ADMISSIONS

If your child's date of birth is between 01/09/23 and 31/08/24.

To apply for a place for our September 2027 Nursery, please fill out the form below.

Nursery Admissions

The process for getting a nursery place in a Barking and Dagenham community

school

If your child was born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, they can apply for a nursery class place starting in September 2025.

The school will need proof of where you and your child live. We define your home as the address where the parent or carer is responsible for paying council tax and where Child Benefit is registered (for the child applying).

Each school will use the admission criteria (conditions) to decide which applications to accept and which to turn down not to the length of time that your child’s name has been on a waiting list. The admission criteria for our school are listed below. You cannot appeal against decisions made about nursery places.

Admission criteria for nursery places in a Barking and Dagenham community school If there are more applications than places for any nursery classes, we will use the following criteria, in

the priority order 1 to 3, to decide which children we will offer places to.

Admission criteria

• Priority 1 Children who are in the care of a local authority.
• Priority 2 Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) at the school
• Priority 3 Children who live closest to the school, measured in meters in a straight line (as the crow flies).

Important notes

1. The child’s home must be the permanent address where they live with their legal guardian. This should be the address for your council tax and where any Child Benefit is addressed.

2. ‘Sibling’ means:

• A full brother or sister;
• A half-brother or half-sister;
• A stepbrother or stepsister; and
• An adopted or long-term fostered brother or sister;

living at the same address and going to the named school. Please make sure you name all siblings

on your application form. If they are not listed on your form, we cannot take them into account.

3. All distances are measured using SIA’s Geographical Information System, SMART from the centre of the child’s home to the school’s main gate. If you live outside the area, we will use the same system to work out distances.

4. We will use distance from home to school for pupils who have an equal claim for a place (eg: all

children have a sibling link). Those children living nearest to the school will be given priority when

deciding on places. When measurements are the same (for example, from a block of flats), we will

then use a lottery system (random allocation) to offer places to children.

5. You should remember that going to a particular nursery class does not guarantee, or give priority to the reception class of any of the borough’s infant or primary schools. Also, going to a particular primary or junior school does not guarantee, or give priority to, a place at a particular secondary school.

6. We cannot consider other circumstances not listed in the admission criteria. It is important that we are consistent in our judgment and use only the admission criteria that have been agreed.

7. If we discover that we have given your child a place at a school based on false or misleading information, we will withdraw the place and may take legal action. 

Waiting lists for nursery classes

If a school receives more applications than it has places available (i.e. is oversubscribed), it

will keep a waiting list in priority order for all the children that were not successful.

Please note this form is a request only - it does not in any way guarantee a place in our Nursery. 

Our Grafton Nursery offers places for children whose parents qualify for 30 hours of

free childcare.

Eligibility criteria:

You will generally qualify if you (and your partner, if applicable) are:

• Employed, or on parental, sick, or annual leave
• Each earning at least the National Minimum or Living Wage for 16 hours perweek (this equals £125.28 if you are over 25). (This minimum income requirement does not apply if you are self-employed and have been running your business for less than 12 months.)

You will not be eligible if:

• Your child does not normally live with you
• You or your partner has a taxable income above £100,000
• You are from outside the EEA and your UK residence card states that you cannot access public funds

If you are a foster parent, you cannot apply online for the 30 hours free childcare

scheme. Please speak with your social worker and local authority for guidance on

how to apply.

You can receive 30 hours of free childcare alongside other support, such as

Universal Credit, tax credits, childcare vouchers, or Tax-Free Childcare.

If you are unable to work:

You may still qualify if your partner is working and you receive one of the following

benefits:

• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance

If you think you may be eligible and would like to register your interest, please email

office@graftonprimary.co.uk or call on 0203 727 5171.

Further information will be provided once you have expressed your interest.