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Castor Church of England Primary School

Admissions

Children of primary school age wishing to join our school may be admitted throughout the year subject to available spaces and numbers on roll. If you wish your child to be registered, please contact the school office and they will advise you of the current application procedure. You are welcome to visit the school by prior arrangement.

Reception Admissions

Castor C of E Primary School admits pupils into the Reception class in the September of the year in which they are five. We aim to make their start to formal schooling enjoyable and positive. We plan the intake of new children so that they feel secure and confident in school. There is a very gentle introduction to school with a part-time phased approach. Children start by spending most of their time in their own classroom and outside learning area, then gradually move about and mix with the whole school.

Starting Procedure

Transition begins in the Summer Term before children start school. They are invited into school for 'Taster sessions' in small morning or afternoon groups so that they can begin to make friends and meet their teacher. They become familiar with their new classroom and also separate from parents. Children then begin school part-time for a minimum of two weeks. During the first week of term Reception teachers and teaching assistants like to visit the child at home. This allows the teacher and parents to talk in confidence and helps the child to know his/her teacher a little better.

Staffing

Our Reception class has a qualified teacher and a teaching assistant. All teachers and teaching assistants who teach in Foundation Stage are appropriately trained in Early Years Education.

Registering your Child

Parents/carers are welcome to look around school before coming to a final decision. We hold three tours around the school in the Autumn term, please ring the office to find out when these are.  If you then wish to register your child you can apply online using the Peterborough City Council website www.peterborough.gov.uk/admissions or you can apply by post by completing an application form. These can be obtained from the Council directly or from your local pre-school and/or nursery by the December prior to the Reception intake the following September. Parents will be notified in April stating which school your child has been allocated a place for starting school in September. Where there are spaces in other year groups, children of primary school age can be admitted at other times throughout the year. 

Allocation of places follows Peterborough City Council’s policy on admissions criteria for primary schools, along with the appeals process. Please look online at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/schools-and-education/school-admissions/school-admissions-appeals for mor information.

Further Information:

As a Voluntary Controlled school the admissions authority for the school is the Local Authority (Peterborough City Council).

Castor School serves the villages of Castor, Ailsworth, Maholm, Sutton and Upton. We aim to take all the children of primary school age from these villages, if their parents wish it. Some places may be available for children from other areas. Our admission limit for each year group is different. From September 2019, we have set our PAN at 28, and in time this will feed through the school. In year groups where the PAN is currently lower than 28, we have admitted up to the number of 28.

Please see below the admission limit for each year group:

         

If the school is oversubscribed, then the Local Authority's admissions criteria will be applied. These are as follows:

 

  1. Looked After Children
  2. Verified medical need relating to the pupil.
  3. Children living in the school's catchment area.
  4. Children living outside the school’s catchment area, i) with a brother or sister already at the school, ii) living nearest to the school.

All children will be considered under the same criteria for admission to the school.  Our admission process is fair and equitable to all ethnic groups. For children with disabilities the school will consider any reasonable adjustments it can make to ensure the full inclusion of such individuals.

         

Any parent who is concerned that their child has not been allocated a place is advised to discuss the matter with an Education Officer at Bayard Place, Peterborough.

 

Applications for places for Reception children should be made by 15th January, and parents will be notified of the outcome in April. All parents must complete a LA Preference form, and return it to their first choice school, with the child’s birth certificate and proof of address. Online applications can be made through the Peterborough City Council website.

 

Places are available from September for all children, at the beginning of the school year in which they will become five. All children start part-time (either mornings or afternoons only).  . After approximately three weeks, children attend full time. If parents feel that they would like part time attendance for a longer period, this can be arranged.

         

Parents moving into the area or wishing to move their children from other schools should contact the school to discuss arrangements for admission. Each case will be considered individually, and a decision made according to space available.