Early Years Admission Process

Our school has an agreed admission number of 60 per year group. For application forms for years 1 to 6, parents are asked to contact the school office in the first instance. The Admissions team at Stoke on Trent City Council should be contacted on 01782 236867/ 233232 or www.stoke.gov.uk/admissions for applications to Nursery and Reception. They can also offer general information and guidance about admissions.

Admissions Policy and Over-subscription Criteria

Waterside follows the Local Authority Admissions Arrangements:

School Admissions Arrangements 2022-23

School Admissions Arrangements 2021-22

Where there are more applications for a community or voluntary controlled primary school than there are places available, the Council will use the following priorities, in order, to allocate places:

  1. Children cared for by a local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order).
  2. Children living in the catchment area of the school who have an older brother or sister attending at the time of admission (or at the linked junior school in the case of infant schools).
  3. Other children living within the catchment area of the school.
  4. Children living outside the catchment area of the school who have an elder brother or sister at the school at the time of admission (or at the linked junior school in the case of infant schools).
  5. Children who live nearest to the school as determined by a straight line measurement from the child’s home address point to the main entrance of the school.

Nursery Admissions

All Nursery children are entitled 15 hours free, and some may be entitled to an additional 15 hours free.  For those who are not entitled to the additional 15 hours, we offer the top-up hours for a fee.

The offers are set out below:

OFFER 1: 15 Hours Free Childcare Only

For pupils who receive 15 hours free childcare only, morning sessions will be available from 8:45 to 11:45.

OFFER 2: 30 Hours Free Childcare

For pupils who receive the additional free 15 hours, we include an additional 25 minutes for lunchtimes. This will be a standard offer for a full time place with hours from 8:45 to 3:10. Lunch is not included and will be charged at £9.50 a week, alternatively children can bring a packed lunch. To find out the full details of your entitlements please use the Childcare Calculator at www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator

OFFER 3: 30 Hours Top-Up Childcare

For parents/carers who do not qualify for the additional 15 hours free childcare, you can pay for a full time place at the rate of £60.00 per week with hours from 8:45 to 3:10. The £60.00 fee will be payable half termly, in advance. Lunch is not included and will be charged at £9.50 a week, alternatively children can bring a packed lunch.

For more information about the criteria 30 hours free childcare eligibility please visit 30 Hours Free Childcare Eligibility

Places to our Nursery are allocated by the Local Authority. Parents are asked to contact Admissions on 01782 236867/233232 or www.stoke.gov.uk/admissions for an admission form to Nursery or Reception.

Where there are more applications for a nursery setting than there are places the following priorities will be used, in order, to allocate places:

1. Children in the care of the local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order).

2. Children living within the catchment who have an elder brother or sister at the school who will still be attending at the time of admission (or at the linked junior school in the case of infant schools).

3. Other children living within the catchment.

4. Children living outside the catchment who have an elder brother or sister at the school who will still be attending at the time of admission (or at the linked junior school in the case of infant schools).

5. Children who live nearest to the school as determined by a straight line measurement from the child’s home address point to the main entrance of the school.

Once the class is full a waiting list based on these criteria will be held until the end of September of that academic year. Attendance at a particular nursery setting will not guarantee admission to a reception class at the same school. As nursery education is not compulsory there is no right of appeal against the refusal of a place. However, every effort will be made to accommodate the wishes of parents.

Nursery Applications

Reception Applications

Guide to Online Admission Applications

Tax-Free Childcare

If you are a working parent with children under 12 (or under 17 for disabled children), you can open an online account to pay for registered childcare. The government will top-up the money you pay into the account. For every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2.00. You can receive up to £2,000.00 per child – that’s up to £500 every three months. If you have a disabled child, you can receive up to£4,000.00 per child – that’s up to £1,000 every three months.

You, and your partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £125.00 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage). If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.

If either you, or your partner, expect to earn £100,000.00 or more, you can’t get Tax-Free Childcare. You can’t use Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as childcare vouchers, Universal Credit or Tax Credits.

You can use it with the 15 hours and 30 hours schemes.

Please visit Childcare Choices to check your eligibility.

The following documents are also available, from the Stoke-on-Trent Admissions Team:

Stoke on Trent Nursery Prospectus

Stoke on Trent Primary Prospectus

Stoke on Trent Secondary Prospectus

School Admissions Code

Fair Access Protocol

Admission of Children of UK Service Personnel and other Crown Servants

Reception to Year 2 Appeal Form

Admissions Team Contact details:

Admissions are open Monday to Thursday between 8:45am to 5pm and 8:45am to 4:30pm on Friday.

Floor 2
Civic Centre
Glebe Street
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 1HH

The Stoke-on-Trent Admissions Team also give advice about applying for free school meals and transport to school. For further information please visit: http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/education/admissions/