Admissions

Application for a Place in Nursery

Registration forms for Dame Dorothy School nursery are available from the school office, these are available once your child has reached 2 years old and must be returned to the school office along with proof of address and your child’s birth certificate. If the number of children on our waiting list exceeds our PAN of 26, (see below), the LA will send out preference forms for parents to complete and return. Following this the LA will prioritise applications based on the criteria on the reverse of the registration form. An offer of a place will be made by the school, on or around the beginning of May

Nursery is 15 hours per week (5 x 3 hours, mornings only).

Applications received after the offer date will only be considered if places are still available.

The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the number of places we intend to make available for our normal intake. Once Dame Dorothy Primary School sets this number, we will not refuse applications below the PAN. The current set PAN for Nursery is 26 places.

If however, there is unexpectedly high demand and we believe we could admit more children, we will inform the LA and either admit children above our agreed PAN or increase the PAN accordingly to accommodate additional children.

Please note, a place in our Nursery class DOES NOT automatically guarantee a place in Reception.

Application for a Place in Reception

Parents who already have children in Nursery will receive a letter from the local authority explaining the process.

An offer of a place will be made by the LA, on behalf of the school, on or around the National Offer date.

Reception is full time, 5 days a week.

Applications received after the closing date will only be considered if places are still available Published Admission Number (PAN) is the number of places we intend to make available for our normal intake. Once Dame Dorothy Primary School sets this number, we will not refuse applications below the PAN. The current set PAN for reception is 30 places.

If however there is unexpectedly high demand and we believe we could admit more children, we will inform the LA and either admit children above our agreed PAN or increase the PAN accordingly to accommodate additional children.

The Admissions Authority will seek to apply the Admission Policy if the number of applications exceeds the number of published places available.

For other year groups, the agreed admission limit will be the PAN, which was determined for that cohort as it entered the School in the Reception year.

For further information, please contact the school office or consult the LA Admissions Team.

Oversubscription Criteria

If there are fewer applications than places, Dame Dorothy Primary School will not refuse an application and all applications will therefore be approved and offered a place.

Only if there are more applications than places available, we will prioritise applications according to the following oversubscription criteria:-

  1. Children looked after by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989(b) and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so, because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order). Parents will be asked to send proof as supplemental information with their application form.
  2. Children where an exceptional medical or social need is demonstrated.
  3. Children who live in the schools designated area and have an older sibling attending the school at the time of their application.

The term sibling refers to a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, stepbrother or sister or foster brother or sister. The child of the parent/carer’s partner is also classed as a sibling if the child for whom the place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling.

  1. Children who live in the schools designated area will be admitted using the selection criteria measured by the shortest, safest walking distance.

Distance will be measured from the centre of the child’s home address (including flats) – taken to be the address in which the child mainly resides – to the main entrance of the school using Sunderland City Council’s computerised measuring system (Geo-Information System – GIS).

Those living closer to the school will receive the higher priority. Proof of residency will be sought in the form of a Council Tax bill, and should be sent in as supplemental information with each application. No other means of proving residency will be accepted.

  1. Children who live outside of the schools designated area, with a sibling on roll at the time of the application.
  2. Other children who live outside of the schools designated area.

More information can be found by clicking on the link https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/schools-admissions

Please contact the school office on 01912505525 or email office@damedorothy.org.uk if you require any further information.