Whether you are interested in your child joining our Nursery or Reception at the beginning of their school journey, or you are moving your child here from another school, all of the information needed can be found below:

Admission Process

Nursery

• Nursery admissions are managed by School
• Parent/carer must complete the Nursery registration form within school any time after the child’s second birthday for a start date the term after they turn 3.  Usual intake September, January and if places still available Easter
• They must have proof of their address and their child’s birth certificate with them at the time of registration
• Only one registration form is completed and applies to whichever intake the pupil is accepted for
• Termly open evenings are offered to visit the EYFS setting and School at the end of the school day.  Individual viewings of school can be accommodated also
• Preference letters are sent out in February for return in March to enable the provision to be mapped out for the September intake.  Preference letters for other intakes are sent out during the year.
• Allocation letters are sent to parents in April

Nursery Admissions – September 2023

LA Timetable for Process

• Letter and form to all nurseries and schools with nursery provision to request numbers week beginning 6 February 2023

• Schools to complete and return form before Friday 3 March 2023

• If a nursery school/class will be oversubscribed, a letter and preference form will be supplied to the relevant schools for distribution to the parents

• Completed preference forms returned by parents (to the School Admissions Team) by Friday 24 March 2023

• Staff from the School Admissions Team will work with schools to allocate places by Friday 31 March 2023 so that schools can inform parents.

• Schools to send allocation letters to parents during the week beginning 24 April 2023

Reception

• Reception admissions are managed by the Local Authority
• A letter is forwarded to school to send out to our current Nursery parents to apply online for the September Reception intake usually the October before
• The online portal at www.sunderland.gov.uk/admissionsonline is normally open until mid January for parents/ carers to apply online
• It is only possible to apply at this web address if parents/ carers live in Sunderland. If parents/carers live in another area, they must apply through their ‘home’ Council
• If it is not possible to access or submit an online application, a paper application form can be obtained by emailing school.admissions@sunderland.gov.uk  or by telephoning 0191 520 5553.  Parents/ carers would then receive their offer via post, which is posted out on national offer day
• Parents/carers can still submit a paper application after the deadline, but applications submitted after the January deadline may not be considered until after those received on time have been dealt with and the opportunity of getting a place for their child at their preferred school(s) may be reduced
• Schools in Sunderland use distance between a child’s home address and the school(s) they are applying for when allocating places at schools that are oversubscribed
• National offer day is mid-April

In-year transfers

• In-year transfers are managed by School
• Parents/ carers should follow the process for the LA that the school is in – therefore pupils that wish to transfer to our school must complete the application for City of Sunderland
• Parents/ carers complete Section A of the form – personal details of the pupil and family
• The form is then forwarded to the current school for completion of Section B – this includes information on attendance/ specialist intervention/ support service and other agency involvement/ details of siblings and areas of concern/ any other information
• The current school then usually forwards the completed form to the new school to complete Section C
• We would then liaise with parents/ carers and the current school to inform if there are spaces, and to arrange a visit, and then potential start date / or just date to move for leavers

Guidance from the School Admissions Code 2021

1. Once an application has been received by the school, parents MUST be notified of the outcome within 15 school days;
2. If an application for an aided school/academy is being declined, the school MUST confirm this in writing to parent together with the reason why the application is being declined and details of how to appeal. It is not sufficient to inform parent verbally. A copy of the application form and letter must be forwarded to the School Admissions Team within 2 school days;
3. If an application for a community or controlled school is being declined, the school MUST forward a copy of the application to the School Admissions Team within 10 school days of receipt so that a letter can be forwarded to parent;
4. If a parent contacts school to enquire about school places, this information MUST be provided to them;
5. Parent MUST complete an application to apply for a place. It is not possible to just advise a parent verbally that a year group is full or that their child will be placed on a waiting list; and   
6. If it is possible to offer a place, admission must be arranged as soon as possible;