Admissions
Admission to Nursery
Admission to the Nursery is from the term following a child’s third birthday.
The Rainbow Room is our nursery and options include:
- 15 hour in five morning sessions per week (8.45am to 11.45am)
- 15 hour in five afternoon sessions (12.30pm to 3.30pm)
and from April 2019 we will also be offering
- 30 hour in five full day sessions per week (8.45am to 3.30pm)
Applications for Nursery are available from the School Office and our admin team will be happy to explain the process. Your child’s details will be added to our waiting list and then, several weeks before your child is due to start, we will contact you and arrange:
- A tour of the nursery - so you can see the fun activities on offer for our youngest children at Featherby
- A home visit appointment - so staff can come and visit your child in surroundings familiar to them, so we can see what interests them and get to know them.
- A ‘Stay and Play’ session - for you to join your child in a working session, helping your child to settle in before they start on this new and exciting chapter in their development
Admission to Reception and Admission to Year 3
Children born between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015 will be eligible for a place in Reception for September 2019.
Children born between 1st September 2011 and 31st August 2012 will be eligible for a place in Year 3 for September 2019.
Featherby Infant School and Featherby Junior School are both schools with Academy status. The planned admission number for 2019/20, which has been agreed with the local authority, is 90 for Reception and 90 for Year 3. The admission arrangements for Featherby are consistent with Medway Council’s Co-ordinated Scheme for Primary Admissions, to ensure simplicity for parents and carers.
Parents and carers can apply for Featherby using the Common Application Form or using the on-line facility at Medway Admissions
Places will be offered according to the Scheme.
A waiting list request form can be completed online using the Council’s website. Details will be sent with the offer letter on National Offer Day in March 2019. Using this online form, parents can request to be placed on the waiting list for Featherby if it was originally listed.
Waiting lists will be maintained by the Council until the end of the first term in December 2019 and children will be ranked in waiting lists according to the oversubscription criteria.
Any application made to Featherby that has been unsuccessful will have the right of appeal.
Oversubscription Criteria
If the number of preferences for Featherby exceeds the number of places available, the local authority will allocate places in the following priority order:
- Looked after children (children in public care) and previously looked after children.
- Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs/Education, Health and Care Plan that names Featherby.
- Children who at the time of application have a brother or sister (including children living as siblings in the same family unit) on the roll of Featherby at the time of the sibling’s admission.
- Child’s health reasons, supported by medical evidence, which requires the child to attend Featherby.
- Children of staff members who have been employed at Featherby for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to Featherby is made, or, the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
- Nearness of children’s homes.
Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe walking route between home and school as measured by the Council’s geographical information system. Those living closer to the school will receive the higher priority. The Council’s Geographical Information System measures the start point, end point and distance of each route.
In the event of two or more children having equal ranking for the last place the deciding factor will be the shortest available safe walking distance between the home address and the school as measured by the Council’s Geographical Information System and determined by the Medway local authority. Where this cannot be determined, the available place(s) will be allocated by drawing lots.
Admission of children outside their normal age group
Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health.
Requests for admission outside of the normal age group should be made to the Headteacher of Featherby, by letter or email. It would be helpful if parents or carers provide evidence to support such an application, usually with supporting evidence from an appropriately qualified medical or other practitioner.
Casual/In-Year Admissions to Featherby
Any parent can apply for a place for their child at any time to Featherby outside the normal admissions round.
Any child’s ‘point of entry’ admission will become an in-year admission if the application is received after the closure of the waiting list under the co-ordinated admission scheme (31st December each year).
Any family wishing to apply for a place at Featherby will need to complete a casual admission application form, available on request. Featherby will also accept applications on the Council’s application form (IYCAF) available on Medway In-Year Admissions
- If it has been established, with reference to the number of places available, the published over-subscription criteria and the outcome of the academic assessment, that an offer can be made in response to an application, Featherby will formally notify the applicant family in writing.
- If it has been established, with reference to the number of places available, the published over-subscription criteria and the outcome of the academic assessment, that an offer cannot be made in response to an application, Featherby will formally notify the applicant family in writing and extending the right of appeal.
- If the information on the application form determines that the child meets the criteria for the Council’s current fair access protocols then the case must be referred to the School Services Team to arrange consideration by the Fair Access Panel.
Children with Special Educational Needs
If a child has a statement of special educational need/EHC plan, parents will express school preferences through the process organised by the Special Educational Needs Assessment Team at the Council.
Late Applications
Parents who do not submit a Form/online application by the closing date set by the Council must complete a paper application form and return it to the Council Admissions Team accompanied by a written explanation of the reasons for late submission. If the Council judge the reason provided is not exceptional, the application will be held until after national offer day and will considered during the re-allocation process.
Appeals
If a parent is unhappy with a decision, then they should contact Medway Council to discuss lodging an appeal. More information can be found on their website via Medway Appeals
Or by contacting Medway Council: Email: admissions@medway.gov.uk
Phone: 01634 333 333 Telephone lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
Write to: School services, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4TR