How to apply
How to apply
New Parents
We, at Mortimer St. John’s, aim to ensure that your child’s first experiences of school are positive ones. We try to make the transition from pre-school to school as smooth as possible and organise many opportunities for the whole family to get to know the school community and the school itself. We believe that children who are familiar with us, and the school environment, feel happier and are more confident when starting school in September.
Parents of young children with Special Educational Needs are welcome to visit Mortimer St. John’s to see the school and learn about the provision available. Parents may choose to visit with a relevant professional who has been supporting the family.
Parent Partnership: At Mortimer St. John’s, we welcome and encourage parental involvement in the life of the school. We view education as a partnership between home and school, where everyone works together to benefit the children and enable them to gain the most from their time at school. This partnership begins in the term before the children start school and continues throughout their time with us.
May: The Foundation Stage teachers aim to visit as many pre-school settings as possible to meet the children who will begin school in September. This gives your child the opportunity to meet the Foundation teachers and staff in a familiar setting, before they come to visit the school and allows us to chat informally to their key workers.
June: New children are invited to visit the Foundation Stage for the afternoon. They are given the opportunity to explore their new surroundings, play in the setting and meet all Foundation Stage staff members. Roughly ten new children from each class attend each visit, allowing them to settle before they meet the whole class.
July: In July we run a ‘Moving Up Morning’. During the morning, children who currently attend the school move up to their new classes. All children starting school in September are invited to spend the morning in their new classes enabling them to meet their whole class and have a clear idea of what to expect in September. Towards the end of the visit parents/carers are invited to attend a brief presentation to meet the Foundation Stage teachers and find out more about the school.
September: During the first two weeks of school we offer families a home visit. This is a great chance for your child to meet with their new teacher and classroom assistant in their own familiar home environment. The home visits also give parents the opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher informally to share information about their child or ask any questions.
We understand that starting school can be as daunting for parents as it may be for their children. We therefore aim to be as helpful and informative as possible. We do appreciate that parents may have additional questions that they wish to ask, so please do not hesitate to approach any member of staff with any queries, or contact the school office who are always willing to answer questions.
Mortimer St. John’s
At Mortimer St. John’s we have our own registration of interest form which we ask you to complete as soon as you decide you would like your child to attend the school. We follow the West Berkshire’s policy for admitting foundation stage children into school which is as follows:
MoreMortimer St. Mary’s
You are able to apply for your child’s place the year before they are due to start school. Applications can be made from 1st September by completing the online application form on the West Berkshire Council website (link below) and the deadline for applications is 15th January. West Berkshire Local Authority (LA) Admissions policy 2020/2021 follows the criteria listed below:
MoreAdmission Appeals
Mortimer St. John’s
As a Voluntary Controlled school, Mortimer St John’s C of E Infant School admissions are dealt with by the Local Authority. Once an appeal form has been received, the Council will arrange for an Independent Appeal Panel to hear the appeal. Parents will be given 10 school days’ notice of the date, time and location of the appeal hearing. The Council will also send a statement approximately 10 working days before the appeal hearing. This statement will be from the Local Authority and will explain the reasons why a place was not offered at the school chosen. A copy of all other documentation relating to the appeal will also be sent along with the statement.
Further information can be found at https://info.westberks.gov.uk/admissionappeals
Mortimer St. Mary’s
As a Voluntary Aided school, Mortimer St Mary’s C of E Junior School admission appeals are dealt with by the Governing Board and the Oxford Diocese. Appeal hearings are private, confidential and independent of the school, governors and Local Authority and will be arranged by the Diocese normally within 30 or 40 school days of the appeal form being received. The paperwork for the appeal will be prepared by the school governors and presented to all parties at least seven school days before the date of the appeal hearing.
Further information can be found at https://www.oxford.anglican.org/schools/appeals-admissions/