Admissions
Admissions Process
Introduction
Staines Prep is a co-educational, non-selective school which welcomes pupils of all faiths or none and, as such, admissions are based on date of Registration. Sunflowers Nursery is the Nursery Department of Staines Prep.
Initial Enquiries
These should be made to the School's Registrar, who will answer preliminary questions and arrange for a prospectus pack and a Registration Form to be sent. The Registrar will give details of any forthcoming Open Days. A personal tour can also be arranged through the School Secretary.
Registration
The main ages of entry are 3, 4, and 7 but places may be available at other ages. Pupils may be registered anytime after birth.
Sunflowers Nursery accepts pupils from the age of 'rising three' ie children may be admitted in the term in which they have their third birthday based on the dates issued by the DCSF given below:
Term Dates
Autumn 1 September – 31 December
Spring 1 January – 31 March
Summer 1 April – 31 August
Children may join at the beginning of any subsequent term subject to availability.
All pupils in the Reception Year and above are full-time.
The Year Group of entry is normally determined by reference to a child’s age at 1st September.
A child’s name is entered on the entry list for a given year group upon receipt of a completed Registration Form and payment of a non-returnable Registration Fee. Children transferring from Sunflowers Nursery into the main School are eligible for an automatic placement.
Offer and Acceptance of a Place
As the School has a non-selective entrance policy, places will be offered following receipt of the Registration Form and a visit to the School by parent and child. Parents will be informed if the Year Group list is full and asked if they wish their child to be placed on a Waiting List.
Where a Waiting List operates, parents who wish their child to be included on the waiting list must inform the school in writing. Any places that become available will be allocated according to the criteria listed below with no account being taken of the length of time on the waiting list.
1. Siblings of current pupils
2. Children of former pupils or parents
3. Order of Registration.
The waiting list will be reviewed and revised:
• each time a child is added to, or removed from, the waiting list
• when a child’s changed circumstances will affect their priority
• At the end of each school year, when parents with a child on the waiting list will be contacted and asked if they wish to remain on the list for the following school academic year.
Pupils wishing to join SPS after the Reception Year will be assessed to ensure they are placed in an appropriate class upon entry. It should be noted that in Years 4 - 6, where the children are streamed, places may not be available in all classes. Where necessary, the results of the assessments are discussed with parents. Any place offered will be subject to receiving a satisfactory report from the child's current school.
Parents of candidates with special needs, whether physical, behavioural or educational, are invited to discuss these with the Headmaster, prior to a place being offered, to ensure that SPS is an appropriate placement for the child.
Acceptance of a place is made by completing and returning the Acceptance Form with payment of a Deposit, which will be refunded when the child leaves the School, assuming that the School's Terms and Conditions are fully met. If a place is not taken up then the Deposit will not be refunded.
All prospective parents and their children will be invited to meet a senior teacher and complete a questionnaire two terms prior to entry, where appropriate, in order to update information previously sent to the School.
Final Confirmation Payment
Places will finally be secured (two terms prior to entry) by the payment of a Final Confirmation Payment. This amount is deducted from the first term's fees when the child joins the School.
Fees
Fees are payable in advance and must be received by the first day of term. A full term’s notice must be given prior to the removal of a child from the School, otherwise a full term’s fees in lieu of notice will be charged.
Bursaries
The Burges Bursary Scheme can provide funds to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford a Staines Prep education for their children.
Bursaries are means-tested and applications for Bursaries must be submitted by 1st December in the year preceding entry (ie by 1st December 2010 for entry in September 2011). Decisions regarding Bursaries are made at the Spring Term Governors' Meeting in March and parents will be notified of the Governors' decision regarding their application shortly after the meeting. Parents may apply for Bursaries at other times, but should understand that all funds may have already been allocated. Further details regarding Bursaries are available from the Bursar.
Further Information
Details of the Registration Fee, Deposit and Final Confirmation Payment may be found in the Annual Information Booklet.
The admission of a pupil is conditional upon the Terms and Conditions found in the Annual Information Booklet and of any rules published separately from time to time. Whilst every effort is made to inform the parents about serious breaches of School Rules, it must also be accepted that the Head has complete discretion in the imposition of sanctions, including exclusion or expulsion.
The new Reception class has introductory sessions on the first two days of term in September. Sunflowers Nursery practices a phased admission for new pupils at the start of any new term. This assists pupils to settle in to their new environment.
Registrar Email
Mrs Natasha Tait registrar@stainesprep.co.uk
