Dorchester Primary School

Useful Information

For further information about nursery provision in Sutton and the funding available, please contact the Family Information Service, Tel: 020 8770 6000, www.suttonfamilyinfo.org.uk email: familyinfo@sutton.gov.uk

The Sutton online Family Information Directory to search for childcare, activities and other support services can be visited at www.sutton.gov.uk/fid

Points to note

• Visit some nurseries before completing your application form; this will help you to find the right environment for your child.
• You should bear in mind that the nearer you live to the nursery the more likely it is that your application will be successful. However, there is no guarantee of being offered a place.
• Medical reasons only apply to the child and must be supported by evidence which shows why a particular nursery is the only one your child can attend. Confirmation of a condition will not necessarily be sufficient to give medical priority. Please see page 6 for more information.
• Social reasons do not include routine childminding arrangements but may include medical conditions relating to another member of the family. Please see page 6 for more information.
• In all cases it is your responsibility to provide the evidence to support a request for a priority placement. The school will not seek evidence on your behalf.
• If you are not offered a place in our nursery you can apply for an alternative nursery. You can accept an alternative offer and leave your child’s name on our waiting list.
• Before returning your application please check that you have included the following information
  • Child’s name
  • Child’s date of birth
  • Your postcode
  • Evidence of your child’s date of birth (preferably birth certificate)
  • Any relevant medical or social evidence to support your application
  • Current council tax bill or council tenancy agreement
  • Details of siblings in Dorchester Primary School
  • Please sign and date the form
• If your circumstances change after you have submitted your form, you must notify us in writing to:

Completing the Application Form

If you wish to apply for a nursery place at Dorchester Primary School Nursery you must complete the application form and return it by the date indicated on the form to the school office by hand or via email to office@dorchesterprimary.com.

It is important that the application form is fully and accurately completed and submitted with the appropriate documentation (see below). If there are errors or inaccuracies on the form it may delay your application.

Child’s Address

The address on the front of the form should be the child’s permanent place of residence. It should not be a business, relative or carer’s/childminder’s address, nor is it permitted for a family to use a temporarily rented address to attempt to secure a nursery place for their child. The address will normally be the parents’ address. If the parents do not live together, it should be the the address of the parent with whom the child spends the majority of the time. This will normally be the parent who receives Child Benefit in respect of the child. An application can only be made from a single address. You are required to provide your child’s birth certificate and a current Council Tax bill. If you are a council tenant, you should provide a copy of your council tenancy agreement.

If there is a formal equal share custody arrangement between the two parents, the address that will be used will be the address of the parent who is claiming Child Benefit for the child.

If you move address after completing the application form, you must write to inform us as soon as possible and provide evidence of your new address (please see page 7). The address to be used in the allocation process may vary depending on the date you moved.

Any offer of a place based on where the child lives is conditional on the child being resident at the address at the closing date for application, unless a subsequent move has been accepted for allocation purposes.

Our Nursery is popular and it is important that places are allocated fairly. The school will investigate any applications:

• Where there are any doubts about the information provided
• Where information has been received to suggest a fraudulent application has been made
• Where records show a change of address within the previous 12 months

The school reserves the right to seek evidence from parents, council records, primary schools or any other sources deemed appropriate. The school may also make a home visit and refer cases to the London Borough of Sutton’s Investigation Officers where benefits are in payment.

Any application which uses false information will be withdrawn and may be subject to legal proceedings. If an application is found to be fraudulent after places are offered, the place will normally be withdrawn.

Parent/Carer’s Details

The person applying on behalf of the child should be the person with Parental Responsibility for the child. However, there may be occasions where this is not the case, and this should be indicated on the form.

Parental Responsibility is defined by the Children Act 1989 and amended by the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Parental Responsibility is automatically acquired at birth by the natural mother and natural father, if he was married to the mother at the time of birth or they were married subsequently. For children born since 1 January 2003, the child’s natural father will have Parental Responsibility if he jointly registered as the child’s natural father following the child’s birth. Other people can obtain Parental Responsibility by seeking a Parental Responsibility legal agreement, obtained with the consent of all persons with Parental Responsibility or by a court order, or when a child is placed with them for legal adoption. Step-parents, grandparents and other close relatives do not have automatic Parental Responsibility, and can only acquire it through a legal agreement or court order. If you are a distant relative or not related at all to the child it is likely that you are a Private Foster Parent. In law this means you must tell your local Council you are caring for the child and also you must tell the child’s parents (or the person with Parental Responsibility) about the application for a school place and obtain their permission. You can find more information of Parental Responsibility at www.direct.gov.uk/parents under Parents’ and children’s rights.

If you are unsure about your status, you should submit your application with a covering letter to explain your situation.

Looked After Children

Children who are Looked After by a Local Authority receive top priority for a school place. As such, if the child you are applying for is Looked After, it is important that you include this on the application form and provide supporting evidence from a social worker.

A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order91 including those who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).

Social/Medical Reasons

If you wish to apply under exceptional medical and social criteria, you must provide additional information and professional evidence to support your case which should be attached to your application form. Supporting evidence should be provided from a professional, such as a social worker, health visitor, housing officer, the police, doctor and/or hospital consultant. Refugee and Asylum Seeking children may be included under this criterion depending on individual circumstance and subject to support from a relevant professional or council officer as listed above.

Providing professional evidence does not guarantee your child priority at the school. The decision will be made by our admissions panel, who will consider whether the circumstances warrant a child being placed at our nursery and whether they should give the child priority over other applicants who may, for example, have siblings at the school or who may live closer.

If there are supported medical and social needs, consideration for a priority place will normally only be given for our nursery if it is the nearest, unless you can demonstrate why our nursery, which may be further away than another, will be more appropriate for your child’s needs.

Evidence to support a medical condition can come from the family GP or child’s hospital consultant. This should confirm your child’s condition and outline how it is managed. It should also

confirm how it would affect your child in school and its relevance to a nursery placement. Common ailments such as asthma would not normally be given a priority placement. Any other medical

conditions in the family may be considered but as a separate issue under social reasons. Parents are responsible for providing the evidence to support an application for medical or social placement. Any application that does not have supporting evidence will not be given priority.

Please note that it is not possible for routine child-minding arrangements to be taken into account as an exceptional social reason.

Siblings

A sibling is defined as brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner, and in every case, who is living as part of the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday. If your child will have a sibling in our main school it is important that you include the sibling’s details on the form to ensure that, if applicable, sibling priority is given. You should not name any child who is not a sibling, nor any child who will not be in attendance when the younger child is due to start.

Returning Your Application Form

Forms can be posted or hand delivered to the Admissions Officer, Dorchester Primary School, Dorchester Road, Worcester Park, Surrey, KT4 8PG. It can also be sent via email to office@dorchesterprimary.com

Please note that if you wish to hand your form in to someone in person, you must bring, your form to the school office between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.

Supporting Evidence

You MUST include:

• Evidence of address – current council tax bill or if you are a council tenant a copy of your tenancy agreement
• Evidence for social/medical reasons to be considered
• Copy of your child’s birth certificate

Closing Date

The closing dates for application are shown on page 4 and on the application form.

Applications made after the closing date will be considered after those received on time, unless there are exceptional circumstances, supported by independent evidence.

Acknowledgement of Applications

Applications will not be acknowledged unless requested, and in the case of postal applications, accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.

When will I know if my application is successful?

Letters giving the results of applications will be posted first class prior to the 27th March and for children starting in January on 03 December.

You will be told if we are able to offer a place for your child. Where an offer is made, you will be given two weeks to decide whether or not you want to accept the place.

If you are not offered a place you will be asked if you would like your child’s name to be put on the waiting list for the remainder of the academic year. Vacancies arising after the initial allocation will be offered to children on the waiting list, based on the admission arrangements set out on page 4.

There is no formal appeal system if you do not get offered a place in our nursery; if this is the case do contact the school office and we will do our best to advise further.