Admissions Policy

Admissions Policy

 At Rabbit Patch Day Nursery, we care for up to 56 children daily between the ages of 0 and 5 years.

The numbers and ages of children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery.

The nursery uses the following admission criteria, which is applied in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after children
2. A child known by the local authority to have special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND) and whose needs can be best met at the preferred nursery
3. A vulnerable child with either a Child Protection or a Child in Need Plan, or in receipt of other local authority support
4. Children who have siblings who are already with us
5. Children whose parents live within the area.

A child requiring a full-time place may have preference over one requiring a part-time place. This is dependent upon work commitments, occupancy and room availability. We operate a waiting list and places are offered on an availability basis.

We operate an Inclusion and equality policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents.

There is a minimum attendance of 2 sessions per week. A session may be 8am-1pm, 1pm-6pm, 9am-3pm or 8am-6pm. The minimum attendance is in the child’s best interests as too big a gap between attendance can be detrimental.

An £80.00 registration fee is required to reserve a space for your child. This is purely to ensure the space is taken up. Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and sign a contract, terms and conditions and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.

Providers eligible to provide government funded places for early education

All settings registered to accept government funding (detailed in the Nursery operational plan) must offer the funded places for two/three- to five-year-olds for early learning sessions specified by the local authority. At Rabbit Patch Day Nursery, we currently provide government funded places for children; this is subject to availability. These places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and can be booked a term in advance. Please note for the admissions of the government funded nursery education places we have a termly intake, beginning the term following your child’s second/third birthday.

All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for their funded place, we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes. We reserve the right to limit and/or have specific funded sessions, according to our business requirements. Please see the Funding Policy.