’s Hill.
Either via the main entry points at Nursery (pre-school), Year 6, Year 7 (senior school). Entry at these ages involves a large number of applicants and therefore the admissions process for each is quite detailed and is described below. For entry to any other year group in which case admission will depend on there being vacancies and therefore will be a more ad-hoc process.
Applications Procedure
Admission Criteria
Children will be offered a place providing they meet school standards with regard to the following admission criteria:
Casual Admissions:
Procedures
Children may apply for admission to the school at any time and for any age group. If there are vacancies then their application will proceed. If there are no vacancies then they will be placed on the waiting list. When a vacancy does arise parents on the waiting list will be contacted in the following order:
The child will be assessed and providing he/she meets the schools' admission criteria will be offered a place. If he/she does not meet the criteria then the next candidate on the list will be invited forward and so on.
Group Admission Procedures
There are three key entry stages at the school. These are Nursery (KN), Year 6 (Removes) and Year 7 (Shell). These age groups attract a large number of applications and therefore the admission arrangements are more detailed.
KN Nursery (Pre-School)
Children commence nursery education in the September prior to their fourth birthday. Their education at this stage may be part time but must consist of at least 6 sessions per week to ensure sufficient curriculum material is covered. Fees are payable as if attending five full days per week. There is no remission of fees for children attending part time. There are a maximum of 20 places available and parents may register their child at any time from birth up until the start of the academic year of entry.
About eight months prior to admission the parents of those children who have registered will be invited to visit the school to enable the children to be assessed and for interview. Places are then allocated according to the assessment criteria in relation to ability, potential and suitability.
Parents who apply after that time will be asked to register and to visit the school for assessment and interview providing there are still places available.
The criteria for selection will be:
Notes:
Once the school has made an offer and the parents have signed and returned the acceptance form and paid the required deposit their child’s place is guaranteed.
It is not unusual for the Nursery to be “full” and no further places available six months or so prior to admission.
KR Reception
Children commence their formal, full time education at this stage and join the reception class in the September before their fifth birthday. There are a maximum of 20 places available and parents may apply for registration at anytime from birth up until the start of the autumn term of entry. Parents who apply for entry directly into the Reception class must accept that existing Nursery pupils have priority over external candidates in selection for the Reception class.
Children in the existing Nursery class (KN) will normally proceed into KR automatically. If there are places available the external candidates who meet the school’s admission criteria will then be offered a place in the Reception class and asked to confirm their acceptance by a published cut-off date. Places are then allocated on a first come first served basis up to that date.
Parents of pupils who are not existing Nursery pupils will be invited for interview and assessment if there are still places available. Should the places available become oversubscribed at any time in the process the criteria for selection will be:
Notes:
Once the school has made an offer and the parents have signed and returned the acceptance form and paid the required deposit their child’s place is guaranteed.
It is not unusual for the Reception class to be oversubscribed by existing nursery pupils.
