St. Stephen's School and Children's Centre

Admissions

How can my child become part of the St. Stephen’s Primary School community?

If your child is 4 years old or is going to be 4 before September, and you are looking for a reception place you must apply directly to Newham Council School Admissions.

If your child is moving from an existing Primary School to St. Stephen’s, you will need to complete an In-Year Admissions form.

Fair Access

The law requires that each local authority must have a Fair Access Protocol (FAP), agreed with the majority of schools in its area to ensure that for In Year admissions unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. In agreeing a protocol, the local authority must ensure that no school - including those with available places - is asked to take a disproportionate number of children who have been excluded from other schools, or who have challenging behaviour. St Stephen’s Primary School has signed up to the LB Newham’s Fair Access Protocol.

Admissions Arrangements

The school follows the Borough’s Admission Policy and criteria for admission.

• Priority 1: Looked after children and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order 1 )
• Priority 2: Children who have been assessed by Newham Council’s Special Educational Needs Service as requiring a particular named school to meet their special educational needs and/or physical access. In addition the child must be on the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and be in receipt of ‘high needs funding’ and/ or have physical access difficulties.
• Priority 3: Children who live in the school’s ‘catchment area’ and at the time of admission will have a sibling (see below) in the school.
• Priority 4: Children, who do not live in the school’s ‘catchment area’ but will have a sibling (see below) in the school at the time of admission.
• Priority 5: Other children who live in the school’s ‘catchment area’.
• Priority 6: Other children, whether or not they live in Newham.

We are always happy to show prospective pupils and parents around the school. Please call to arrange an appointment. If you have any questions please contact Mark in the school office on 020 84727575 or info@st-stephen.newham.sch.uk

Free School Meals Application

All primary aged children attending schools in Newham receive a free school meal. This offer is one of the Mayor of Newham’s Promises and is funded by the council. The offer has enabled parents to save more than £550 before tax per child.

While it is great that this universal school meal offer is council funded in Newham, there is also national money available for schools to access and parents can support us to do this by registering for free school meals online.

To ensure that our school is able to access additional funding of up to 30 per cent of our existing school budget from central government for the next six years, it is vital that everyone completes an online registration form. You only need to do this once and it will last for the duration of your child’s time at our school.

By completing the online form, you enable our school to claim an additional £900 for each pupil who would have received free school meals, even if Newham’s universal free school offer was not available. You can do this online at http://www.newham.gov.uk/Pages/Services/Free-school-meals.

We encourage you to register, so we can work together to secure these additional funds to support the whole school and provide the maximum benefit for all our children.