Rbc Primary Guide 15.10.9 v1

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STARTINGSCHOOL Admissions toPrimary Schoolsin Reading

Guide for Parents and Carers

September2010 – August2011



Any Questions? Contact the Admissions Team on (0118) 939 0550 or Email : [email protected] online at www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions

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CONTENTS

Admissions TeamEducation and Children’s Services

Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE

Tel: 0118 939 0550email: [email protected]

Fax: 0118 939 0782

1

2

3

8

10

18

20

22

24

29

38

46

63

65

66

70

72

73

74

Introduction

Timetable for Admissions

Explanation of Terms used in the Booklet

The Application Process

Admission to Primary School – Questions and Answers

Examples

Over-subscription Criteria – Reading Borough Council Community schools

Transfer from Infant to Junior School and In Year Admissions

How places have been allocated in 2007/8, 2008/9 and 2009/10

Designated Area Maps

List of Infant, Junior and Primary Schools in Reading Borough

Admission Policies for Voluntary Aided Schools in Reading

Early Years Education – Foundation Stage

Early Years Education – List of Reading Borough Council Nursery Schools

Other Information

Financial Assistance

Useful telephone numbers and contact details

Term Dates 2009-2010

Term Dates 2010-2011




Dear Parent/Carer

Starting primary school is an exciting time for children and their parents. It is also animportant time and I know that as a parent or carer you want to make an informed decisionabout the school that you would prefer your child to attend. The information in this bookletaims to help you through that process and in particular tells you how to make an applicationand what to consider when you are deciding which schools to list on the application form.

We are proud of all the schools in Reading and of what they offer. We believe that yourchild will be able to succeed at any of our schools. Schools all publish prospectuses, which

provide information about the school. There is other information available including Ofstedreports and performance tables, but there is no substitute for visiting the schools that youare interested in. By visiting the schools you will be able to gain a feel of what the school isseeking to achieve for its pupils and whether you think your child will be happy there. It isimportant to see the school as it is now and to see it for yourself and not to rely oncomments that may be about the past.

This booklet tries to provide all the information you will need, but this is an importantdecision and we want you to be sure that you have all the information you need to make it.If you have any other questions please contact the Admissions Team.

I wish your child every success and happiness in Reading’s schools.

Jon Hartley

Lead Councillor,Education and Lifelong Learning

1

INTRODUCTION

In Reading our vision is to create apositive and ambitious environment forchildren and young people so that they:

• are happy, healthy and safe and coping with change and challenge

• are enthusiastic and skilled learners

• value themselves and others



November 2009 Distribution of Application Packs. On-line service open.Friday 15 January 2010 Closing date. Apply by returning the paper application form or

apply online at www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions.

Friday 16 April 2010 Letters posted to parents.

Friday 30 April 2010 Deadline to accept the places at the allocated school.

Friday 30 April 2010 Deadline for lodging an appeal.

April 2010 – August 2011 Where a school has offered all its available places we will

operate a waiting list. If a place becomes available it will beoffered to the pupil who best fits the admissions criteria.

May 2010 – August 2010 Appeals – heard by independent panels set up by the relevantAdmission Authority.

Please note: you must apply for a school place at a Reading Borough Council school even if your child’s name is already on the ‘register of interest’ of a school, or your child attends thenursery class.

Any Questions? Contact the Admissions Team on (0118) 939 0550 or Email : [email protected] online at www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions 2

TIMETABLE FOR THE PRIMARYADMISSIONS PROCESS

When can children start school in a Reading Borough Councilprimary/infant school?*If your child was born between the 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2006 and is offered a place in a Reading Borough Council primary/infant school then they will be able to start full-time in September 2010. However, your child does not have to go to school until theterm following their fifth birthday. The table below sets out when your child must bereceiving full-time education.

Until your child reaches statutory school age, you can decide whether you want them to startfull-time school in September 2010, or whether to reserve the place offered and defer theiradmission to either January 2011 or April 2011. When you are offered a school place for yourchild you will have to tell us whether you want your child to start school in September 2010,

January 2011 or April 2011. It is not possible to hold a place at a school into another school yearso if your child does not have to go to school until September 2011 they will have to take uptheir place by April 2011. If you choose to wait until September 2011 you will have to re-applyfor a place in Year 1 and the school may be full.

Children born between

01.09.05—31.12.05

01.01.06—31.03.06

01.04.06—31.08.06

Statutory school age

January 2011

April 2011

September 2011



The terms, abbreviations and legal extractsthat we need to use in this guide maysometimes be difficult to understand bythose unfamiliar with the education system.We hope these explanations will help but, if you are unsure about anything in this bookplease telephone the School AdmissionsTeam on 0118 939 0550 for an explanation.

Admission AuthorityThe admission authority of a schooldetermines the admission policy for theschool. The admission authority forcommunity primary schools is ReadingBorough Council and the admissionauthority of a voluntary-aided school is theGoverning Body of the individual school.

Admission Number (AN)Every school has an Admission Number (AN).The AN is normally based on the number of classrooms and resource areas. The physicalcapacity of each school is measuredaccording to the DfES Statutory Guidance

Assessing the Net Capacity of Schools 2002.The AN represents the maximum number of places available in the year group which pupilsnormally enter on joining the school i.e.Reception Year in Infant and Primary Schools.Places must be offered up to this number.The Admission Number for each school isgiven in the information on schools later inthis guide. Please note that some AdmissionNumbers have changed since last year.

Children In CareThis is a child who is in the care of a localauthority or provided with accommodationby that authority; or in an arrangementsupported by the Local Authority.

Categories of maintained schools inReadingCommunity SchoolsThese schools are maintained fully by theLocal Authority (LA). The LA is theAdmission Authority and it is responsible fordetermining the admission arrangements andallocating school places.

Infant SchoolsThese schools cover the Reception to Year 2age groups. Children from these schools

would transfer to a Junior School or the Junior part of a Primary School to continuetheir education.

Junior SchoolsThese schools cover the Year 3 to Year 6 agegroups.

Primary SchoolsThese schools cover the Reception to Year 6age groups.

Voluntary Aided SchoolsManagement responsibility is shared withthe LA but the Church or Governing Bodyplay a greater role. The Governing Body isthe admission authority and agrees theadmission criteria which will normally bedifferent from those used by the LA.

Department for Children, Schoolsand Families (DCSF) formerly DfES)

The central government departmentresponsible for education and schools.

Designated AreaDesignated area (sometimes known as‘catchment area’) is a geographical area fromwhich children are given priority for admissionto a school as part of the oversubscriptioncriteria. This means that if there are moreapplications than places available childrenliving in the designated area of a school will

be given priority but it does not guaranteeadmission to that school. A place will beoffered if one is available in the appropriate year group and your child meets higher over-subscription criteria than other applicants. If you move into a designated area of a schoolafter your child has started school thenadmission to that school will only be possibleif there is a place available in the appropriate year group. Maps giving a guide to the

designated areas for those schools in Readingthat use them in their over-subscriptioncriteria are given on pages 29 to 37. More

3 Any Questions? Contact the Admissions Team on (0118) 939 0550 or Email : [email protected] online at www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions

EXPLANATION OF TERMS



detailed information on the designated areasin Reading is available from the school,Reading Central Library, The Civic Centre,Reading Borough Council’s websitewww.reading.gov.uk or from the AdmissionsTeam. Voluntary aided schools may also have

designated areas which may be parishes orother boundaries. The school will advise you.In the event of a dispute about the definitionof designated area, the maps held by ReadingBorough Council are regarded as definitive.

Please note there have been changes to thedesignated areas of The Hill Primary School,Oxford Road Primary School, Battle PrimarySchool, Ranikhet Primary School and WilsonPrimary School.

Foundation StageThe period of education from age three tofive is known as the Foundation Stage. Duringthe Foundation Stage children may be in arange of different educational establishments,including nursery schools, schools, privatenurseries, pre-schools, playgroups,independent schools, and some accreditedchildminders. The Foundation Stage finishesat the end of the Reception Year.

Extended SchoolsThe Extended Schools programme will, by2010, require all schools to be providing accessto a core offer of extended services including:

High quality wraparound childcare providedon the school site or through other localproviders, with supervised transferarrangements where appropriate, available8am – 6pm for 48 weeks of the year.

A varied menu of activities to be on offer,including homework clubs and study support,sport, music tuition, dance and drama, artsand crafts, special interest clubs such as chessand volunteering, business and enterpriseactivities.

Parenting support including informationsessions for parents at key transition points,parenting programmes run with the supportof other children’s services and family learningsessions to allow children to learn with theirparents.

Swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services, for children withidentified additional needs. Some may bedelivered on school sites. This will be linked tothe important work that will be taking placeon locality-based multi-professional teams.

Providing wider community access to ICT,sports and arts facilities including adultlearning.

Home AddressThe definition of home address for acommunity primary school is the permanenthome address of the child and itsparent(s)/carer(s). Temporary addresses usedsolely for admission to a school will not be

accepted.Applications for schools are processed on thebasis of the child’s single permanent homeaddress where they live with their parent(s) orcarer(s). Where the home address has changedfrom the address provided to the early yearsprovider or changes during the applicationprocess evidence regarding the new addressand disposal of the previous address through acontract of sale or change of tenancy

agreement may be required. A tenancyagreement must be for one year or more.Parents/carers will be asked to declare thatthe address used will be the child’s homeaddress beyond the 1 September 2010. Anychange of address after submitting theapplication must be notified to ReadingBorough Council. The Admission Team willcheck the records held by Reading BoroughCouncil Tax Department to confirm the homeaddress supplied. Reading Borough Council ontheir behalf reserve the right to carry outadditional investigations and seek additionalevidence of proof of address e.g child benefit,medical cards, driving licence. If a child spendspart of the week with parents at differentaddresses, the home address will be wherethey usually spend the majority of the schoolweek (Monday to Friday, including nights) witha parent. Where a family claims to be residentat more than one address, justification andevidence of the family’s circumstances (e.glegal separation) will be required. Temporary




addresses whilst retaining a permanent homein Reading will not be accepted. If a child doesnot live with a parent or legal carer i.e a singleparent family where the parent is ill and thechild lives with a grandparents for the majorityof the week a full explanation will need to besupplied together with supporting evidencefrom a professional supporting thefamily/child. The Admission Authority has theright to reject applications or withdraw aschool place based on fraudulent orintentionally misleading informationconcerning a child’s permanent home address.

There will be a right of appeal to anindependent appeal panel should this happen.The Admissions Team occasionally receivesinformation from members of the publicconcerning potential misleading or fraudulentapplications. Signed statements will berequired to support such allegations togetherwith supporting evidence in order that suchallegations can be investigated. The names of anyone supplying information will be withheldin accordance with the Council’s WhistleBlowing Policy which can be found on theCouncil’s website www.reading.gov.uk

Home School Agreement

When you accept a place at a school andbefore your child starts you and your childwill be asked to sign a Home SchoolAgreement. The Home School Agreementexplains the schools aims and values, theresponsibilities of both school and parentsand what the school expects of its pupils. TheDCSF in the White Paper – Building a 21stCentury School Parent Guarantee proposes tostrengthen the requirements of the HomeSchool Agreement. This will make sure thatevery parent is clear what theirresponsibilities are, especially over their child’sbehaviour. Schools will be able to enforce thenew Home School Agreement if children aredisruptive and parents are not fulfilling their

responsibilities. Copies of the ParentGuarantee can be obtained from the DCSF

websitewww.dcsf.gov.uk/21stcenturyschoolssystem/

Local Authority (LA)Reading Borough Council is the LocalAuthority (LA) responsible for maintainedschools in Reading.

National Curriculum TestsThese are national performance tests set bythe Qualifications and Curriculum Authority(QCA). Children at the end of Key Stage 2take statutory Standard Assessment Tests(SATs). The results of these tests are

published in the school’s prospectus or canbe obtained from the government atwww.direct.gov.uk/educationandlearning

National Curriculum Year GroupsThe National Curriculum is a programme of study laid down by law for all pupils aged 5to 16 in state maintained schools. It providesa balanced education for a child covering 11subjects overall, and divided into Key Stagesaccording to age.

Reception Foundation 4-5 years

Year 1 5-6 years

Year 2 6-7 years

Year 3 7-8 years

Year 4 8-9 years

Year 5 9-10 years

Year 6 10-11 years

NOR Stands for number on roll and meansnumber of children attending a school.

OfstedThis is the abbreviated name of the Office forStandards in Education, which is theGovernment Department responsible forinspecting and producing inspection reportson schools. Ofsted reports are available fromschools or from


Key Stage 1(Infants)

Key Stage 2(Juniors)




www.direct.gov.uk/educationandlearningor www.ofsted.gov.uk

Over-subscribed schoolsThis means that a school has moreapplications than there are places available.

Over-subscription criteriaThese policies decide which children will begiven priority if a school receives moreapplications than places available. The over-subscription criteria for community schoolscan be found on pages 20 and 22. Thecriteria for voluntary aided schools willdiffer and are listed on pages 46 to 61.

ParentThis includes all of those people, includingcarers, who have parental responsibility for achild as set out in the Children Act 1989.

Register of InterestThis is a register kept by schools of childrenwhose parents/carers are seeking a place atthe school or have expressed an interest in aplace at the school. Parents/carers may havecompleted a form for the school to beincluded on the register. This is not a formalapplication for a place and you must stillcomplete a Reading Borough Councilapplication form. Schools are not obliged tokeep these registers.

School ProfileThe school profile is an annual reportproduced by the Governing Body about theschool’s priorities, performance andprogress. It replaces the Governors’ AnnualReport. School Profiles can be found at:www.direct.gov.uk/educationandlearning

SiblingThe definition of sibling can vary but unlessotherwise stated by the admission authoritythe following definitions will be used. Siblingsare children who have either the samemother or father, or they are children wholive together in a family unit and with theirparent(s)/carer(s). Siblings must also live at thesame address as each other. If they do notlive at the same address, then they are not

treated as siblings.

For the purposes of the over-subscription

criteria siblings are children who will still beattending the school in September 2010.

The over-subscription criteria for communityschools (see pages 20 and 22), means thatchildren who do not live in the designatedarea of a school with a sibling(s) attending theschool in September 2010 are considered ascategory (5). There can be no guarantee thatwe will be able to offer a place at the schoolto any younger siblings, if the school is

oversubscribed.If a place is offered to a child who does notlive in the designated area of a school youshould be aware that any younger siblingsmay not get a place at this school.

Supplementary FormsSome schools need extra information to helpthem rank applications according to theirover-subscription criteria. You may need tocomplete a supplementary form if you wouldlike your child considered for a voluntaryaided school. These forms are available fromthe school, the Admissions Team, or bydownloading from the website:www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions

Supplementary forms should be returned tothe schools.

Straight-line distance (tie breaker)An admission authority may use radial or

straight-line distance from the home toschool as part of over-subscription criteria. Inmost cases this is used to tell the differencebetween applications when there are moreapplications, than places available, in the samecategory of the over-subscription criteria.This is called the tie-breaker. In Reading all theschools measure the straight-line distancefrom the home to the school using theOrdnance Survey data points of the homeand the school using computerised softwareof Reading Borough Council. Every addresshas a unique data point which is determined




by the properties Easting and Northing. Thispoint can be anywhere on the property. Thedistance created using this software iscalculated using Pythagoras’ Theorem andmay not be exactly the same as that createdwith a GIS product as the GIS product maybuild in a formula to allow for the curvatureof the earth. The way in which it is done is tocalculate the distance in metres between theEastings and Northings for each end pointthen multiply by 0.000621317 to convert tomiles. To see where the data point of yourhome has been identified you can go to

Reading Borough Council websitewww.reading.gov.uk and go to My Reading onthe right of the page. Enter the postcode andselect the address and an arrow will point tothe data point of the address. If you selectshow me the nearest primary school it willalso give a straight-line value using GIS, whichmay vary slightly from the method used forschool admissions as explained above.

Waiting Lists

After 16 April 2010 a ‘waiting list’ will beadministered if the school has moreapplicants than places available. A waiting listis always ranked according to the over-subscription criteria of the school and isnormally only made up of children whoseparents have not received an offer at a higherpreferred school. Changes of preference forover-subscribed schools will not be acceptedonto the waiting lists without an acceptedchange of circumstance until after the end of the routine admission round which is the 31August 2010. Late applications will be addedto the waiting list after the 3 May 2010. Whena place becomes available this will be offeredto the next child on the waiting list. Positionson the waiting lists may go up or down due toplaces becoming available or additional lateapplications. The waiting list will be retaineduntil the end of August 2011 after which

parents/carers must submit a new applicationfor a place in Year 1.

A child’s name will automatically be added tothe waiting lists. If however you are happy toaccept the allocated school you will have toopportunity to withdraw your child’s namefrom the waiting list(s) on the acceptanceform.




Reading Borough Council co-ordinate theadmission arrangements for all infant, andprimary schools including all voluntary aidedschools in Reading Borough Council. Each LAhas to publish information about theirarrangements for dealing with applicationsfor school places. School admissions aregoverned by legislation. This is explained inthe School Admissions Code, 2009. Theprocedures explained in this guide followthe these regulations.

The question and answer section of thisguide will help you with the admissionprocess.

If you want a place for your child in aReading school you must apply to ReadingBorough Council either by completing thepaper application form which came with thisguide or applying online by the closing dateof 15 January 2010to be considered for aplace as an on time applicant. If you areapplying for a voluntary aided school youmay need to complete a supplementaryform. You can get these from the schools,the Admissions Team or from our websitewww.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions .These forms should be returned to theappropriate school.

YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE.

• It is simple and convenient

• You can change your preferences at anytime until the closing date

• You will receive an email to confirm yourapplication has been submitted

• You will be able to print a copy of yourcompleted form for your records

• You will be able to see the result of yourapplication on 16 April 2010

Apply online atwww.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions

If you decide to complete the paperapplication form you can take it to one of your preferred schools or return it to theAdmissions Team.

It is important to note tha t ReadingBorough Council and none of the voluntaryaided schools in Reading give priority topreference. This means where parents/carersrank the school on the application form willnot be used to decide how places areallocated. Your application will be treatedequally for all your preferred schools.

If there are more applicants than placesavailable at a Reading Borough Councilcommunity school, places will be allocatedby using the over-subscription criteriapublished on page 20 of this guide.Voluntary aided schools will use their ownover-subscription criteria which are differentto those used by Reading Borough Counciland given on pages 46 to 61.

You will receive an offer of a place at one

school. How you rank your preferred schoolswill decide which school you will be offered,if there is a place available at more than oneof your preferred schools.

You will be informed of the result of yourapplication by letter sent on 16 April 2010.

If you want to apply for a school withinanother Local Authority (LA) you will needto apply to that LA. You should be aware

that other Local Authorities have differentclosing dates for receiving applications anddifferent timescales for dealing withapplications. The other LA will tell ReadingBorough Council which schools childrenliving in Reading Borough have been offered.If you also receive an offer of a school placefrom Reading you will be asked to decidewhich school place you will accept.

The telephone numbers of neighbouring LAs

are listed on page 72.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS




The following diagram show how we use the ranking on the application form to resolvemultiple offers and decide which school place will be offered.

Can school 1 beoffered?

Offer place atschool 1Yes

No Child’s name added to waiting list

Yes Offer place at school 4

Child’s name added to waiting list

Child’s name added to waiting list

No

No


Offer place atschool 2Yes



Offer place atschool 3

Reading Borough Council will normallyoffer a place at the nearest Readingschool to the home address with

vacancies.

Yes

No




Who should apply?

Parents and carers of children born between1st September 2005 and 31st August 2006.

What if I don’t want my child to startschool in September 2010?

Your child does not have to start school inSeptember 2010. However, you must applyfor a place by the 15 January 2010. Once youhave secured a place at a school it is possibleto delay your child starting school until they

become statutory school age. (See table onPage 2). This is known as deferring entry. If you decide to defer, the school is requiredto reserve your child’s place until the end of the Reception year or statutory school age,whichever is earliest.

If you are considering deferring your child’splace it is recommended you discuss thiswith your child’s nursery and the schoolallocated.

When is the closing date for applications?

The closing date for applications is Friday 15 January 2010.

Where should I return my completedapplication form?

If you have completed a paper applicationform you should return this either to one of your preferred schools or to the AdmissionsTeam :Admissions Team, Education & Children’sServices, Reading Borough Council,Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 7AE.Please check all sides of the form arecompleted and that the form is signed anddated. If you prefer you can also applyonline atwww.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions. If you decide to apply online remember tosubmit your application before the closingdate.

How will I know if the Admissions Team

has received my form?The Admissions Team will write to let youknow that your form has been received. Youshould receive the letter within three weeksof returning the form.

If you apply online you will receive an emailto confirm that you have registered. Theemail will give you a password to let you goback to your application.

What happens if my application is receivedafter the closing date?

Your application must be returned by 15 January 2010. Places are not reserved forthose who, for whatever reason, apply late.This rule applies even if you already have asibling at your chosen school.

Applications received after the closing datewill not be considered for over-subscribedschools until after the first round of placeallocations has been completed on 30 April2010.

Sometimes there is a good reason for a lateapplication such as illness preventing a singleparent/carer returning the form on time or afamily move to the area. If these applicationsare received by 5 February 2010 and aresupported by either the medicalprofessional involved in the case ordocumentary evidence to confirm the familymove, then these applications will be treatedas on-time applications.

What happens if I move house?

Applications can only be processed on thebasis of the chil d’s current address. Placesat over-subscribed schools cannot bereserved for children moving into the area.

If you move house after the closing date

but before 5 February 2010 and you canprovide documentary evidence i.e lettingagreement valid for a year or a house

SOME COMMON QUESTIONSAND ANSWERS




purchase completion date showing that youwill be resident by 5 February 2010 thenthat address will be used for the allocationof places. If you move after 5 February 2010and your application is for an over-subscribed school then your child’s namewill be added to the waiting list after 2 May2010 according to the over-subscriptioncriteria.

How do I get information about schools?

We strongly advise you to visit and see for yourself the quality of education on offer inReading schools. The external appearance of a school can be misleading, and thereputation of a particular school may notaccurately reflect what it is currently like. Byvisiting a school yo u can meet theheadteacher and staff, and in many cases thepupils as well. Most schools can arrangeindividual visits, but please make anappointment, as schools are busy places. You

should obtain a prospectus from the schoolwhich will give details about the:

• school’s aims and objectives;• curriculum offered;• achievements and attainments;• attendance figures;• out of school activities;• information on policies, such as behaviour

and discipline.

The following government website can give you some of the above information:http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk

I have already registered my child at theschool, do I still need to apply for a place?

Yes, you must apply for a school place toReading Borough Council even if your child’s

name is on the ‘Register of Interest’ of aschool.

My child attends the Nur sery class at aschool. Do I still need to apply for a placeat the school?

Yes. If your child is attending a Nursery classat a school you must still apply for a place toReading Borough Council by 15 January 2010.

Is my child guaranteed a place at theschool if they attend the Nursery class atthe school?

No. If your child has a place in a nurseryclass of a school, they are not guaranteed aplace at the school. If the school is over-subscribed then the admission criteria of theschool will be used to decide who will beoffered a place.

What if I do not live in Reading?

You may still apply for a place at a Readingschool and your application will beconsidered under the same criteria asReading Borough children. These criteriamay be different from those of your ownLA. If your application for schools inReading is not successful we will not offer analternative school. You should apply toReading Borough Council either using apaper application form or apply online.

Am I able to choose which school my childwill attend?All parents/carers can express a preferencefor the school they wish their child toattend, and if places are available the childwill be admitted. However, each school has alimited number of places available andtherefore requests for admission are subjectto availability. The Admission Number foreach school is given in the informationabout the individual schools. If there aremore applications than places available, theschool is over-subscribed and the published




over-subscription criteria are used to decidewhich children will be offered a place. Thelaw does not guarantee a place at apreferred school, and does not requireschools to expand to meet increaseddemand. Your choice could affect your rightto assistance with transport. Please see thesection on financial assistance with transporton page 70.

Will I get a place at my preferred schools?

Most parents/carers, who submitapplications before the closing date, areoffered a place at one of their preferredschools. However it is not always possible tomeet all the requests for places at particularschools. Your chances of being offered aplace may depend on a number of factorssuch as the number of people who apply,where you live, whether you have childrenalready at the school, the number of placesavailable and for some voluntary aidedschools, appropriate church links.We are unable to offer any of yourpreferences a place will be offered at thenearest Reading Borough Council communityschool with a place.

Details on how places have been allocated atcommunity schools for the academic year2007/8, 2008/9 and 2009/10 are given onpages 25 to 28. This information is provided

as a guide to help you assess the possibilitiesof obtaining a place. However, you need tobe aware that demand for places andparental preference can vary from year to year and it is not possible to anticipate this.

Where a place is refused, there is a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel. Seepage 15 of this guide for further information.

Will my child get a place at the sameschool as their sibling(s)?

The majority of children are able to go tothe same school as their sibling(s). However,if a community school is over-subscribedsiblings will be considered according to theover-subscription criteria (see pages 20 and22). Applications will be considered in thefollowing ways.

Applications from parents/carers who havenamed the school and have an older child atthe school in September 2010 and:

live in the designated area of the schoolwill be category (3), a high criteria foradmission.

or do not live in the designated area of theschool but whose older child was admittedto the school because they were unable togain a place at the designated area schoolbecause it was ove r-subscribed will beconsidered as category (3) in the same wayas above.

or Whose older sibling will still be attendingthe school in September 2010 and thehome address is the same as when thesibling was admitted to the school andthat address was in the designated area of the school at the time the sibling wasadmitted to the school

or do not live in the designated area of aschool will be category (5) of the over-subscription criteria and it will depend onthe level of over-subscription. In previousallocation years it has not always beenpossible to offer places to children insome schools in this category. Please seethe allocation of places on pages 25 to 28.

Voluntary aided schools will consider siblingsaccording to their admission policies as setout on pages 46 to 62.




Does living in the designated area of aschool guarantee I will get a place for mychild at that school?

Children living in the designated area of aschool are given priority for admission but itdoes not guarantee admission. It will dependon the number of applicants from thedesignated area. If there are more applicantsfrom the designated area than placesavailable a place will only be offered if yourchild meets higher over-subscription criteriathan other applicants. In the past CavershamPrimary School, Emmer Green PrimarySchool, Newtown Primary School andRedlands Primary School have been unableto admit all applicants from their designatedarea and places have been allocated usingthe tiebreaker. More information about howplaces were offered in these schools can befound on the schools pages 25 to 28.

Do I have to put my designated area school

as a preference?No: However, if you do not list yourdesignated area school your child will not beconsidered for a place at that school. Livingin the designated area of a school does notguarantee admissions to that school neitherdoes it mean you must send your child tothat school. This means places will not bereserved at your designated area school youmust apply for it. If you do not list your

designated area school as a preference andthe places at that school are all allocatedthere will not be a place available at theschool if it not possible to offer a place atany of your preferred schools. You may thenbe offered a place at a school some distancefrom your home. It is recommended that you consider listing your designated areaschool as one of your preferences even if that is the fourth preference to ensure your

child is considered for your designated areaschool.

How will my application be considered if my home is in the designated area of twoschools?

You must list both schools as a preference if you would like your child considered forboth schools and your application for bothschools will be ranked as category 4 of theover-subscription criteria as described onpage 20 of this guide. If it is possible tooffer a place at both schools it will theschool you rank highest that will be offeredfor your child. If it is possible to offer aplace at one school then you will receive anoffer at that school if it is your highestranked school with a place available. If youlist one of the schools your application willonly be considered for that school. It doesnot however guarantee that your child willget a place at either school.

What if I want my child to attend a churchschool?

There are different types of schools withdifferent church affiliations. The criteria foradmission may be different. Details of theadmission arrangements for each of theseschools start on page 46. You will need tocomplete the School Supplementary formto enable the school to rank yourapplication correctly.

Is there a limit to the number of childrenadmitted to infant classes?

Yes, classes where the majority of childrenare in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 agegroups, must not exceed a ratio of 30children to one teacher. This is set out in theSchools Standards and Framework Act 1998and the Education (Infant Class Sizes)(England) Regulations 1998.

Some schools, because of the sizes of theirclassrooms or the school’s internalorganisation, may have a single teacher in




classes with fewer than 30 children. Theclass size limits do not mean that schoolshave to admit up to 30 children per class.Class size regulations can also affect the wayan admission appeal is dealt with.

Are places allocated on a first come, firstserved basis?

No. However parents should be aware thatthe first round of allocations only considersthose applications received by the closingdate of 15 January 2010.

Can I change my preference aftercompleting the application form?

If you change your mind before the closingdate of 15 January 2010 and you appliedonline you can change your preferences byreturning to your application via the website.If you completed a paper application form you must write or email the admissions teamto let us know your changed preferences.

If you change your mind after the closingdate and before the 5 February becausethere has been a change of circumstancesthen you must contact the admissions teamstating your reasons for the change. Thechange of preference will only be acceptedif there are good reasons i.e you have movedhome.

If there are no changes to yourcircumstances then a change of preferencewill only be considered after the 3 May 2010and up to the 31 August 2010 after all the ontime applications for your preferred schoolshave been allocated. After the 31 August2010 you can request a place at analternative school and your application willbe added to the waiting list of over-

subscribed schools and ranked according to

the over-subscription criteria.

When will I be told if I have been allocateda place at my preferred school?

Letters will be sent by post on Friday 16April 2009. You should reply by Friday 30April 2010 to accept the place offered. If youdo not return the acceptance form by thisdate then we will be unable to guarantee your child a place at the offered school.Places that become available in this way atover-subscribed schools may be re-allocated.

The acceptance form will also ask you to letus know which term you want your child to

start school.

What can I do if I am not offered a place atmy preferred school(s)?

If you are not offered a place at yourpreferred school(s) you may:• appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel

against the decision to refuse a place; and • accept the alternative place offered;

• ask about the availability of places atother Reading schools.

• keep your child’s name on the waitinglist - see below.

Will my child’s name be added to a ‘waitinglist’?After the 16 April 2010 the Admissions Teamwill automatically add children to the‘waiting list’ of the highest ranked preferredschool(s) at which it had not been possibleto offer a place. Waiting lists will be rankedaccording to the over-subscription criteria.After 3 May 2010 positions on the lists maychange due to late applicants accepted onthe lists who meet higher admission criteriaas set out on pages 20 and 22. The Code of Practice clearly states that waiting listsmust be ranked in accordance with the

over-subscription criteria. The length of time on the list cannot be taken into




account. Reading Borough Council will notkeep waiting lists for reception classes after31 August 2011.

Can I appeal if I am not offered a place atmy preferred school(s)?

Yes, if you are not offered a place at yourpreferred school(s) you have 14 days (10working days) to lodge any appeals. Appealsshould be submitted by 30 April 2010.

If your appeal is not submitted by this date

then we cannot guarantee that your appealwill be heard with other appeals for thatschool.

Appeals for community schools in Readingwill be heard by a panel independent of theLocal Authority convened by theCommittee Administration section of Reading Borough Council.

You can co ntact the Clerk to the AppealPanel at:

Clerk to the Appeal PanelLower Ground Floor, Civic Centre, ReadingRG1 7AE

Tel: 0118 939 0532 Fax: 0118 939 0591

or download an appeal form from ReadingBorough Council’s web-sitewww.reading.gov.uk/educationandlearning

Appeal arrangements for voluntary-aidedschools vary. Details about these can befound on pages 46 to 61.

What is class size prejudice?

The Government has set a legal limit on thenumber of infant children who can betaught in a class with a single teacher. Classsize prejudice occurs where an infant class

has more than 30 children with a singleteacher.

The legal limit of no more than 30 pupilswith a single qualified teacher in infantclasses of 5, 6 and 7 year olds means thatan admission authority can refuse to admita child to a school where to do so wouldcause “class size prejudice”. This meansthat, if another child were to be admitted,it would take the class number over thestatutory limit of 30. If an infant class hasmore than 30 children, the school will haveto take what are known as “qualifyingmeasures” so they do not break the law. Inorder to comply with the law, and have an

infant class of more than 30, the Schoolmust employ a second teacher for theclass.

Does this affect my right to appeal for aplace at my preferred school?

No you still have a legal right of appeal.However, where the admission authorityhas refused your child a place and state

that the class has already reached thestatutory limit for infant class sizes, thedecision making process for the appealpanel to follow is different to otherappeals. The Government has greatlyrestricted the reasons on which an appealpanel can allow an appeal where theadmission authority shows class sizeprejudice would apply.

Firstly, the admission authority must

demonstrate to the appeal panel that thestatutory limit has already been reachedand demonstrate the qualifying measuresthat would have to be taken if anotherchild were to be admitted (in order tocomply with the statu tory limit).

Secondly, if the appeal panel believes thatadmitting your child would cause “class sizeprejudice” it can only allow an appeal whereit is satisfied that either:

a) the child would have been offered a placeif the admission arrangements had been




properly implemented; and/or

b) the decision to refuse admission was not

one which a reasonable admissionauthority would have made in thecircumstances of the case.

In order to allow your appeal because yourchild was refused a place in error, you mustbe able to show that the admissionauthority made a mistake with yourapplication and if it had dealt with itproperly you would have been given a placeat the school.

In deciding whether you would have beenoffered a place at the school, the appealpanel takes into account the informationthat was available to the admissionauthority at the time when it made itsdecision, or evidence which would havebeen available to the admission authority if it had acted reasonably. The panel cannottake into account fresh material, which wasnot available at the time the admission

authority decided whether your child couldbe offered a place unless it establishes thefactual basis for their claim that thearrangements had not been properlyimplemented.

In order to allow your appeal because thedecision to refuse was unreasonable, theappeal panel must decide whether theadmission authority’s decision was onewhich a reasonable admission authoritywould have made in the circumstances of the c ase. In these circumstances“unreasonable” means:

(i) Beyond the range of responses open to areasonable decision maker; or

(ii) a decision which is so outrageous in itsdefiance of logic or of accepted moralstandards that no sensible person whohad applied his mind to the question

could have arrived at it.The Council has administered 70 admission

appeals for entry to infant classes for theacademic year starting in September 2008where the appeal panel has found class sizeprejudice would occur if another child wereto be admitted to the class. None of theseappeals were successful.

Can I appeal for more than one school?

Yes, you can appeal for any number of schools.

Can I appeal more than once?

No, not unless your circumstances change.Parents/Carers can make a fresh appeal in anew school year but there is not a furtherright of appeal for the same child to thesame school in the same school year. Theonly exception to this is where there is amaterial and significant change in thecircumstances of either the parent/carer orchild which is relevant to a furtherapplication. Full written evidence must besupplied before it is decided whether toallow another appeal.

A material and significant change of circumstances includes:

• the family has moved house;• the child being taken into local authority

care;• the child becoming seriously ill;• one or both of the parents/carers

becoming seriously ill.




Can I get help with an appeal?

Yes. The Parent Partnership Service can offer

choice advise for parents regarding schooladmissions and support parents with anappeal. More information about this servicecan be obtained from

Avril Verity –Parent Partn ership S ervice 0118 939 9821

Email: [email protected]

www.parentpartnership-reading.org/

• ACE (Advisory Centre for Education) is anindependent charity that provides freeadvice to parents on education matttersincluding school admissions and schooladmission appeals.General advice line:

0808 800 5793

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/

• Department for Children and Families

–Parents Centre has so me advice on theirwebsite

http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/educationandlearning/

Can the offer of a place be withdrawn?

Yes. Any place is offered on the basis thatthe information you provide is correct andup to date on 16 April 2010. If you giveincorrect or intentionally misleadinginformation Reading Borough Council maywithdraw the offer of a place. The address

you give MUST be your child’s (see homeaddresses on page 4) permanent homeaddress. If you give an incorrect address ordo not update us with changes and weoffer a place on the basis of that address,then the offer of the place may bewithdrawn.

If you decide to go on an extended holiday you must inform the Admissions Team orthe school that you will be deferring youchild’s admissions to a later date. If you failto do this and your child does not attendschool when expected the place may bewithdrawn after 20 school days.




Example 1

An application is received with the followingpreferences

1. A West Berkshire School2. Park Lane Primary School

3. The English Martyrs’ CatholicPrimary School

Primary school admissions are notcoordinated across Local Authorityborders and parents need to apply on aWest Berkshire application form for aplace in a West Berkshire School.Therefore, the first preference will not beconsidered by Reading Borough Council.The application for Park Lane PrimarySchool will be considered according to thepublished admission criteria of ReadingBorough Council. As The English Martyrs’Catholic School is a voluntary-aidedschool the application will be consideredby the Governing Body of that schoolaccording to their admission criteria. Inthis case it is possible to offer a place atPark Lane Primary School and theGoverning Body of The English Martyrs’Catholic School are also able to offer aplace. The coordinated admissions schemedetermines that parents/carers will onlyreceive one offer of a school place inReading. In this case Park Lane PrimarySchool was ranked as the higherpreference by the parents/carers and thisschool will be offered on the 16 April 2010.If West Berkshire also offers a place thenthey will inform Reading Borough Counciland the parents/carers will be asked which

school they will accept.

Example 2

An application is received for a child wholives in the designated area of AlfredSutton Primary School and theparents/carers put the followingpreferences on the application form

1. Redlands Primary School2. St John’s CE Primary School3. Alfred Sutton Primary School

The preference for Redlands PrimarySchool has been made because the childis attending the Nursery Class at RedlandsPrimary School. Unfortunately there aremore applications than places available atthis school and it is not possible to offer

places to children below category (4).As attendance at the nursery does notgive priority for admission to the schoolthis application is category (6).

St John’s Church of England School is avoluntary aided school and the GoverningBody consider this application but theyare unable to offer a place because theyare over-subscribed and this application isin the lowest category of their over-subscription criteria and a place cannot beoffered.

Although Alfred Sutton Primary School isoversubscribed all applications areconsidered equally and no consideration isgiven to the fact that the school wasranked 3rd. It is possible to offer places tochildren living in the designated area(category 4) and this child is offered aplace at Alfred Sutton Primary School.

EXAMPLESThe following scenarios are examples of some situations, which may happen or where similarsituations have happened in the past. These examples refer to the over-subscription criteria onpages 20 and 22. Details on how applications for Reading community schools have been allocated in

2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 can be found on pages 25 to 28. However, we should emphasise thatevery year the demand for places and parental preferences vary and it is not possible to anticipatewhich schools will be over-subscribed. If you have any queries please contact the Admissions Team.




Example 3

An application is received for a child who lives in the designated area of Caversham ParkPrimary School and the parents/carers put the following preferences on their application

1. Caversham Primary School 2. St Martin’s Catholic Primary School

3. Caversham Park Primary SchoolThe application for Caversham Primary School is category (6) of the over-subscriptioncriteria. It is not possibl e to offer a place at Caversham Primary School because this schoolis over-subscribed and it is only possible to offer places to higher category applications.Although St Martin’s Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed they are able to offer aplace because the child is a baptised Catholic and lives in the Parish of St Michael’s and istherefore high on the school’s oversubscription criteria. Caversham Park Primary School isalso over-subscribed but Reading Borough Council no longer take preference into accountand this application is considered as category (4). In this case the number of applications inthis category does not exceed the number of places available and a place can be allocated

to this child.As St Martin’s Catholic Primary School is ranked higher by the parents on their applicationReading Borough Council will offer a place at that school.

Example 4

This scenario is based on an application for a child living in the designated area of Caversham Primary who does not have a sibling at the school. The preferences listed areas follows:

1. Caversham Primary School 2. Emmer Green Primary School

3. The Hill Primary School

There are more applications than places available at Caversham Primary School so theover-subscription criteria is applied. Unfortunately it is not possible to offer places to allchildren living in the designated area (Category 4) so the tie-breaker is used to decidewhich children, in this category, will be offered a place. Applications in category (4) areranked according to the straight-line distance from the child’s home and the school. It isnot possible to offer a place at Caversham Primary School because the home address isfurther away, by the straight-line distance, than other applicants in this category. The

application for a place at Emmer Green Primary School and The Hill Primary School isconsidered on an equal preference basis but these two schools are also over-subscribedand the places are offered to applicants who better met the over-subscription criteria.

This means it is not possible to offer a place at any of the preferred schools andconsequently a place is offered at Thameside Primary School which is the nearest schoolto the home address with a place available.

This example shows that living in the designated area of a school does not guarantee aplace at that school. The School Admission Code 2009 states that an admission authoritymust not guarantee places for children living in the designated area, in case the pattern of preferences expressed does not allow this guarantee to be met.




The oversubscription criteria take noaccount of the parents’/carers’ order of preference and applications for each schoolnamed by the parents/carers will be rankedaccording to the criteria set out below:

Admission information on school websitesor in prospectuses may not reflect thecurrent admission policy of the ReadingBorough Council. Reading Borough Council isthe admission authority for communityprimary schools and the policy in this guideand on the Reading Borough Council’swebsite will be used to allocate schoolplaces.

Entry to primary/infant schools:

Category

Children with a statement of special

educational needs that names the schoolwill be allocated a place above all otherapplicants.

1)Children in the care of a local authority.

2) Children who have strong medical orsocial grounds for admissi on (see definitionof medical or social grounds below)

3) Children whose permanent home addressis in the designated area of the school and

have a sibling(s) who will still be attendingthe school in September 2010 or

Children living in the former designated areaof the school who have older sibling(s) whowill still be attending the school inSeptember 2010 if they are still living at thesame address as they were when the siblingwas admitted to the school, and the siblingwas admitted before the designated areawas changed or they were admitted under

this rule orChildren who have older sibling(s) who will

still be attending the school in September2010 because it was not possible to admitthe sibling to their designated area schooland the parents/carers had named theschool as a preference

4) Children whose permanent home addressis in the designated area of the school

5) Children whose permanent home address

is not in the designated area of the schoolbut have a sibling(s) who will still beattending the school in September 2010.

6) Other applicants

Entry to junior schools:

Category

Children with a statement of specialeducational needs that names the schoolwill be allocated a place above all otherapplicants.

1)Children in the care of a local authority.

2) Children who have strong medical orsocial grounds for admission (see definitionof medical or social grounds below)

3) Children whose permanent home addressis in the designated area of the school andhave a sibling(s) who will still be attending

the school in September 2010 orChildren living in the former designated areaof the school who have older sibling(s) w howill still be attending the school inSeptember 2010, if they are still living at thesame address as they were when the siblingwas admitted to the school, and the siblingwas admitted before the designated areawas changed or they were admitted underthis rule or

Children who have sibling(s) who will still beattending the school in September 2010

OVER-SUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA FOR READING BOROUGH COUNCILCOMMUNITY SCHOOLS




because it was not possible to admit thesibling to their designated area school andthe parents/carers had named the school asa preference

4) Children whose permanent home addressis in the designated area of the school

5) Children whose home address is not inthe designated area of the school but have asibling(s) who will still be attending theschool in September 2010

6) Children who are attending an infantschool that has formal links with the juniorschool. As below:

Geoffrey Field Infant School

Geoffrey Field Junior School

Whitley Park Infant School

Whitley Park Junior School

7) Other applicants

DefinitionsHome addressSee page 4.

Medical Social ReasonsChildren with a chronic medical conditionor strong social grounds which is fullysupported by written confirmation fromthe professional person involved in thecase, and which states the named schoolshould be attended for these medical orsocial reasons. It is not enough for theprofessional to report what theparent/carer told them. Children withidentified special educational needs willnot be considered under this category asthey will be assessed by the regulations inthe Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001.

SiblingsSiblings are children who have either the

same mother or father, or they are childrenwho live together in a family unit and withtheir parent/carer(s). Siblings must also liveat the same address as each other. If theydo not live at the same address, then theyare not treated as siblings.

In the case of linked infant and juniorschools (Geoffrey Field Infant/Junior andWhitley Park Infant/Junior schools) theapplication for these schools will be

treated as either criteria 3 or 5 if the child’ssibling will be at either of the two schoolsin September 2010.

Tie-breakerIf a school does not have enough places forall applicants in a particular category, placeswill be allocated to those living nearest theschool. Distance is measured on thestraight line between Ordnance Survey datapoints for the home address and the schoolusing Reading Borough Council digitalmapping software. See page 6.

Multiple Births (Twins, Triplets etc)Our policy for school admissions is thatplaces are offered according to theoversubscription criteria. In the event thatit is not possible to offer a place to asibling in this category we would work withthe children's parents/carers to find the

best solution for them and for theirchildren. Issues to take into account wouldbe the possibility that another place mightbecome available and class size regulations.




The DCSF School Admission Code 2009requires the local authority to co-ordinateadmissions to schools for September 2010.Reading Borough Council must thereforemanage the transfer arrangements centrallyfor children moving from infant to junior

school. The following timetable will befollowed.

Children transferring from All Saints Churchof England Infant School, Geoffrey FieldInfant School and Whitley Park InfantSchool

• By 23 October 2009. Parents/carers whosechild is due to transfer from an InfantSchool in Reading will be sent a ReadingBorough Council application pack.

• By 18 December 2009 parents/carersshould complete the application form andreturn it to the Admissions Team.

• Places at Whitley Park Junior School andGeoffrey Field Junior School will beallocated up to the published admi ssionnumber. If the number of applicationsexceeds the places available they will beranked according to Reading BoroughCouncil’s published over-subscriptioncriteria.

• Requests for places at other schools inReading will depend on the number of places available in that school in Year 2 in

January 2010. If there are moreapplications than places then theapplications will be ranked according to

the over-subscription criteria of theschool.

• If parents/carers list schools in other localauthorities then Reading Borough Councilwill co-ordinate the process with theappropriate local authority. However, youshould be aware that the allocation dayfor these applications may be later. You

may be offered a place in a Readingschool and if you have ranked anotherlocal authority school higher and a placecan be offered you will receive anotheroffer later. Please refer to the appropriatelocal authority guide for informationabout the infant to junior transferarrangements.

• By 27 February lists of children offeredplaces will be sent to schools.

• On 12 March 2010 offer letters for placesin Reading schools will be sent toparents/carers living in Reading.

• By Friday 26 March 2010 parents/carersmust return the acceptance form toreserve a place at the school forSeptember 2010.

The number of places available at bothGeoffrey Field Junior School and WhitleyPark Junior School match or are higher thanthe number of children in the linked infantschool. We do not,therefore, anticipatethat there will be problems accommodatingchildren in the linked junior school.

TRANSFER FROM INFANT TO

JUNIOR SCHOOL AND IN YEAR ADMISSIONS



Will my child automatically transfer frominfant to junior school?

Not necessarily. Infant schools are usuallylinked to junior schools. Many parents/carersassume their child will automatically move tothe linked junior school but this is not alwaysthe case. If there are more applicants thanplaces the admissions criteria will apply asset out on page 22. You can express apreference for another school. In either case

you have a right of appeal if your preferenceis not met. In recent years it has beenpossible for all children to move to the

linked junior school.What if I want to change my child’s primaryschool?

In general continuity is important for achild’s education and unnecessary changes of school can be disruptive. However,occasionally a change of school needs to beconsidered. Before doing this you should talkto your child’s current headteacher.

The same admissions policy and criteriaapply to children moving between schools asto those starting for the first time, andadmission will depend on the availability of places and the admission criteria of theschool.

You may not withdraw a child from oneschool before you have made satisfactoryarrangements for him or her to be admittedto another school.

What if I move house during my child’sprimary education?

Admissions to schools in Years 1 to Year 6admission round are called ‘In Yearadmissions’. These admissions are not part of the centralised admissions process andHeadteachers have been authorised toarrange the entry of pupils for whom there isa place. Parents/Carers can get advice aboutthe schools in Reading from the AdmissionsTeam or contact the individual schools toget information on the availability of places.

If you move out of a school’s designated areaand you keep your child at that school youneed to consider the implications for younger siblings living outside thedesignated areas. There can be no guaranteethat we will be able to offer a place at theschool to younger siblings, if the school isover-subscribed in that year.

I am fro m overseas, is my child entitled to aschool place?

A child from overseas with a right to live inthe UK has the same right to be admitted toa maintained school as any other child. Thisdoes not apply where the stay is so shortthat it would not be practical for the child toattend the school; for example on holiday orfor a short stay of less than six months.






The following tables provide information onthe number of places allocated at primaryschools and if these schools were over-subscribed which categories of the over-subscription criteria were used to allocatethe places. The over-subscription criteria canbe found on pages 20 - 22 of this guide.Sometimes it is necessary to split a categoryof the over-subscription criteria. In thesecircumstances we use the tie-breaker of straight line distance between the home andschool. The last distance from the school of the last place offered on that basis is inbrackets in the table.

This information is given as a guide to helpparents assess the realistic possibilities of obtaining a place at a school. However thedemand for places and parental preferencecan vary from year to year and it is notpossible to anticipate significant changes indemand and parental preference for future years. Please note the over-subscriptioncriteria has changed for 2010 and thedescriptions on the following tables relate toprevious over-subscription.

A guide for parents/carers of the designatedareas of each primary school is given asmaps on pages 29 to 36 of this Guide. If yourequire more details on designated areas ordistances f rom schools please contact theAdmissions Team.

As admissions to schools can vary fromyear to year parents/carers need to takethis into account if their preferredschool(s) is not their designated areaschool if they have younger children. Therecan be no guarantee that we will be able tooffer places to any younger siblings, if theschool is over-subscribed in that year.

ALLOCATION OF PLACES ATREADING BOROUGH COUNCILCOMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOLSFOR THE ACADEMIC YEARS2007/8, 2008/9 AND 2009/10





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SCHOOL

Alfred Sutton Primary School148 Wokingham RoadReading RG6 1JR Phone: (0118) 937 5411Fax: (0118) 937 5410

All Saints Church of EnglandInfant SchoolBrownlow RoadReading RG1 6NPPhone: (0118) 937 5413Fax: (0118) 937 5414Admission arrangements page 46

Battle Primary SchoolCranbury RoadReading RG30 2TDPhone: (0118) 937 5421Fax: (0118) 937 5423

Caversham Park Primary SchoolQueenswayCaversham Park VillageReading RG4 6RPPhone: (0118) 937 5433Fax: (0118) 937 5432

HEADTEACHER

Mrs V Preston

Mrs L Phillips

Mrs S Parish

Miss G. Ray

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 2000Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 378Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time place sBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 3000Voluntary Aided InfantAdmission Number: 20NOR May 2009: 56Breakfast Club: Yes b

After School Club: Yes b

DfES NO: 2001Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 398Nursery class: Yes – 60 part time placesBreakfast Club: Yes

After School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2233Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 201Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

LIST OF INFANT, JUNIOR ANDPRIMARY SCHOOLS IN READINGBOROUGH(including Admission Numbers for the 2010/2011 academic year)

* Off site provision run by Reading Borough Council child care service on behalf of the school and is within walkingdistance (up to 1 mile).

b Off site provision run by an external provider on behalf of the school – children are either picked up by mini busor walked to the site




SCHOOL

Caversham Primary SchoolHemdean RoadCavershamReading RG4 7RAPhone: (0118) 937 5454Fax: (0118) 937 5456

Christ the King CatholicPrimary SchoolLulworth RoadReading RG2 8LXPhone: (0118) 937 5434Fax: (0118) 937 5435Admissions arrangements page 49

Churchend Primary SchoolUsk RoadTilehurstReading RG30 4HPPhone: (0118) 937 5450Fax: (0118) 937 5452

Coley Primary SchoolWolseley StreetReading RG1 6AZPhone: (0118) 937 5461Fax: (0118) 937 5462

Emmer Green Primary SchoolGrove RoadEmmer GreenReading RG4 8LNPhone: (0118) 937 5464Fax: (0118) 937 5593

KEY INFORMATION


DfES NO: 3305Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 45NOR May 2009: 327Nursery class: Yes – 52 Part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2031Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 241Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time places

Breakfast Club: Yes*After School Club: Yes b

DfES NO: 2005Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 171Nursery class: Yes – 60 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2026Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 404Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

HEADTEACHER

Mrs C Tomkins(new Headteacherfrom January 2010)

Mr J Cosgrove

Mrs K Dethridge

Mrs V Powell

Ms T Crossman(Acting Head)




SCHOOL

English Martyrs Catholic PrimarySchoolDee RoadReading RG30 4BE

Phone: (0118) 937 5466Fax: (0118) 937 5467Admission arrangements page 50

E P Collier Primary SchoolRoss RoadReading RG1 8DZPhone: (0118) 937 5470Fax: (0118) 937 5472

Geoffrey Field Infant SchoolExbourne RoadReading RG2 8RHPhone: (0118) 937 5473Fax: (0118) 937 5474

Geoffrey Field Junior SchoolExbourne RoadReading RG2 8RHPhone: (0118) 937 5475Fax: (0118) 937 5479

George Palmer Primary School70 Northumberland AvenueReading RG2 7PPPhone: (0118) 937 5481Fax: (0118) 937 5482

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 3304Voluntary Aided Primary

Admission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 329Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2006Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 174Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

DfES NO: 2008Community InfantAdmission Number: 70NOR May 2009: 196Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time places

Breakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2007Community JuniorAdmission Number: 90NOR May 2009: 258Breakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2255Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 342Nursery class: Yes – 78 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes

HEADTEACHER

Mr J Carroll

Justine McMinn

Ms S E Farrow

Mr C L Clare

Mrs A Snowdon






SCHOOL

Katesgrove Primary SchoolDorothy StreetReading RG1 2NLPhone: (0118) 937 5490Fax: (0118) 937 5492

Manor Primary School110 Ashampstead RoadReading RG30 3LJPhone: (0118) 937 5494Fax: (0118) 937 5496

Micklands Primary SchoolMicklands RoadCavershamReading RG4 6LUPhone: (0118) 937 5500Fax: (0118) 937 5499

Moorlands Primary SchoolChurch End LaneReading RG30 4UNPhone: (0118) 937 5505Fax: (0118) 937 5504

New Christ ChurchChurch of England PrimarySchoolMilman RoadReading RG2 0AYPhone: (0118) 937 5437Fax: (0118) 937 5438Admission arrangements page 52

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 2226Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2008: 270Nursery class: Yes – 78 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2253Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 45NOR May 2009: 279Nursery class: Yes – 78 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes*

DfES NO: 2234Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 264Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: No

After School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2034Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 381Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time placesBreakfast Club: Yes b

After School Club: Yes b

DfES NO: 2254Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 144Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*

HEADTEACHER

Mr J Telling

Mrs F Swain

Mrs J Archer

Mrs S Singh

Ms M Soulsby






SCHOOL

New Town Primary SchoolSchool TerraceReading RG1 3LSPhone: (0118) 937 5509Fax: (0118) 937 5510

Oxford Road Primary School146 Oxford RoadReading RG1 7PJPhone: (0118) 937 5511Fax: (0118) 937 5513

Park Lane Primary SchoolSchool RoadTilehurstReading RG31 5BDPhone: (0118) 937 5515Fax: (0118) 937 5516

Please note: The Laurels is partof Park Lane Primary SchoolPhone: (0118) 937 5518

Ranikhet Primary SchoolSpey RoadReading RG30 4EDPhone: (0118) 937 5520Fax: (0118) 937 5522

Redlands Primary SchoolLydford RoadReading RG1 5QHPhone: (0118) 937 5527Fax: (0118) 937 5528

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 2014Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30

NOR May 2009: 223Nursery class: Yes - 52 part time placesYes – 104 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2016Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 198Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes*


Infant Annex – The Laurels

DfES NO: 2248Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 161Nursery class: Yes – 78 part time placesBreakfast Club: Yes - Extended SchoolAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2018Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 211

Nursery class: Yes – 40 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

HEADTEACHER

MissLinda Sujeewon

Ms K Salter

Mrs N L Browne

Miss S N’Jai

Mrs K J Forster

and Ms S Bergson

*(reduced from previous years)




SCHOOL

Southcote Primary SchoolSilchester RoadReading RG30 3EJPhone: (0118) 937 5533Fax: (0118) 937 5535

St. Anne’s Catholic PrimarySchoolWashington RoadReading RG4 5AAPhone: (0118) 937 5537

Fax: (0118) 937 5538Admission arrangements page 54

St. John’s Church of EnglandPrimary School (Aided)121-147 Orts RoadReading RG1 3JNPhone: (0118) 937 5540Fax: (0118) 937 5541Admission arrangements page 56

St. Martin’s Catholic PrimarySchoolPendennis AvenueCaversham Park VillageReading RG4 6SSPhone: (0118) 937 5544Fax: (0118) 937 5544Admission arrangements page 58

St. Mary’s & All Saints CEPrimary SchoolWensley RoadReading RG1 6DUPhone: (0118) 937 5545Fax: (0118) 937 5546Admission arrangements page 60

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 2027Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 345Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes *

DfES NO: 3302Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 30

NOR May 2009: 207Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

DfES NO: 3300Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 38NOR May 2009: 252Nursery class: Yes – 60 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 3360Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 20NOR May 2009: 141

Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

DfES NO: 3301Voluntary Aided PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 353Nursery class: Yes

Breakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes*

HEADTEACHER

Mrs L Telling

Mrs K Nash

Mrs A Brackstone

Mrs M Cosgrove

Mr R Howell




SCHOOL

St. Michael’s Primary SchoolDee RoadTilehurstReading RG30 4ASPhone: (0118) 937 5550Fax: (0118) 937 5549

Thameside Primary SchoolHarley RoadCavershamReading RG4 8DBPhone: (0118) 937 5551

Fax: (0118) 937 5552

The Hill Primary SchoolPeppard RoadCavershamReading RG4 8TUPhone: (0118) 937 5560Fax: (0118) 937 5559

The Ridgeway Primary SchoolWillow GardensReading RG2 7ELPhone: (0118) 937 5530Fax: (0118) 937 5531

Upcroft Primary SchoolNorcot RoadReading RG30 6BSPhone: (0118) 937 5562Fax: (0118) 937 5563

KEY INFORMATION

DfES NO: 2029Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 209Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

DfES NO: 2036Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 291

Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes* b

DfES NO: 2019Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 413Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2020Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 30NOR May 2009: 166Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: No

Df ES NO: 2040Community PrimaryAdmission Number: 60NOR May 2009: 125Nursery class: NoBreakfast Club: Yes*After School Club: No

HEADTEACHER

Mr M R Byrne

Mrs H Wallace

Mrs D Cox

Mrs J Parkes

Miss C Weait






SCHOOL

Whitley Park Infant and NurserySchoolBasingstoke RoadReading RG2 0JAPhone: (0118) 937 5566Fax: (0118) 937 5198

Whitley Park Junior SchoolBasingstoke RoadReading RG2 0JAPhone: (0118) 937 5570Fax: (0118) 937 5569

Wilson Primary SchoolWilson RoadR eading RG30 2RW

Phone: (0118) 937 5573Fax: (0118) 937 5575

KEY INFORMATION

DfES No: 2023Community InfantAdmission Number: 90NOR May 2009: 220Nursery class: Yes – 156 part time placesBreakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2022Community JuniorAdmission Number: 90NOR May 2009: 259Breakfast Club: NoAfter School Club: Yes

DfES NO: 2024Community Primary

Admission Number: 30*NOR May 2009: 198Nursery class: Yes – 52 part time placesBreakfast Club: YesAfter School Club: Yes

HEADTEACHER

Mrs A Tanner

Ms AHigginbotham

Ms M Galway





Over-subscribed Voluntary Aided Schools in Reading Borough Council 2009/2010 Admissions

The following voluntary-aided schools in Reading were over-subscribed and places have beenallocated according to the published admission policy of the school's Governing Body asoutlined on the appropriate page of the Guide for Parents and Carers. Where it has not beenpossible to offer places to all children in one category the tie-breaker has been applied. Thelast distance offered is in brackets and is measured in miles.

Waiting list will operate for these schools and names will automatically be added to the list.If you wish to appeal the contact information is given below.

These schools will need more information about your child so they can rank yourapplication correctly against the schools’ over-subscription criteria. It is, therefore,advisable to complete the school’s supplementary form as well as Reading BoroughCouncil’s application form otherwise the school will not have all the information theyneed about your child. The forms are available from the schools and should be returnedto the appropriate school by the closing date of 15 January 2010.


ALL SAINTS CHURCH OF ENGLANDINFANT SCHOOL

The Admission Number is 20

Admissions criteria

In the event of there being a greater demandfor admission than there are places available,then children with a Statement of SpecialEducational Need have priority and willalways be admitted. Once places have beenoffered to these children, the following

criteria or rules will be applied in the orderset out below.

i Looked after children.

ii A child who is a habitual worshipper (note7) at All Saints church, Downshire Square.

iii A child with a sibling (Note 3) already inattendance at All Saints Infants School atthe time of entry to the school.

iv A child who is a habitual worshipper(note7) of any faith with a normal home

ADMISSION POLICIES FOR VOLUNTARY AIDED SCHOOLS 2010/11




address (see Note 4) in the EcclesiasticalParishes of All Saints Downshire Square,St Marks Reading, Holy Trinity Readingand Tylehurst St George. A map of thecatchment area is available in the schoolofficeThis will need to be supported by

evidence from the appropriate Ministeror Leader of religion

v. A child with a normal home address (seeNote 4) in the Ecclesiastical Parishes of AllSaints Downshire Square, St MarksReading, Holy Trinity Reading andTylehurst St George. A map of thecatchment area is available in the schooloffice

vi. Children with exceptional medical needs,supported by written evidence, normallygiven by an independent medical officer,a doctor, a social worker or otherappropriate person (see also note 5). Thisshould set out the particular reasons whythe school is the most suitable one andthe difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school.

vii.Children with exceptional social needs,supported by written evidence, normallygiven by a social worker, EducationWelfare Officer or other appropriateperson (see also note 5). This should setout the particular reasons why the schoolis the most suitable one and thedifficulties that would be caused if thechild had to attend another school.

viii. Proximity of the child’s home to the

school, as measured by straight linedistance (see also Note 6), with thoseliving nearer being accorded the higherpriority.Proximity of the child’s home, asmeasured by straight line distance withthose living nearer being accorded the

higher priority, will also serve todifferentiate between pupils in criteria 1to 6 should the need arise.

Note 1:

A parent is any person who has parentalresponsibility for or is the legal guardian of the child. ‘Family members’ include onlyparents as defined above and siblings.

Note 2:By a “looked-after” child, we mean one inPublic Care, for whom there is an agreementbetween a designated officer acting asCorporate Parent, and a designated officerof the LA that the school will moreappropriately meet the child’s needs.

Note 3:

Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister,stepbrother or sister, or the child of theparent/carer’s partner where the child forwhom the school place is sought is living inthe same family unit at the same address asthat sibling.

Note 4:

by normal home address, we mean yourchild’s home address. This is your child’s

address at the time you make yourapplication for a place. We regard a child’shome address to be where he or she spendsthe majority of the school week (Monday toFriday, including nights). We may ask to seeofficial docum entation, such as a childbenefit book or medical card if there arereasons why a child does not live at his orher parent’s address. For example, if he orshe is living with a grandparent, you need totell us this on the application form. If youdo not declare any arrangements like this oruse a relative’s address for your application,we may consider that you have made a falsedeclaration and withdraw the offer of aplace. Childcare arrangements are notsufficient reason for listing another address.The school reserves the right to check thevalidity of any address given, by asking forevidence such as inclusion on the ElectoralRoll, or a recent Council Tax or utilities bill,confirming your name and address. If youare not sure whether or not you live in the




Ecclesiastical Parishes of All SaintsDownshire Square, St Marks Reading, HolyTrinity Reading and Tylehurst St George , youcan ask the school to check this for you and you can ask for a written response. If youare moving into the catchment area, we will

ask for evidence of your move, beforeconsidering any application for a place. Weneed to know that you will be resident inthe catchment area on 1 September 2010. If you move later we will still need evidencebefore considering an application. Typicalevidence is a letter from your solicitorconfirming that you have a legally bindingagreement to buy the house or a formallease agreement for at least 12 months. This

policy complies with all relevant legislationincluding on infant class size and on equalopportunities.

Note 5:

the Governing Body reserves the right toseek further information on the exceptionalmedical or social needs from appropriateprofessionals in the form of a written report.

Note 6:

the shortest appropriate route will bemeasured by the Reading Borough Council’sGeographical Information System using theOrdinance Survey data point of the homeand the school

Note 7:

a habitual worshipper is defined as attendingmeetings or services at a place of worship atleast once a month in the year prior to the

date of application.All other admissions

Late applications will be only consideredafter all those received by the closing dateunless good reason can be demonstrated forthe late application. Admission to other yeargroups at the school or to the FoundationYear, once offers of places have been made,depends on whether or not there are places

available in the appropriate year group. All year groups have 20 places. Information on

the availability of places and applicationforms can be obtained by contacting theAdmissions Secretary at the school. Yourapplication will be referred to the AdmissionCommittee of the Governing Body. If thereis a vacancy, and there is no child on the

waiting list for the relevant year group with ahigher priority according to the oversubscription criteria, a place will be offered.It should be noted that the only way that aplace can be offered once the admissionnumber of 20 is reached for any year group,except in exceptional circumstances, is byappealing to an independent panel arrangedby the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.

Waiting Lists

The waiting list for children in thefoundation stage is maintained by ReadingBorough Council and will be maintained forone term. The position on the waiting list isdetermined according to the over-subscription criteria i-vi above, and does notdepend on the date on which an applicationis received. No account is taken of length of time on a waiting list. Applications for placesin Years 1 and 2 are placed on a waiting listoperated by the school and places areallocated in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Multiple births

In cases where there is one place available,and the next child on the list is a twin,triplet, etc., the following rule will apply:

i) We would offer only one child a place.This would be allocated at random in thepresence of an adjudicator. You couldalso ask for your children to be offeredplaces together at another school thathas space.

Appeals

Parents/carers have the right to appeal to anindependent appeal panel and the appealwill be considered according to theregulations set out in the DCSF SchoolAppeals Code 2008. How to appeal will be




explained to parents in the letter, whichinforms them it is not possible to offer aplace. They will also be informed why it wasnot possible to offer a place.

For further information, in the first instance,please contact the Admissions Secretary atthe school. Contact details are as follows:

Address The Admissions Secretary

CHRIST THE KING CATHOLICPRIMARY SCHOOL

The Admission Number is 45

If there are more applications than placesavailable then they will be prioritisedaccording to the following criteria.

Children with a statement of specialeducational needs in which the statementnames Christ the King school will takepriority over all other applicants

1. Children in care of a Local Authority

2. Children who are baptised into theCatholic faith.

3. Children who have siblings in the schoolat the time of admission.

4. Other applicants

Multiple Births (Twins, Triplets etc)

Our policy for school admissions is thatplaces are offered according to the

oversubscription criteria. In the event that itis not possible to offer a place to a sibling inthis category we would work with thechildren's parents/carers to find the bestsolution for them and for their children.Issues to take into account would be thepossibility that another place might becomeavailable and class size regulations.

Tie-Break Criteria

If there is over subscription in any of theabove categories the Governing Body willgive priority to those living closest to the

school. This will be determined by theshortest straight line distance measuredfrom the data point of the home and theschool using Reading Borough Council’sdigital mapping service.

Waiting list

A waiting list will be held by ReadingBorough Council until the end of August2011. The list will be ranked according to theover-subscription criteria above and willinclude any late applications. Thereforechildren can move up and down the waiting

list.Admissions to other year groups

Applications for admissions to other yeargroups will be considered by the GoverningBody. If there are vacancies in the yeargroup then a place will be offered. If thereare more applications than places availablethen the over-subscription criteria abovewill be applied. Children without a school

place will take precedence over childrenattending another school. Parents will havethe right of appeal. The Governing Body,will adhere to Reading Borough Council’sagreed In-Year Fair Access Protocol.

Documentation/Evidence Required inSupport of Application

Parents applying for a place in the schoolunder criteria 2 will be asked to show theschool a copy of their child’s baptismalcertificate.

Definition of terms

Home

The child’s home means the child’s normalhome address and is the child’s permanentaddress at the time of the application. Thisis regarded as being where the child spendsthe majority of the school week fromSunday night to Thursday night. In caseswhere a child has a split residencearrangement between the homes of two




parents, the home will be where the childsleeps for most of the nights betweenSunday and Thursday.

Sibling –

- A brother or sister sharing the sameparents

- Half-brother or sister, where two childrenshare one common parent

- Step-brother or step sister, where twochildren are related by a parent’s marriage

- Adopted or fostered children

Children in Care –

This is a child who is in the care of a LocalAuthority or provided with accommodationby that authority, or in an arrangementsupported by the Local Authority.

Meaning of Parent

S576 Education Act 1996

A parent in relation to a child or youngperson, includes any person who is not aparent but has parental responsibility for achild or who has care of a child.

Right of Appeal

Parents have a right of appeal against thedecision of the Governing Body to refuseentry to the school.

Parents who wish to appeal against thisdecision may appeal to an independentappeals panel. Information on thisprocedure is available from The Clerk to theAppeals Panel, Civic Centre, Reading RG17TD. Telephone 0118 939 0532.

THE ENGLISH MARTYRS’ CATHOLICPRIMARY SCHOOL

Our Mission is to build a community basedon the love of Jesus in which everyone canflourish spiritually, morally andacademically.

“There is a variety of gifts but the same Spirit givesthem. There are different ways of serving but the

same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God who gives ability

to all for their particular service. The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person for

the good of all.” 1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 7

The Admission Number is 60Should there be more applications thanplaces available the Governing Body willoffer places, up to the published admissionsnumber, in the following category order:

Categories

1. Baptised Catholic children in the care of a Local Authority

2. Baptised Catholic siblings of childrenattending English Martyrs School at thetime of the proposed admission of theapplicant.

3. Baptised Catholic children from familiesworshipping at the Catholic Churches of The English Martyrs, St Joseph, St Jamesor St William of York and living within thePastoral Area of Central and WestReading.

4. Baptised Catholic children from familieswho live and/or worship outside thePastoral Area of Central and W estReading.

5. Other baptised Catholic children.

6. Other children in the care of a LocalAuthority

7. Other siblings of children attendingEnglish Martyrs School at the time of theproposed admission of the applicant.




8. Children with a baptised Catholicparent/carer.

9. Other Christian children.

10. Children from other religious faiths.

11. Other applicants.

Waiting ListA waiting list will be maintained by theSchool for at least one term in the academic year of admi ssion. Children will be ranked inthe same order as in the publishedoversubscription criteria.

OversubscriptionPriority in any oversubscribed category willbe given to those children living nearest theSchool. Distance will be measured in astraight line from the front door of thechild’s home address (including flats) to themain entrance of the School using ReadingBorough Council’s digital mapping softwarewhich works using Ordnance Survey data

points for the home address and school.

Explanatory NotesCatholic: A Catholic is a baptised member of a church in communion with the See of Rome.

Children with a Statement of SpecialEducational NeedThe SEN and Disability legislation prevents a

school discriminating in its decisions onadmissions on the grounds that a child has adisability. Children with a S tatement of Special Educational Need that name thisschool will automatically be admitted to theschool and will count towards the admissionnumber.

SiblingSibling refers to brother or sister, half

brother or sister, adopted brother or sister,or the child of the parent/carer’s partnerwhere the child for whom the school place

is sought is living in the same family unit atthe same address as that sibling.

Home AddressWhere a child lives with parents with sharedresponsibility each part of the week, thehome address will be considered as theaddress of the person whose name is on thechild benefit notification.

Other ChristiansMembership of a Church Community whichis part of the “Churches Together inEngland”.

Pastoral Area of Central and West Reading:Comprises the Parishes of English Martyrs, St Joseph, St James and St William of York.

Worshipping“Worshipping” as used in this Policy refers tochildren of families who are active membersof their Parish community (categories 3 and

4 only).

Documentation /Evidence required insupport of application

Proof of residence All Categories

Child’s Baptismal certificate Categories 1,2, 3, 4 and 5

Completion of box B of the Categories 3supplementary information and 4formParent’s Baptismal certificate Category 8

Right of Appeal

In accordance with the 1998 SchoolStandards and Framework Act as amendedby the 2006 Education and Inspections Act,parents/carers have the right to appealagainst the decision of the Governing Bodyin refusing to admit their child. Informationon the appeal procedure, and appeal form, is




available from The Clerk to the AppealsPanel, Civic Centre, Reading RG1 7TD.Telephone No: 0118 9390368. The completed

form is to be sent to the Local Authority by24 April 2009.

Mid-Term Applications for all Year Groups:Applications to all years will be dealt with bythe Governing Body Admissions Committee,which meets on a regular basis.Parents/Carers are advised to contact theschool to arrange a visit and an applicationform will need to be completed. The

Admissions Policy will be followed in allrespects when considering such applications.

NEW CHRIST CHURCH CHURCH OFENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Admission Number for Reception is 30

In the event of there being a greaterdemand for admission than there are placesavailable, then children with a Statement of Special Need naming New Christ Church CESchool have the highest priority and willalways be admitted to the School. Onceplaces have been offered to these children,the following criteria will be applied, in theorder set out below:

1 A ‘looked after’ child who is in LA care

2 A child with a sibling already in the schoolin the year in which they enter and whohas a normal home address (see Note 1)within the ecclesiastical parish of ChristChurch, Reading.

3 A child with a normal home address (seeNote 1) within the ecclesiastical parish of Christ Church, Reading.

4 A child with a sibling (see Note 2) alreadyin the school in the year in which theyenter.

5 Denominational preference for a Church

of England School, supported byevidence that a parent (see Note 3) hasbeen a regular worshipper (on at least one

occasion in each of the calendar monthsin the previous calendar year precedingthe date of the application) at ChristChurch, Reading (See Note 4).

6 Denominational preference for a Churchof England School, supported byevidence that a parent has been a regularworshipper (on at least one occasion ineach of the calendar months in the

previous calendar year preceding the dateof the application) at a Church of EnglandChurch (see Note 4).

7 Denominational preference for a Churchof England School, supported byevidence that a parent has been a regularworshipper (on at least one occasion ineach of the calendar months in theprevious calendar year preceding the dateof the application) at any other ChristianChurch that is a member of ChurchesTogether in Britain and Ireland(see Note 4).

8 Other children whose parents express apreference for an Inclusive Church of England school ethos, as expressed in ourmission statement:

We, at New Christ Church School, are alarge ‘family’ of children and adults

supporting one another.

In partnership with the Parish of Christ Church and t he co mmunity we celebrate

our long history and achievements and strive for excellence in all that we do.

Together we aim to provide a nurturingenvironment, based on Christian values,

where all individuals are treated withfairness, respect and equality

Proximity of a child’s home, as measured bythe shortest straight line distance between




the school and the child’s home, with thoseliving nearer being accorded the higherpriority, will serve to differentiate betweenpupils in criteria 1 - 7 should the need arise.These distances are measured using ReadingBorough Council’s digital mapping software,which measures from the Ordnance Surveydata point of the home to the data point of the school. Where two distances haveexactly the same measurements, places willbe allocated using the process of drawinglots.

Fair Access Protocol

Governors will adhere to the Local AuthorityFair Access Protocol.

All other admissions

At the time of determination (March 2009):Late applications will be only consideredafter all those received by the closing dateunless good reason can be demonstrated forthe late application.

Admission to other year groups at theschool or to the Reception Year, once offersof places have been made, depends onwhether or not there are places available inthe appropriate year group. Information onthe availability of places and applicationforms can be obtained by contacting theschool. Your application will be referred tothe Admission Committee of the GoverningBody. If there is a vacancy, and there is no

other application for admission to therelevant year group with a higher priorityaccording to the over subscription criteria, aplace will be offered.

It is expected that further guidance will bepublished in January 2010 regarding othertypes of admissions; this policy will besubject to any amendments as a result of these changes.

AppealsThere are established arrangements for

appeals against non-admission. Details areavailable from the school. It should benoted that, in the event of an unsuccessfulappeal against non-admission to the school,the school does not consider any furtherapplication in the same school year (1September – 31 August), unless there hasbeen a material change in circumstances,for example a change of address.

Waiting List

The waiting list for children in thefoundation stage (Year R) is maintained by

Reading Borough Council. The position onthe waiting list is determined according tothe over-subscription criteria above, anddoes not depend on the date on which anapplication is received. No account is takenof length of time on a waiting list.

The school does not maintain a waiting listfor those children who are not offered aplace in Years 1-6, although parents mayregister their interest in the school for theirchild; registering interest does notguarantee a child a place within the school.

This policy was devised with reference tostatutory regulations and in consultationwith the Diocese of Oxford, ReadingBorough Council and other interestedAdmissions Authorities.

Note 1:

By normal home address, we mean yourchild’s home address. This is your child’spermanent address at the time you make

your application for a place. It is where youand your child live. We regard a child’shome address to be where he or shespends the majority of the school week(Monday to Friday, including nights). Wemay ask to see official documentation, suchas a child benefit book or medical card if there are reasons why a child does not liveat his or her parent/carers’ address. Forexample, if he or she is resident with a






authority (looked-after children) orprovided with accommodation by them(e.g. children with foster parents) (Section

22 of the Children Act 1989).

2. Baptised Catholic children living withinthe Parish of Our Lady and St Anne whohave a brother or sister (see Note 3below) in the school at the time of admission.

3. Baptised Catholic children living withinthe Parish of Our Lady and St Anne.

4. Other Baptised Catholic children whohave a brother or sister in the school atthe time of admission. (see Note 5 below)

5. Other Baptised Catholic children.

6. Non-Catholic children who are in the careof a local authority (looked after children)or provided with accommodation bythem (e.g. children with foster parents)(Section 22 of the Children Act 1989).

7. Non-Catholic children who have abrother or sister in the school at the timeof admission. (see Note 5 below)

8. Other Non-Catholic children.

Over-subscription

If there is over-subscription within acategory, the Governors will give priority tochildren living closest to the school

determined by shortest distance. Distancesare calculated using Reading BoroughCouncil’s digital mapping software on thebasis of a straight-line measurementbetween the data point of the applicant’shome address and the data point of theschool. The Ordnance Survey supplies theco-ordinates that are used to plot the homeand school data points within this system(See Note 4).

In a very small number of cases it may not

be a ble to decide between the applicants of those pupils who qualify for a place, whenapplying the published admission criteria.

For example, this may occur when children inthe same year group live at the sameaddress, or where there are twins / triplets

etc, or if the distance between the homeand school is exactly the same, for example,blocks of flats. If there is no other way of separating the applicati on according to theadmissions criteria and to admit both or allof the children would cause the legal limit tobe exceeded, the local authority, on behalf of the governing body, will randomly selectthe child to be offered the final place bydrawing lots.

Note 1

Children with a Statement of SpecialEducational Needs that names the schoolmust be admitted. This will reduce thenumber of places available to otherapplicants.

Note 2

In all categories, for a child to be consideredas a Catholic, evidence of Catholic Baptismor Reception into the Church will berequired. For a definition of a BaptisedCatholic see the Appendix. Those who facedifficulties in producing written evidence of baptism should contact their Parish Priest.

Note 3

The definition of a brother or sister is:

• A brother or sister sharing the sameparents;

• Half-brother or half-sister, where twochildren share one common parent;

• Step-brother or step-sister, where twochildren are related by a parent’s marriage;

• Adopted or fostered children.

The children must be living permanently inthe same household.

Note 4

The home address of a pupil is considered tobe the permanent residence of a child. Theaddress must be the child’s only or mainresidence for the majority of the schoolweek. Documentary evidence may berequired. Where care is split equally between




mother and father, parents must namewhich address is to be used for the purposeof allocating a school place

Note 5

The offer of a place to any child does notguarantee the admission of brothers andsisters in the future.

Appeals

Parents who wish to appeal against thedecision of the Governors to refuse theirchild a place in the school may apply inwriting toThe Clerk to the Appeal PanelCivic CentreReadingRG1 7TD (0118) 939 0368

Appeals will be heard by an independentpanel.

Repeat Applications

Unless there are significant and materialchanges in the circumstances of a parent’sapplication for their child or the school, thegovernors will not consid er a repeatapplication in the same academic year.

Waiting Lists

Waiting lists for admission will remain openuntil the end of the autumn term and willthen be discarded. Parents may apply fortheir child’s name to be reinstated. Thewaiting list will be kept in admission criteriaorder.

Applications other than the normal intakeinto reception class

An application should be made to the localauthority which will need to consult withthe governors.

ST JOHN’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND(AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Admission Number 38Admissions Criteria

We, at St. John’s, as a Church of England School, aim to provide a happy, secureenvironment which reflects the principles of the Christian faith, thus helping to developchildren’s spiritual growth and moralunderstanding, within a sound educationalframework.

By so doing we hope to:• Develop children’s self-esteem and self-

worth.

• Develop each child’s academic potential.

• Develop in each child curiosity and anenthusiasm to learn.

We believe in the strength of goodhome/school partnerships and are aware of the need to be sensitive to our communitywith its rich cultural diversity.

Children with a statement of specialeducational needs that names St John’s CE(Aided) Primary School will always beadmitted.

1. Children who are in the care of a localauthority (called ‘looked-after children’ – or‘children in care’).

The following criterion will then apply,however priority within each criterion willbe given to children, or parents with whomthe child resides, with very exceptionalmedical reasons, supported by writtenevidence, given by an independent medicalofficer or other appropriate person statingwhy the school is the most suitable and thedifficulties that would be caused bytravelling to another school.

2. A child who normally lives in the samefamily home as his or her brother/sister,half brother/sister, or foster






Late Applications

Any applications received after the LA’s

closing date for children coming into theFoundation Stage 2 Year will be ranked inorder, dependant on our Admissions criteriaand should a place become available duringthe year, an offer will be made from the LA.

Unsuccessful Applications

If the Governors are unable to offer a child aplace at St John’s, the parent/carers will beoffered the opportunity for the school toretain their child’s name on a Register of

Interest until the end of the academic year.The order of priority on the Register of interest is the same as the list of criteria forover-subscription. No account is taken of the length of time on the Register of Interest. Your child’s name on the Registerof Interest does not guarantee a place in theSchool. The school periodically seeksconfirmation that parent/carers wish a childto be kept on the Register of Interest.

AppealsThere are established arrangements forappeals against non-admission. Details areavailable from the school. It should be notedthat, in the event of an unsuccessful appeal,the school does not consider any furtherapplications in the same school year (1September - 31 August), except if there is amajor change in circumstances, e.g. changeof address.

ST MARTIN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARYSCHOOL

The School’s Admission Number is 20Admission Criteria

The ethos of St Martin’s School is Catholicand it was built primarily to serve thefamilies of St Michael’s Parish in SonningCommon. The school is conducted by its governing body as part of the CatholicChurch in accordance with its Trust Deed and Instrument of Government and seeksat all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ.We ask all parents applying for a place hereto respect this ethos and its importance tothe school community. This does not affect the right of parents who are not of the faith of this school to a pply for and beconsidered for a place here.

If the number of applications exceeds theadmission number, the governors will givepriority to applications in accordance withthe criteria listed, provided that thegovernors are made aware of thatapplication before decisions on admissionsare made (see Note 1 below).

1. Baptised Catholic children (see Note 2below) who are in the care of a localauthority (looked-after children) orprovided with accommodation by them(e.g. children with foster parents) (Section22 of the Children Act 1989)

2. Baptised Catholic children living withinthe Parish of St Michael who have abrother or sister (see Note 3 below) inthe school at the time of admission

3. Baptised Catholic children living withinthe Parish of St Michael

4. Other Baptised Catholic children whohave a brother or sister in the school atthe time of admission




5. Other Baptised Catholic children

6. Non-Catholic children who are in the careof a local authority (looked-afterchildren) or provided withaccommodation by them (e.g. childrenwith foster parents) (Section 22 of theChildren Act 1989)

7. Non-Catholic children who have abrother or sister in the school at the timeof admission

8. Non-Catholic children

Over-Subscription

If there is over-subscription within thecategory, the Governors will give priority tochildren living closest to the schooldetermined by shortest distance. Distancesare calculated on the basis of a straight-linemeasurement between the applicant’s homeaddress and the school. The local authority

uses a computerised system, which measuresall distances in metres. Ordnance Surveysupplies the co-ordinates that are used toplot the data points within this system (SeeNote 4).

In a very small number of cases it may notbe possible to decide between theapplicants of those pupils who are qualifiersfor a place, when applying the publishedadmission criteria.

For example, this may occ ur when children inthe same year group live at the sameaddress, or where there are twins, or if thedistance between the home and school isexactly the same, for example, blocks of flats. If there is no other way of separatingthe application according to the admissionscriteria and to admit both or all of thechildren would cause the legal limit to beexceeded, the local authority, on behalf of

the governing body, will randomly select thechild to be offered the final place bydrawing lots.

Note 1

Children with a Statement of Special

Educational Needs that names the schoolmust be admitted. This will reduce thenumber of places available to otherapplicants.

Note 2

In all categories, for a child to be consideredas a Catholic, evidence of Catholic Baptismor Reception into the Church will berequired. Failure to comply with this willmean the child will be ranked as a non-

Catholic for the purposes of the application.For a definition of a Baptised Catholic seethe Appendix. Those who face difficulties inproducing written evidence of baptismshould contact their Parish Priest.

Note 3

The definition of a brother or sister is:

• A brother or sister sharing the sameparents;

• Half-brother or half-sister, where twochildren share one common parent;

• Step-brother or step-sister, where twochildren are related by a parent’s marriage;

• Adopted or fostered children.

The children must be living permanently inthe same household

Note 4

The home address of a pupil is considered tobe the permanent residence of a child. Theaddress must be the child’s only or mainresidence for the majority of the schoolweek. Documenta ry evidence may berequired ie council tax bill or child benefitdocuments.

Where care is split equally between motherand father, parents must name whichaddress is to be used for the purpose of allocating a school place.




ST MARY AND ALL SAINTS CHURCHOF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Admission Number 60The Over-Subscription Criteria

The Governors hope that parents who seek admission for their children will support theschool’s welcoming and inclusive Christianethos. The school respects the right of parents to request in writing that their children are withdrawn from CollectiveWorship and Religious Education, in whichcase, alternative supervision will be made.The Governors and Staff place a high valueon our Collective Worship and ReligiousEducation which celebrates the life and work of our school community. However,no account will be taken of a child’s faithor those with none, in the school’sorganisation.

NB A child with a statement of SpecialEducational Needs naming the school,will always be admitted.

When the agreed number of applications foradmission (admission number – 60) agreedwith Reading Borough Council is exceededthe following criteria will apply in order:

The Admission Criteria

1. A child looked after by the LA (i.e. a childwho is in the care of the LA as set out in

s.22 of the Children Act 1989) is givenpriority over all other applicants.

1A.The children of a parent who candemonstrate that he/she has attended aset act of worship at All Saints Church onat least one occasion each calendarmonth in the 12 months prior to placesbeing allocated in March preceding theterm that their child would be statutorilyadmitted. :

1B. The children of a parent w ho candemonstrate that he/she has attended aset act of worship at any other Church of England or a set act of worship at anyother Christian church under the umbrellaof Churches Together in Great Britain andIreland or subscribe to The EvangelicalAlliance Statement of Faith, on at leastone occasion in each calendar month inthe 12 months prior to places beingallocated in the March preceding theterm that their child would be statutorilyadmitted and who live in the designatedarea or the Parish of All Saints.

1C. The children of a parent who candemonstrate that he/she has attended aset act of worship at any Church of England church or a set act of worship atany Christian Church under the umbrellaof Churches Together in Great Britain andIreland or subscribe to The EvangelicalAlliance Statement of Faith, on at leastone occasion in each calendar month in

the 12 months prior to places beingallocated in the March preceding theterm that their child would be statutorilyadmitted, and who live outside theschool’s designated area or the Parish of All Saints.

2. Children living in the designated area whowill have a sibling in attendance at theschool in September 2010 .

3. Children living in the designated areaagreed with Reading Borough Council.

4. Children who have older siblings who willbe in attendance at St Mary and All SaintsPrimary School in September 2010.

5. Children who wish to be admitted on thegrounds of strong health needs or strongsocial circumstances (see note below).

6. Children who live outside the designatedarea and who do not meet any of thecriteria set out above.



Tie Breaker

In any case where two or more children rankequally under any of the criteria above andthere is only one place available, the tiebreaker is distance measured in a straight linebetween the school and the child’s home(see Measuring Distance).

Waiting List

The school maintains a waiting list for nolonger than one term for those children whoare not offered a place in the normaladmissions roun d (including thoseunsuccessful on appeal). The order of priority on the waiting list is the same as thecriteria for over subscription. No account is

taken of the length of time on the waitinglist.

Multiple Births

In the case of multiple births, i.e. twins,triplets, quads, etc., where there is onlyspace to accommodate one child or anumber of children less than the completesibling group where the admission of thecomplete sibling group would exceed eitherthe infant class size limit or the AdmissionNumber set by the Admission Authority,then the Governing Body will offer a placeto the child or children in the alphabeticalorder of their forenames up to the numberof vacancies available.

Casual Admissions

A casual admission, sometimes called an “in- year admission”, occurs where the parentsseek the immediate or near-immediate

admission of their child to the school in thecurrent academic year outside the normaladmission round. A casual vacancy only ariseswhen there are less than 60 children in therelevant year group. Governors willsubscribe to the LA Fair Access Protocol inappropriate cases.

Any application for a casual admission will beconsidered promptly by the AdmissionsPanel, and a place will be offered subject toa place being available in the appropriateclass.

Any application for a subsequent term willbe decided at the beginning of thepreceding term.In the case of parentsseeking casual admission to St. Mary and AllSaints School, there is a singleoversubscription criterion i.e.

-A decision is based on distance, measuredas a straight line, between the school andthe child’s home (see Measuring Distance).

This criterion only applies in circumstanceswhere there is one casual vacancy in anyclass and two or more applications have tobe decided at exactly the same time.

Designated Area

West Green Court

Rembrandt Way (all residences in this estatehave a Rembrandt Way address)

Swallows Croft

Carsdale Close

Shaw Road (flats only)

Saint Saviours Road

Tintern Crescent

Wensley Road

North Lodge Mews

Lesford Road

Heron Way

Holybrook Road

Arbour Close

Trelleck Road

Tyberton CloseHay Road

Tupsley Road

The Brookmill

Yew Lane

The Old Lane

Boston Avenue (even numbers)

Coley Avenue (south side of BerkeleyAvenue)





The significance of a designated area is that achild who lives within a school’s designatedarea then falls into the 2nd criterion under StMary and All Saints Admissions Policy.

It should be noted that the designated areaof this school is not the same as the Parishboundary. A plan of the Parish boundarymay be seen in the School Office.

Measuring Distance

Where a child lives outside or inside thedesignated area (or the Parish of All Saints)and there are more applicants than places,places will be allocated on the basis of children who live nearest to the school.

Measurements will be taken as a straight linebetween the Ordnance Survey data points of the home address and the school usingReading Borough Council digital mappingsoftware

Strong Health or Social Needs

These reasons are hard to define but m ayinclude for example a chronic medicalcondition affecting the pupil or any serioussocial problems in the family. Each case will

be assessed objectively.These reasons must make it essential thatthe child attends the preferred school ratherthan any other.

Documentary support must be supplied bythe child’s parents and attached to theapplication form. The reasons must be fullysupported in writing by t he p rofessionalperson involved in the case e.g. doctor orsocial worker and should state why theschool is considered to be the most suitableand the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school. Allthe information must be available by theclosing date for the return of applicationforms.

Admission Appeals

Parents who are unsuccessful in obtaining aplace at St Mary and Al l Saints School havethe right to appeal against the decision to anIndependent Appeal Panel and the appeal

will be considered according to theregulations set out in the DCSF SchoolsAppeals Code 2008.

Repeat Applications

It is not the policy of the Governing Body to

consider repeat applications in the sameacademic year unless there is a materialchange of circumstances.

Meaning of Parent

A parent is any person who has parentalresponsibility for or is the legal guardian of the child.

Denominational Grounds

Denominational grounds mean thosechildren whose parents wish their child toattend a Church of England school and whomeet the requirements of religious worship.Religious worship is measured and ranked inaccordance with certified levels of attendance at All Saints and other churches.

Siblings

Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister,

step brother or sister, or the child of theparent’s partner where the child for whomthe school place is sought is living in thesame family unit at the same address as thatsibling.

Home Address

Home address means the child’s normalhome address and is the child’s permanentaddress at the time of the application. Thisis regarded as being where the child spendsthe majority of the school week fromSunday night to Thursday night. In caseswhere a child has a split residencearrangement between the homes of twoparents, the home address will be where thechild sleeps for most of the nights betweenSunday and Thursday. The Governorsreserve the right to verify the address.




Where can early years education beprovided?

In Reading, early years education can beprovided in any of the following settings:

• Reading Borough Council nursery schoolsor classes

• Reception classes in Local Authorityinfant or primary schools

• Registere d pre-schools and playgroups

• Registered privately run day nurseries• Independent schools

• Accredited childminders in a registerednetwork

You will need to check whether your localprovider is registered with the Reading EarlyYears and Extended School Service if youwish to claim the free early years educationentitlement.

What is the Free Early Years Entitlement?

All children are eligible to claim a free part-time early years place starting from the termfollowing their third birthday. Eligiblechildren are entitled to claim up to 12.5hours of free provision a week for amaximum of 38 weeks a year. All providerswill offer 15 hours free a week from Sept 10.The Early Years Entitlement may not coverall your childcare costs and some early yearsproviders will charge you for additionalservices or time o utside of the freeentitlement.

You can obtain a full list of registeredproviders, information on the free EarlyYears Entitlement funding and a copy of thebooklet ‘Early Years Education – A Guide forParents’ through the Early Years EducationHelpline:

Early Years Education Helpline:(0118) 939 0560

Do maintained nursery schools and classeshave designated areas?

Nursery admissions policies are intended toensure that opportunities are made availableto the widest possible number of children.There are areas that they serve, however, anddetails are available from the individualschools. Nursery classes generally serve awider area than the school serves forstatutory aged pupils because not all schoolshave a nursery.

What is the normal age of admission tonursery schools and classes?

The minimum age for admission is three years in most areas. The headteacher of theschool concerned will tell you what thelikely date of admission for your child willbe.

Further information about Early Yearsprovision can be found by visiting the Sure

Start, Early years and Childcare Partnershipwebsite onhttp://www.readingchildren.org.uk/

My child already attends the Nursery classat a school. Will they automatically beadmitted to the reception class?

No. If your child has a place in a nurseryclass of a school, they will not necessarilyremain at the same school when they reachschool age. Schools are not permitted togive priority to nursery class pupils whohope to attend that school at a later date.You will need to apply for a school place ona Reading Borough Council application form.

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION(FOUNDATION STAGE)






KEY INFORMATION

Nursery72 full time places16 part time places

Nursery56 part time places12 full time places

Breakfast, Lunch and Tea Club

Nursery80 part time places

Nursery

120 part time placesHearing Impaired Resource 5places

Nursery30 full time place s120 part time placesAlso Available:Breakfast & Tea club

NURSERY

Blagdon Nursery and Children’s CentreBlagdon RoadReading RG2 7NTPhone: (0118) 901 5425Fax: (0118) 901 5425

Blagrave NurseryRecreation RoadTilehurst

Reading RG30 4UAPhone: (0118) 901 5427Fax: (0118) 901 5427

Caversham Nursery82 Gosbrook RoadCavershamReading RG4 8BHPhone: (0118) 901 5429

New Bridge Nursery

(Hearing Impaired Resource)Montague StreetCavershamReading RG4 5AUPhone: (0118) 901 5580

Norcot Early Years Centre82 Lyndhurst RoadReading RG30 6UBPhone: (0118) 901 5577

HEADTEACHER

Mrs S Mitchell

Mrs V Simpson

Mrs R Parker

Mrs L Bedlow

Miss D Heath

READING BOROUGH COUNCILNURSERY SCHOOLS

Nursery places are also available in nursery classes at primary/infant schools. The list of schools on pages 38 – 45 will tell you which schools have nursery classes.




What if my child requires additionallearning support, or has special educationalneeds?

Most children’s learning difficulties can bemet in mainstream schools with extraclassroom support. Reading Borough Councilhas a wide range of support services forchildren who have learning difficulties. Onlyfor those children whose progress continuesto cause concern will the school considerbringing in additional classroom support, ora specialist support service. (This is nowcalled “School Action Plus”.)

If it is felt your child may need a higher levelof support, Reading Borough Council mayconsider undertaking a statutory assessment.You will be involved fully in the process.

It is a fundamental principle of the Code of Practice on Special Educational Needs thatwherever possible (subject to the views of parents) children with special educationalneeds should be educated in mainstreamschools. This position has been strengthenedby the SEN and Disability Act 2001, whichsuggests that children with specialeducational needs be educated inmainstream schools, unless certainconditions apply.

You should complete and return the formnaming your preferred mainstream school,even if you think your child needs to attenda special school or resourced unit. Places at aspecial school or a resourced unit are onlyoffered at the recommendation of the LocalAuthority, and to pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

If you need further advice or information, abooklet “A Parents’ Guide to Procedures forChildren with Special Educational Needswithin the Borough of Reading” is availablefree on request from the Special Educational

Needs Helpline on:Special Needs Helpline:(0118) 939 0674

You may also wish to talk to the ParentPartnership Co-ordinator, who can offer

support and provide impartial informationto help you be fully involved in your child’seducation.

Parent Partnership Co-ordinator:(0118) 939 9821

What if my child has a medium-term illnessand cannot attend school?

If your child has to stay in a hospital for anextended period their education will be

covered by Cranbury College, which isarranged by your Local Authority. However,if your child is out of school for medicalreasons (as advised by a doctor) then it is theresponsibility of your child’s school toarrange educational support themselves orvia Cranbury College. If your child needs tobe taught at home then you will need todiscuss this with the school and the schoolwill decide the most appropriate course of action to meet your child’s needs. It is alwaysadvisable to keep in close contact with theschool about your child’s progress.

Arrangements can be made for your child tobe tutored at home or at a special carecentre. The initial approach should be madethrough your child’s school.

Cranbury CollegeHelpline: (0118) 937 6847

Who will be my first contact if I have acomplaint about the school?

If you're worried about your child's learningor welfare at school, your child's classteacher or head of year is the best person toapproach first. Teachers will usually be in theclassroom during the day, but you can leavemessages with the school office asking theteacher to get back to you.

If the teacher can't help, or you are not

satisfied with their response, you can talk tothe headteacher. You should be able toarrange a meeting or a telephone

OTHER INFORMATION



conversation with the headteacher throughthe school office. If this isn’t practical, youmay wish to make a written complaint.

If your complaint is not resolved, the nextstage is to approach the governing body of the school. All state-funded schools arerequired to have a procedure to deal withany complaints relating to the school, or toany facilities or services that the schoolprovides for the local community.

If you want to complain to the governingbody, ask the school for a copy of itscomplaints procedure. All complaints to thegoverning body must be in writing.

When you have exhausted the complaintsprocedure at the school, then you shouldcontact Reading Borough Council

For further advice 0118 939 0265

Finally, if you believe that your school'sgoverning body or your local authority isacting 'unreasonably' you can complain inwriting to the Secretary of State forChildren, Schools and Families. Complaintsto the Secretary of State are handled by thegovernment’s Department for Children,Schools and Families.

This should be a last resort, and you shouldhighlight in your letter the steps you havealready taken to resolve the problem. Youshould be aware that the Department forChildren, Schools and Families will notusually be able to investigate your complaint

if your child no longer goes to the schoolwhere the incident took place.

[email protected] Tel: 0870 000 2288http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/contactus/

Ofsted has powers to investigate certaintypes of complaint from parents to helpthem to decide whether to inspect a school- though in most cases, you should raise anyproblems with the school first.

Types of complaint to which Ofsted canrespond include:

• the school is not providing a good enougheducation

• the pupils are not achieving as much asthey should, or their needs are not beingmet

• the school is not well led and managed, oris not using its resources efficiently

• the pupils’ personal development and well-being are being neglected




What’s the toughest job going? Firefighter?A&E Doctor? England Football Manager?How about a Parent?"

Parents are powerful people and how theyraise their children has a profound effect ontheir child’s life. Parenting at Readingrecognises that at times parents may like orneed some extra help or information, so weprovide various programmes and workshopsto meet these needs and to hopefullyenable parents to be more equipped whendealing with parenting issues, thereforeraising theirs and their child’s confidence andself-esteem.

If you would like more information onparenting support please contact the service

0118 939 0396 – email –[email protected]

http://www.reading.gov.uk/parenting

Children’s Information Centre

The Children’s Information Centre is a localcharity proving FREE information andguidance via the Family Information Service.Funded by the local authority, the FamilyInformation Service will research on anyfamily matter that supports your child. It isavailable to any family member taking careof children from 0-19 within the BracknellForest, Reading and Wet Berkshire areas.

6 Queens Walk, Reading, RG1 7QF

Freephone 0800 328 9148 email:[email protected]

www.childrensinfo.org/

CAT Teams

Children’s Action Teams (CATs) in Readinghave been set up to improve both thequality and speed of our response inmeeting the additional needs of children and young people. We have set up four multi-

agency teams providing earlier interventionand preventative services to children, youngpeople and parents in the area they live orgo to school.

This team of people will work closely withschools and other services to help andsupport children and young people withtheir additional needs. These will includesingle or multiple needs arising fromeducation, health, social care and other areasof their lives. CAT members will work toprovide holistic child/young person-centredsupport to improve outcomes and thequality of life for children and their families.They will achieve this using the CommonAssessment Framework (CAF) and LeadProfessional Role and team around the childapproach. They will also provide group worksupport like parenting courses.

Each CAT is slightly different in make up, due

to geographical and historical factors.However there are core members of thatteam that are similar, these are:

Education Welfare officers focus on workingwith families and schools to ensure highlevels of attendance and punctuality of children and young people.

Educational Psychologists focus onsupporting schools and families to meet theneeds of children with additional or specialneeds.

Family Workers focus on supporting familiesto improve their parenting capacity andmeet the needs of their children. They workmainly in community settings, visitingfamilies at homes.

Primary Mental Health Workers supportchildren and young people who have mentalhealth or emotional needs of concern. They

provide consultation and advice to Schoolsand other settings about children or concernand where necessary help schools and


WHERE CAN PARENTS/CARERS GETINFORMATION AND SUPPORT?




families to access to tier 3 and 4 service inChildren, Adolescent Mental Health Services(CAMHs).

Prevention and Support Service (PASS)workers are focused on reducing the numberof first time entrants in the criminal justicesystem. They work with 8 to 19 year olds ona one to one and group basis the communityand in schools as required.

Health Visitors offer universal home visitspre and post birth, complete family healthneeds assessment, and provide specialisedsupport to improve children's health and wellbeing.

School Nurses provide a core service tolocal families in schools that includes healthassessment of all children, immunisationsand family support.

Extended Schools Coordinators are in CATsto work with schools to help them providelocal families with access to a range of keyservices, like childcare, after school activitiesand parenting support.

How to Contact the CATs

Telephone calls to CATs are managed by acentral telephone number -. To help get youto the correct team, it would be helpful(though not essential) to know the child'sname, date of birth, home address andschool.

The West CAT is based at the AvenueCentre, Conwy Close, Reading, RG30 4BZ

The South CAT is based at 330

Northumberla nd Avenue, Reading RG2 8DHThe East CAT is based at Orwell House,Craven Road, RG1 5LE

The North CAT is based at Emmer GreenYouth and Community Centre, Grove Road,Reading, RG4 8LN

Tel: 0118 939 0900

Further information is available on the

websitewww.reading.gov.uk/childrensactionteams

Children's Centres

A Children’s Centre is a place where familieswith children under 5 can access a range of services that are local to their community. AChildren’s Centre is:

• A warm and welcoming place• An exciting place that children will enjoy

coming to

• A place that helps to find solutions for families and their needs

Children’s centres provide access to:

• Childcare Opportunities for children 0-5 years old

• A wide range of play activities for children

• Parenting and family support like parenting classes, fa mily learning or first aid training

• Information and advice on benefits, work and training that is more accessible

• Easy access to health services for families,like breast-feeding support, counselling or diet advice

There are 10 Children’s Centres in Readingalready up designated, these are:• Norcot Early Years Centre• Southcote Children’s Centre• SureStart Whitley Children’s Centre• Blagdon Nursery School and Children’s

Centre• Coley Park• Katesgrove• Caversham

• East Reading• Oxford Road• Dee Park

We are developing three more Children'sCentres by 2010. They will be located in:

• Tilehurst• South East Reading• North Caversham





deal with the administration of Free SchoolMeals for pupils in attendance.

Who is eligible?• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

• Income-related Employment and SupportAllowance

• support under Part VI of the Immigrationand Asylum Act 1999

• the Guarantee element of State PensionCredit

• Child Tax Credit, provided they are notentitled to Working Tax Credit and have anannual income (as assessed by HM Revenue& Customs) that does not exceed £16,040

Parents receiving Working Tax Credit for four

weeks after their employment finishes areentitled to free school meals during thatperiod. This also applies to parents whostart working less than 16 hours per week.

Children who receive Income Support orincome-based Job Seeker's Allowance intheir own right qualify as well. All pupils whodo not qualify for free school lunches mustbe charged the same amount for the samequantity of the same item.

Parents/Carers must demonstrate each termthat they are receiving one of the qualifyingbenefits by showing appropriate currentdocumentary evidence to the school.

For further information and an applicationform contact your child’s school.

Free school milk

If schools participate in Reading Borough

Council's free milk scheme children canreceive free milk up to their fifth birthday.Children over five are entitled to free milkwhere they are in receipt of a free schoolmeal AND a) attend a special school or b)have a supporting medical certificate.

Availability of help with independentschool fees

Reading Borough Council has no schemes tohelp parents/carers wishing to educatechildren at independent schools.





USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS ANDCONTACT DETAILSReading Borough Council

Admissions Team (0118) 939 0550Early Years Education Helpline: (0118) 939 0560Education Service Helpline (0118) 939 0265Clerk to the Appeal Panel (0118) 939 0532Education Welfare Office (0118) 901 5870Cranbury College (0118) 937 6847Special Educational Needs Helpline (0118) 939 0674Home to School Transport Service (0118) 939 0542

Parent Partn ership Service (0118) 939 9821Parenting At Reading (0118) 939 0396

Neighbouring Local Education AuthoritiesBracknell Forest Borough Council 01344 354 023 or 01344 354 144Hampshire County Council 01962 846 038Oxfordshire County Council (South Division) 01865 815 175Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council 01628 796 783 or 01628 796 784Slough Borough Council 01753 875 700

West Berkshire Council 01635 519 780Wokingham Borough Council (0118) 974 6143 or (0118) 974 6111

Other useful telephone numbersIndependent Schools Council information service (ISCis) 020 7798 1560Reading Children’s Information Centre (0118) 950 9499DfES publications order line 0800 242 322Diocese of Oxford – Board of Education 01865 208 200Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth 01329 835 363Catholic Arch Diocese of Birmingham 01675 430 230

Useful websitesReading Borough Council www.reading.gov.ukDfES (Department for Education and Skills) www.dfes.gov.ukOfsted (The Office for Standards in Education) www.ofsted.gov.ukQualifications and Curriculum Authority www.qca.org.ukNational Curriculum Information www.nc.uk.net

DirectGov www.direct.gov.uk/educationandlearning

All details were correct at the time of going to print, but they may be subject to change.




TERM DATES - 2009/2010

Term 1 2009: Wednesday 2 September 2009 – Training Day

Thursday 3 September 2009 – Friday 23 October 2009Total days: 38

Holiday: Monday 26 October 2009 – Friday 30 October 2009

Term 2 2009: Monday 2 November 2009 – Friday 18 December 2009

Total days: 35

Holiday: Monday 21 December 2009 – Friday 1 January 2010

Term 3 2010: Monday 4 January 2010 to Friday 12 February 2010

Holiday: Monday 15 February 2010 – Friday 19 February 2010

Total days: 30

Term 4 2010: Monday 22 February 2010 to Thursday 1 April 2010

Total days: 29

Holiday: Friday 2 April 2010 – Friday 16 April 2010

Term 5 2010: Monday 19 April 2010 to Friday 28 May 2010 - Bank Holiday 3 May

Total days: 29

Holiday: Monday 31 May 2010 – Friday 4 June 2010

Term 6 2010: Monday 7 June 2010 to Thursday 22 July 2010

Total days: 34

Summer Holiday: Friday 23 July to Friday 3 September 2010

Total in school year: 195

Term 1 2010/11: Monday 6 September 2010 – Training DayTuesday 7 September 2010 - Children back

The total number of days in which schools will be open is 195, including 5 days for staff training, when staff are required to attend school, but not pupils. September 6 2009 isproposed as a common staff-training day. A further 4 days are available for schools to set

their own training days.




Term 1 2010: Monday 6 September – Training Day

Tuesday 7 September – Friday 22 OctoberHoliday: Monday 25 October – Friday 29 October

Term 2 2010: Monday 1 November – Tuesday 21 December

Holiday: Wednesday 22 December – Tuesday 4 January

Term 3 2011: Wednesday 5 January – Friday 18 February

Holiday: Monday 21 February – Friday 25 February

Term 4 2011: Monday 28 February – Friday 8 April

Holiday: Monday 11 April – Monday 25 April

(Good Friday 22 April; Easter Monday 25 April)

Term 5 2011: Tuesday 26 April – Friday 27 May

Holiday: Monday 30 May – Friday 3 June

Term 6 2011: Monday 6 June – Tuesday 26 July

Summer Holiday: Wednesday 27 July – Friday 2 September

Total in school year: 195

Term 1 2011/12: Monday 5 September 2011 – Training DayTuesday 6 September 2011 – Children back

The total number of days the school wi ll be open is 195, including 5 days for staff training,when staff are required to attend school, but not pupils. September 6 2010 is proposed as acommon staff-training day. A further 4 days are available for schools to set their owntraining days.

TERM DATES – 2010/11



Parent Partnership ServiceWe are looking for volunteers

We support parents whose children havespecial educational needs. We explainprocedures, help with paperwork and

attend meetings with parents. This is aninteresting, rewarding role and can fit inwith your everyday commitments. Youneed to be a good listener and have an

interest in education. If you would liketo know more please contact:Avril Verity, Parent Partnership Co-

ordinator

Telephone 0118 939 9821or

[email protected]

Become a School Governor andMake a Difference

For more information call Governors’

Support on0118 939 0175or

email [email protected]




Please note that the information contained in this book was correct at the time of printing,but is subject to change.

Admissions Team

Education and Children’s Services

Reading Borough Council

Civic Centre

Reading

Documents

Rbc Primary Guide 15.10.9 v1