Admissions Policy

Admission Procedures:

1. All families interested in applying to the school are warmly invited to an Open Morning where they will be taken on a tour of the school by a pupil, can meet members of the Senior Management Team and listen to the Head talk.

2. The parents will then need to register the child. On completion of the Registration Form and the payment of the registration fee (£60), the child’s name will be placed on the appropriate Registration List.

3. At registration, the school requires sight of an original birth certificate and where appropriate, passport and visa to check and record their visa status

4. In addition to attending an Open Morning , or after it, a meeting between parents/main carer, child and Head is arranged at a mutually convenient time.

5. Before this meeting, if the family has been unable to tour the school , a tour is arranged and parents are invited to write about their child to help us get to know them a little.

6. The Head will spend time with each family to discuss the hopes, aspirations and needs of each child.

7. In the year prior to enrolment, the child is invited to spend a trial day, half day or hour according to the age and independence of the child. During this time, an observation (Early Years) or assessment (KS1&2) of the child will be made by all staff who meet and teach the child and a report is given to the head. This will be discussed with parents and a place may be offered or not as a result of this.
In the Early Years observation we look to discover the levels of independence, confidence, knowledge of the world around the child and linguistic development. Assessments of KS1 and 2 children seek to establish, where possible, literacy and numeracy levels and a child’s confidence, independence and social skills.  

8. A request for a reference or report will be sent to the child’s current school. Sometimes an offer will not be made until this report has been received.

9. Forms for consideration for a Bursary (fee discount) are available on request and are completely confidential. A request for financial assistance in no way prejudices the outcome of an application for a place.

10. Any offer of a place is secured by the payment of the refundable deposit. This is the equivalent of one term’s fees. Unless the offer is for an immediate start, the child and parents will be invited for a familiarisation visit to the school during the last weeks of the term prior to enrolment.

11. The invoice for fees will be sent in the holiday period, fees being paid termly in advance.

12. Fees are due by the first day of term for all children (unless the place is offered after term has begun).

13. One term’s notice of leaving must be given in writing or a term’s fees are payable in lieu.

Deposits & liabilities

The deposit, as outlined on the List of School fees, is held and refunded when a child leaves the school provided that a full term’s notice of withdrawal has been given in writing to the Head. A decision not to take up the place, which is notified to the school later than three calendar months before the start date on the registration form, will incur a liability for the first term’s fees. All signatories to the registration of a pupil will be deemed jointly and severally liable for the payment of due charges.

Payment of fees

Fees are due on or before the first day of each term. Any installment plan agreed to by the school must be adhered to as regards timing, frequency and method of payment as a condition of installments being accepted. Dishonoured cheques will incur a surcharge of £40.00 per cheque. Late payment of fees may incur a surcharge of 10%. Fees unpaid by half term or more than two weeks after a reminder has been issued, whichever is the earlier will result in the suspension of the pupil unless prior written agreement has been secured for postponement of payment. Exclusion of a pupil whose fees have not been paid will result in appropriate action being taken to recover the debts and the costs of recovery.

Withdrawal

A full term’s written notice of withdrawal of a pupil or a full term’s tuition fee in lieu is required. Notice must therefore be given on or before the first day of the pupil’s final term. Notice of intention to withdraw part way through a term will incur the liability to pay the fees for the next term in full. Provisional notice of withdrawal may be given on the first day of the pupil’s proposed final term, in which case the place may be offered to another pupil. Provisional notice may be cancelled but only if the place at the school is still vacant. Any request to waive all, or part, of the due fees in lieu of notice through financial difficulty must be supported by documented evidence which will be considered by the Bursar and if need be, the Education Officer of Cognita Schools Ltd.

Rules & regulations

By registering a child at the school, parents agree to abide by the regulations in force, and communicated to parents, concerning hours of attendance, notification of absence, provision of contact and medical information, administering of medications, uniform and parking. Parents are expected to support the school in the enforcement of school rules.

Who will be offered places?

Providing, in the judgement of the Headteacher, the school can meet the needs of the child, and the child is old enough to attend, provides evidence of nationality and meets the immigration requirements, a place will be offered according to the following priorities:

1. a sibling of a current pupil
2. the child of a member of staff
3. a sibling of a prospective pupil
4. a sibling of a former pupil
5. another relative of an existing pupil
6. another relative of a former or prospective pupil
7. a child who has been on the registration list for the longest time

If all other criteria are equal and there is competition for a place, a child whose parents wish to have a place at the school for a long period of time will be given preference over a child who intends to stay for a shorter time.

No child will be considered for a place for less than a year unless in exceptional circumstances.

This policy will be reviewed annually.

Reviewed November 2011 JBA