Infant and primary school admissions

It is vital that you are happy with the school you select for your child’s education. We recommend you visit local schools to help with this decision.

Primary admissions scheme

Primary admissions are co-ordinated by the local authority. The scheme includes:

A shared timetable
A single applications process
The sharing of information
A single letter offering a place

All preferences will be treated on an equal basis, taking account of the admissions criteria. Where there is potential to offer a place at more than one school, the single offer will be for the school the parent ranked highest. If you do not receive an allocation of a preferred school/s you will be informed of your right of appeal.

Applicable school ages

Children born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 are due to start Primary/Infant school in September 2008, January 2009 and April 2009. Parents and carers who require a place in a Wokingham Borough Primary or Infant school will need to apply - either by paper application or online - for a place by 25 January 2008.

All Wokingham Borough schools offer places in the term before they reach compulsory school age. this is known as Foundation Stage 2 - Reception - or Rising 5s, on a part time basis, so:

If your child was born on or between 1 September 2003 and 31 December 2003, your child is entitled to start Rising 5 education in September 2008
If your child was born on or between 1 January 2004 and 31 March 2004 your child is entitled to start Rising 5 education in January 2009
If your child was born on or between 1 April 2004 and 31 August 2004 your child is entitled to start Rising 5 education in April 2009

Apply by 25 January 2008

Regardless of start date if your child is born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 the application form should be completed and returned by 25 January 2008. Forms received after this date will be treated as a late application and will be processed after the main allocation.

The governors of the 8 church aided and 1 foundation school continue to be the admissions authorities for their schools but Wokingham authority will act on their behalf to co-ordinate admissions using the application form. Additional information may be required for entry into these schools and details of what will be required will be sent to you by the authority or by the school, if you list one of these schools as a preference.

Application for Wokingham Primary and Infant school

You can only apply for a Wokingham Borough Primary/Infant school using the Wokingham application process. The application process for Wokingham Borough Primary/Infant schools is available to all parents, regardless of their home address.

You will need to pre-register your child with our Children’s Services School Admissions Team to automatically receive an application pack. If you have not received a pack by mid December please contact the Admissions Section. The key dates in the application and allocation process are as follows:

November 2007 – application packs distributed.
1 December 2007 - website open for online applications
25 January 2008 – closing date for applications
25 January 2008 - deadline for providing evidence of where you live to meet designated area and other criteria
31 March 2008 – parents sent notification of school allocated
21 April 2008 – deadline for parents to accept the place offered
16 May 2008 – closing date for lodging an appeal

More details

For more information or to register for an application pack if your child is born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 please complete the contact form below and return it to school admissions or contact:

School admissions contact details
Information	Contact
Address:	School Admissions Team Children’s Services Wokingham Borough Council PO Box 156 Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WN
Telephone:	0118 974 6245 0118 974 6146 0118 974 6111 0118 974 6143 0118 974 6113
Fax:	0118 974 6135
Email:	schooladmissions@wokingham.gov.uk