Nursery Waiting Lists

[Guest]

I have just taken over my school Nursery in June and wondering what policies people follow in admitting new Nursery children?

Currently we have a waiting list and children are admitted in age order, however we often have people who put their child on the waiting list as soon as their child was born yet have to wait longer as their child is not yet 3 when the admissions are done for Sept. When their child does turn 3, there are no places for them until the following Sept! I have tried to give prioriity to families with children already in school but still feel like the system is muddled.

What do other settings do in terms of admissions?

[Cait]

Welcome and congratulations on your first post.

 

I know what you mean. I note down when booking forms are received and places are allocated at first come first served as far as is practical. I prepare next year's register in outline now (for 12-13 I mean) so I can see what vacancies are available for others. I start at the earliest date in the file and allocate spaces.

 

So at this point in the year I have 11-12 register done and 12-13 in outline (the children who are staying with us get 'first dibs', then the waiting list in order of bookings) Naturally the system isn't foolproof, there will always be a child who arrives out of the blue and assumes they can have a space because they are 3. I do try and save a space where I can for this eventuality, but it isn't always economically sensible to do that.

[Guest]

I do our lists in a similar way.

 

For instance anyone on the list with a child starting over the course of the next year has their place penciled in and I only use what is free at that point to take anyone else who comes in.

 

Of course with the move to SFF for half of the nursery day (we are LA maintained nursery till 11.30 when we go private) this may well change because bums on seats will mean money!!

 

We do stipulate in the nursery paperwork though that we offer a place the term after children's third birthday IF a place is available.

[Inge]

ours were age order... regardless of how long they were on the list...

 

actually we often said we would only take a form max 6 months before due to enter.. we had too many who used to change minds, vanish, not tell us they were on about 3 lists and not turn up..

 

We could not afford to 'keep a place' for a child with no income as they were not old enough when we had others who were and we would have the income.. just not financially viable to leave a place empty until they were old enough.. we always said we could not guarantee a place would be available.

 

so all depends on the way the income is calculated and given.. The SFF pays for attending children only so could they manage with just this over the year.. or be willing to.. if you change now would; you need to change it again later..

Edited August 14, 2011 by Inge

[Guest]

Thank you everyone for sharing your practice - it gives me something to think about. I may start compiling a provisonal list for 12 - 13 for children on waiting list as that sounds a good idea and when parents ask me where their child is on the waiting list I can give them a better idea. They may still want the place or not but not sure I can set a 6 month limit on apllications as they come in from too many directions (office, main school) and some parents like to get their child's name down asap as they want them to come to our school later - although it would make life easier .

[catma]

Thank you everyone for sharing your practice - it gives me something to think about. I may start compiling a provisonal list for 12 - 13 for children on waiting list as that sounds a good idea and when parents ask me where their child is on the waiting list I can give them a better idea. They may still want the place or not but not sure I can set a 6 month limit on apllications as they come in from too many directions (office, main school) and some parents like to get their child's name down asap as they want them to come to our school later - although it would make life easier .

 

Am I correct in thinking you are a maintained nursery class?

I would also stream line the system - who the forms go to for instance and what day can they be done on so there is a specific list gathered in order. In my last school the admin did all the admissions because the HT saw it as an admin task - they did admissions for the school and school nursery is no different! However admissions were only done on a tuesday and the SAO had the dedicated time to take parents through the processes and answer any questions. We prioritised the children who were closer to reception age/SEN from memory so that they had the nursery experience (this was before the 15 hours tho).

 

Also I'd say don't focus unnecessarily on length of time on the list = place in school; parents have to reapply anyway for a reception place. There is no guarantee that they will get one, even if they have siblings already attending.

 

Cx

[redjayne]

An admissions policy is always useful too - give it out with the pack when the family make initial enquiries, and make the policy crystal clear - stops some of the 'it's not fair' type of grumbles when a child doesn't get a place, and saves disappointment if a child doesn't fit the criteria and have the chance to consider other options also. Often the assumption that a name is on a list so a place is garanteed means parents don't have a plan B and it makes the disappointment harder to bear.

[Guest]

Couldnt agree more a policy that prospective parents have helps to stop ...'O but you said...............'

[kristina]

Hi Everyone

 

I have sort of a similar question, we are a term time only pre-school and I have just returned from my holidays (had a lovely time ) and I have 3 messages from parents whose children start in September, all 3 want to delay their start until funded so January and Easter! Now I have a waiting list from September so I could quite easily fill the spaces and have an income from them (this is my own setting) and in the introduction letter I do put that if a space is deferred until funding becomes available the place is not guaranteed. So do you think I'm mean if I inforce this!!

Sorry don't want to hijack the post!!

 

Kris

[Panders]

No I don't think this is mean. If you have stated it clearly previously to the parents I think you have every right to enforce it for the sustainability of your nursery. I would do exactly the same thing.

 

I am presently in the uneviable position of having quite a few spaces left over at the start of September this year due to local school offering a Sept rather than January start for the younger children and parents taking this up.

[garrison]

DEFINITELY NOT MEAN-YOUR POLICIES STATE THIS AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR SETTING SUSTAINABLE

[Inge]

Hi Everyone

 

I have sort of a similar question, we are a term time only pre-school and I have just returned from my holidays (had a lovely time ) and I have 3 messages from parents whose children start in September, all 3 want to delay their start until funded so January and Easter! Now I have a waiting list from September so I could quite easily fill the spaces and have an income from them (this is my own setting) and in the introduction letter I do put that if a space is deferred until funding becomes available the place is not guaranteed. So do you think I'm mean if I inforce this!!

Sorry don't want to hijack the post!!

 

Kris

 

no not mean, you need to enforce this.. I would write/ ring the parents concerned and tell them that is the place is not taken you will have to fill the place as you need the income to stay open.. also restating your policy that you cannot then guarantee a place will be available later in the year..

 

Income is little enough as it is you cannot afford to have empty unpaid spaces .. I would give them a chance to change thier mind if they want but do enforce the policy .

Edited August 18, 2011 by Inge

[Guest]

Ditto

[mps09]

That's what we do - gosh this is hard to put in words so this is how we work it as an example:-

 

 

If BOB wants a place/sessions from January then this is provisionnally booked on the understand that once if JO wants a space in September but we don't have it availabe because it's being held for BOB, then we ring BOB's parents and ask if they wish to pay for it, or let it go.....

 

Everyone understands this - it's certainly not mean - sometimes money is not hte reason parents want to defer, in which case they are happy to pay until they are ready for their child to attend.

 

Good luck!