Children are admitted to the Nursery in our Early Years Foundation Stage the term after their third birthday. We offer parents a flexible approach to their child’s Nursery sessions. Parents/Carers can register their child with us for a Nursery place any time from birth. (Registration form below).
Starting Nursery and choosing sessions
We will write to you in the term prior to your child’s start date asking if you still require their place and asking for your preference of sessions.
Prior to starting the EYFS, we will arrange for you to visit the EYFS with your child to introduce them to staff and their new surroundings. At this meeting we will set a start date and arrange for two members of staff to visit the family home to see the child in their own setting, this helps to promote good home/school relationships and ease your child’s settling into school.
Flexible Nursery places mean that your child will be able to have a maximum of five nursery sessions (it can be less than five) spread out over the week, as you wish (depending on availability).
We also offer the opportunity for your child to stay for lunch (depending on availability). They can choose to have a school lunch (£2.10 daily) or bring a packed lunch. School dinners need to be booked in advance using the online portal provided by HCL.
Link to HCL School Grid
We offer a limited number of 30 hour spaces. We also offer parents the chance to “top up” their Nursery sessions with paid places at a cost of £10 per session. These places are limited and subject to availability, places may not be available throughout the year depending on places offered to children on our waiting list. Places must be booked and paid for in advance via the school office.
Moving to Reception
Admission to our EYFS at age 3 does not guarantee your child a place in our Reception class. Applications for a place in our reception class must be made through the Local Authority.
For further details or to book a tour of the school please contact the school office.
Applying for a place
Children are normally admitted to primary school at the start of the Reception year, that is the school year in which they become 5. Parents of children due to be admitted to school at this time will be required to complete the local authority application form or apply online. The Local Authority recommend you apply online. We will provide a link to this portal once it is open in the Autumn term each academic year.
The application process for children Starting School in September usually opens in mid-October and the closing date for receipt of applications is on or around the 15 January.
Places will be allocated by April in the year of commencement of the child’s reception year.
Central Bedfordshire Council will provide the school with a supply of application forms during October and posters will be displayed around the school showing the closing date for application forms. It is recommended that parents apply online for school places.
Applications for places in years other than reception or at other times of the year should be made to the Local Authority via the ‘in year admissions process’ . The Headteacher will speak to prospective parents regarding their child’s transfer to St Swithun’s and arrange for them to visit the school. Your child may start at St Swithun’s once approval has been received from the local authority. Further information is available from the link below.
For our admissions arrangements for 2024-25 please click here
For our admissions arrangements for 2025-26 please click here
Moving to Secondary School
Applications for places for Year 7 at Secondary School need to be made to the Local Authority by 31st October of each academic year. Further information is available on the link below.
For further information about Sandy Secondary School, please follow the link below or telephone them on 01767 680598