To complete and online application form for a place in our Nursery or Main School please click below for the Application Form:
Once completed the form will be sent directly to the school office.
Please note this form cannot be used to apply for Reception places as these are arranged by the Admissions team at Bury Council. Appeals for places in our school are also arranged via the Admissions Team at Bury Council.
If you would like your child to attend our school, please see full details of our admission arrangements below.
NURSERY ADMISSIONS
Admissions
St Luke’s C.E. Primary School are responsible for our own admissions into nursery. We are delighted to be able to offer 60 places to 3 and 4 year olds in our nursery class. Children will use the 15 hours free entitlement in a morning nursery session running Monday – Friday from 8:50am – 11:50am or in the afternoon nursery session running Monday-Friday 12:15pm-3:15pm.
Those who are eligible for the extended 30 hours government funded hours can be offered a full time place if they require it. We can also offer full time places on a self-funded basis for those not eligible for the 30 hours funding. These additional 15 hours will be charged at an hourly rate of £4 per hour, £60 a week. Please see below for further information. Our nursery is led by a Qualified Teacher and experienced Level 2 and Level 3 Teaching Assistants.
September Starters
Our main intake takes place in September for children who are 3, turning 4 that academic year (an academic year runs from 1stSeptember until 31stAugust the following year).
January Starters
If we have availability, we can admit 3 year old children in the January if their birthday falls between 1stSeptember and 31stDecember. These children will be known as ‘Rising 3’s’ and will complete 5 terms in our nursery.
Equal Opportunities
St Luke’s is committed to ensuring that nursery places are allocated according to date of registration. As such, any decision to refuse admission will not be based upon ability, gender, distance, ethnicity or religious background.
Applying for a place in the Nursery
Please complete an application form on our admissions page. You will be asked to show your child’s birth certificate to the school office - this can be brought in at anytime. On the form you will be asked to express your preference for your child to be placed in our morning or afternoon class. We cannot guarantee to meet your preference. The earlier you apply the more likely you are to get a place at our nursery at the session time you would prefer. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. We will only admit children in the January if there are places available. We do not admit children in April. If a particular session is full (morning or afternoon) we will create a waiting list.
Home Visits
To support your child with their transition into our nursery, we will offer you the opportunity to receive a home visit by our nursery team. This creates the opportunity for our staff to meet your child when they are at their most comfortable in their own, familiar setting. You also have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. Home visits will take place during the June or July before the new academic year begins. Visits will last approximately 15 minutes and will be conducted by 2 members of staff following our safeguarding procedures.
New to Nursery Parent Welcome Meeting
In the July before the new academic year begins in September, we will host a new to nursery welcome meeting. This meeting will provide you with the essential information to prepare your child for a successful year in our school. We will inform you on what your child will need to bring to school each day, detail our school uniform, explain to you how we teach, observe and assess your child and suggest ways in which you can further support your child’s learning at home. During this meeting the children will have an opportunity to play in their new classroom environment, meet their new peers and teachers.
Waiting Lists
If your child is not successful in their application to our nursery your child’s name will be placed on a waiting list. If a place becomes available your child may be offered this place. Similarly if you did not receive your preference as to a morning or afternoon session place, your child’s name will be placed on a waiting list to swap sessions if a space becomes available.
Attendance
Spaces are limited in our nursery. We ask that you ensure your child maintains a good level of attendance. Failure to do so may see your child losing their place. It is our responsibility as stated in guidelines set by the government, to complete a daily register and follow up any absences to ensure the best wellbeing of the child. A child’s attendance becomes a cause for concern if it falls below 96.7%.
Further Information:
Free 15 Hours Funding
All children are entitled to a free place in an Early Years educational setting to access 15 hours (570 hours per year) of funded Nursery Education per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their third birthday.
30 Hours Extended Free Childcare Funding
From September 2017, the government extended the free childcare offer for eligible 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours per week (1140 hours per year) for 38 weeks of the year. To qualify for the additional hours of free childcare, each parent (or the sole parent in a single parent family) needs to earn, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours per week at national minimum wage, and less than £100,000 per year. This extended childcare offer is flexible and families can use it to suit their needs. Self-employed parents and parents on zero-hours contracts will be eligible if they meet the average earnings threshold.
Parents can check if they qualify and apply for the extended entitlement at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Parents will be given an eligibility code which must be submitted to the school for verification before the child wishes to access their extended entitlement. Parents are responsible for renewing their code before it expires. Children who cease to qualify for the extended entitlement will be able to continue to access it until the end of a specific grace period. Following the end of their grace period the child will revert to the universal offer (15 hours, term time only) the following term, unless the parent choses to pay for the additional hours.
If families do not meet the eligibility criteria for the additional 15 hours of free childcare, they may pay for additional hours over and above the initial 15 hours.
Other Policies
Please see our school website for other related policies such as Safeguarding Policy, attendance Policy, Equality Policy, Complaints Policy and Charging Policy.