Nursery Admissions
January 2024 update
Please note: we currently have no spaces available in our Nursery for the remainder of this Academic year (2023/24).
Nursery Admissions Policy
Exploring, questioning and experimenting opportunities are abundant in our well resourced classroom and outdoor learning space within our Nursery.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and support your child to master the skills they need in the earliest stages of their development.
The areas of learning are:
- communication and language
- physical development
- personal, social and emotional development
- literacy
- mathematics
- understanding the world
- expressive arts and design
About us
Wantage Primary Academy is a publicly funded independent school. Nursery classes at the Academy admit children aged between two and four years old. The admission number is 26 full time equivalent places.
- A part-time place consists of 15 hours per week (an offer will be made for either a morning or an afternoon place).
- A full-time place consists of 30 hours per week 8:40 – 11:40 lunch 12:30 – 3:30
- Places are offered for 38 weeks per year
- Sessions run Monday – Friday from 8:40-11:40 (morning sessions) or 12:30 – 3:30 (afternoon sessions).
We offer places as a combination of part and full-time places for 3 and 4-year-olds as a mixture of 15 hour-per week places and 30 hour-per week places, depending on age and eligibility.
A few 2-year-old spaces (for Rising threes) are also available for 15 hours for those with funded 2-year-old codes.
Start dates
Our main intake is the start of the academic year (September), from which point we aim to reach capacity as quickly as possible for economic reasons. Once full for the academic year, space will only be available should there be a change to an existing place, e.g., a child leaves or once children reach the age that the ratios mean places arise
We will admit 3 and 4-year-olds in the Autumn term in the first instance. Offers of places for the Spring and Summer terms will only be made if places are available throughout the year. 2-year-old places will be available for children starting in the Autumn term only and rising threes (children turning 3 before December 31st) will be prioritised (see oversubscription criteria). The Nursery terms are as follows:
Autumn Term: September 1st - December 31st
Spring Term: January 1st - March 31st
Summer Term: April 1st - August 31st
When a parent/carer contacts WPA’s Nursery enquiring about a place for their child, they are given all the relevant information they require and informed of whether there is currently a place available for their child. If there is not a space in that term available, parents are entitled to reapply for the next term/ following year.
Once the child is registered and a suitable place is available, the Office team, will contact the parent/carer concerned to offer a place and confirm details.
Start date | You will find out about places |
To start in the Autumn Term (September) | June |
To start in the Spring Term (January) | October |
To start in the Summer Term (April) | February |
Uniform
We ask that children wear a basic uniform of school polo shirt with logo and school sweatshirt with logo with your own choice of leg wear. Children should have trainers for indoors and be provided with wellies for outside (these need to be available every day). If you would like your child to wear the full school uniform they may do so .
Apply for a place in nursery
Click here to apply for a place in our nursery.
Additional information about 3 and 4 year olds
All 3 and 4 year olds are eligible for 15 hours per week funding and working (single and joint) parents are eligible for 30 hours funding. www.gov.uk/get-childcare. You can apply for funding from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old. You can apply outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time. You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts. You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If your eligibility for 30 hours of funding changes, you will be offered a 15 hour place or the option to retain a 30 hour place, if chosen additional fees will apply at the same hourly rate of funding offered by Oxfordshire County Council.
If you are unsure how to apply for funding, please do complete your nursery application and we help with the application for funding. Places will be offered once your eligibility for funding is confirmed.
2 YEAR OLDS
We are able to take some 2-year-olds (please see policy ).
Some 2 year olds are eligible for free early education funding.
All 2 year old places are funded by Oxfordshire County Council. To check your eligibility please visit: OCC Citizen Portal.