Nant Y Parc Primary School

Admission

Prospective parents and their children are always welcome to look around the school to discuss admission with the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or the Foundation Phase Leader

Our catchment area is the village of Senghenydd. Parents seeking admission for children outside the catchment areas must do so through the Admissions Officer at Caerphilly County Borough Council. Applications will be considered according to the criteria set out by the Local Authority and parents will be notified accordingly.

Rising 3s

Nant-y-Parc Primary School accepts ‘Rising 3s’ which means that your child/ren can enter the school the term after their third birthday (Spring Term if their birthday falls in the Autumn Term and Summer Term if their birthday falls in the Spring Term). Application forms for admission as a Rising 3 can be obtained from the school office. These are then processed by the L.A. and parents will be notified if a place is available. Parents of children due to attend our Nursery as a Rising 3 are invited to the school. We keep a waiting list of children and we encourage parents to place their child’s name on this list after their second birthday as this helps with forward planning.

Nursery

Application forms for admission to Nursery are available from the school office. These are then processed by the LA and parents will be notified if a place is available. Nursery children attend school on a part-time basis. Parents of children due to attend Nursery are invited to the school.

Parents of Rising 3 and Nursery children are invited in to school to meet members of staff, explain some of the activities the children will experience, obtain a ‘Starting School at Nant-y-Parc’ handbook and Welcome Pack.

Reception

Children can be admitted to Reception in the Autumn Term if their fifth birth falls between 1st September and 31st August in that academic year. Nearly all children transfer from the Nursery. Application forms for admission to Reception are available from the school office. These are then processed by the LA and parents will be notified if a place is available.

It Is Very Important To Complete Application Forms For Rising 3s, Nursery And Reception. If You Are Given A Place For A Rising 3, You Are Not Guaranteed A Place In Nursery Or Reception.

Admission to other year groups

Admission to other year groups is done by contacting either Mrs J Watkins, school secretary or the Admissions’ Officer at Caerphilly County Borough Council. A mutually convenient time is arranged for you and your child to visit and tour the school, meet a member of the Senior Leadership team and the class teacher and discuss the school’s approach to learning. If possible, prior to starting, we would like your child to spend a morning or afternoon with the class in order to meet the children and begin to feel at home.

Arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities

A person has a disability if ‘he or she has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities’. (Disability Discrimination Act). The Board of Governors supports the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act. The Board is, therefore, committed to the principle of all local children (living in designated addresses) having equal rights of access, if this can reasonably be provided. It is important that, if your child has Special Educational Needs and/or a Record of Needs, the Headteacher is notified at as early a stage as possible (no later that the beginning of the September preceding the child’s date for starting school), so that appropriate arrangements can be discussed. All such cases will be considered sympathetically, on an individual basis. The admission of a child with Special Educational Needs to the School will be conditional upon:

The parents’/guardians’ full disclosure to the school of the child’s disability. Appropriate planning by the school, including requests for additional funding, are dependent upon the school having access to all the relevant information. Following the procedures, which are set out in any school policies relating to Special Educational Needs.

• The availability of appropriate facilities with the school. These include both physical and reasonable curricular provision.
• Specific additional funding from Inclusion Services, if required.
• Agreement about the stages for which entry is being offered. In particular transition from Primary to Secondary will be dependent upon a review of child’s needs and the evaluation of any difficulties, which the child may have in accessing an appropriate education.
• Acceptance by the parents/guardians that some educational opportunities, which take place off site, may not be available. The above conditions will also apply if a disability develops during the course of a child’s education in Nanty-Parc Primary School.

Steps to prevent disabled pupils being treated less favourably than other pupils;

• Large print format materials can be accessed from outside agencies
• The services of a sign language interpreter can be accessed to facilitate parental interviews
• If either pupils or parents have difficulty accessing information normally provided in writing by the school such as handouts, newsletters etc., then the school will be happy to consider alternative forms of provision. Large font / colours can be easily replicated.
• Arrangements for play; recreation and other aspects of a child’s social development are incorporated into a child’s Educational Plan or Coordinated Support Plan.
• The suitability of any event and the need for additional support is discussed fully with parents in advance.
• Pupils at Nant-y-Parc Primary School have always been able to participate fully in a wide range of activities offered beyond the classroom.
• In constructing the school timetable the school will give sympathetic consideration to individual needs.
• Furniture, seating arrangements and the classroom used can be altered to facilitate access and learning.
• Advice is sought from the appropriate national and local agencies. Support can come in a variety of formats through the school’s staged intervention strategy. 14
• The school’s evacuation procedures will be adapted to meet the specific needs of an individual.
• Any new alterations are always DDA compliant.

Existing facilities to assist access to the school by pupils with disabilities;

• Nant-y-Parc Primary School was built in 1988, and largely has the same structure as the original build. Any new alterations are always DDA compliant, and the staff and Governors have an action plan to further develop the school in compliance with the DDA act.
• Furniture relocated within school to allow easy access for all pupils and staff
• PE equipment audited, reorganised and relocated to allow easy and safe access for all pupils and staff.
• Disabled toilet facilities installed
• Disabled parking facilities
• Improved access to the main school building with new automatic front door.
• Ramp facilities to demountable classrooms.

Implementation of the governing body’s policy on pupils with special educational needs and any changes to the policy during the last year.

• Implementation of Policies relating to pupils with SEN have been very successful.
• SEN/ALN Policy revised and updated to meet needs of Curriculum developments – Approved by Governing Body
• Accessibility Policy /Plan and Disability / Equality Policy revised and updated – Approved by Governing Bod