Admissions
Admissions
How to Apply – starting school in Reception at Northchapel School
To apply for a place in our Reception intake, please click the link below to find out about West Sussex County Council’s Admission arrangements for September 2025. Note that the application process for September 2024 opens at 9am on Monday 3rd October 2023: applications MUST be submitted online before Wednesday 15th January 2025.
CLICK HERE to go to West Sussex County Council’s website, to find out more.
How to Apply – places in other year groups at Northchapel School or Little Oaks Pre-school
Please contact the office to arrange a visit to chat with our Head Teacher or Pre-school Supervisor, look round the school and meet some of our staff. At this visit we can talk to you about the admissions process.
Joining us for “Big School”
Many children start their learning journey with us in Little Oaks Pre-school and transition then into the main school is very smooth. Children who do not attend our pre-school are also offered a high level of transition opportunities to ensure they quickly settle in and feel confident about starting school with us. We are very proud of our transition arrangements.
In the Summer Term, children who are ready to start school in the Autumn Term are invited for transition sessions where they join their new class and then stay for lunch with the rest of the school, supported by a buddy from Year 5, who looks after them during lunch. Many parents have told us what a fantastic opportunity this is, and lovely friendships are built between the new starter and their older buddy from higher up the school.
This buddy is then in Year 6 in September and continues to support the new starter children in their first few weeks of school.
Parents are also invited to a new starter welcome meeting in the summer term at school where all the information you will need and forms to sign are given out, as well as a chance to meet the class teacher and the head teacher. There is also an opportunity to purchase uniform.
Towards the end of the summer term, home visits are carried out by the teacher and teaching assistant to meet the child and their parents in their own home. This is a time when parents can ask questions.
Starting School in September
Please note: children born from September to February half term begin school full time.
Children born after the end of February half term to the end of August start part time until October half term when parents have the opportunity to review this with the class teacher.
We have noted over many years that the younger children in the year benefit so much from a staggered start, enabling them to settle into school without becoming overtired and making a great start to their time with us. We can discuss these arrangements with parents during the transition meetings.
We adhere to the West Sussex Policy on admissions. Children must, by law, be in full-time education by the start of the term which follows their fifth birthday.
West Sussex LEA Admissions office will automatically send admissions forms to families in the catchment area one year before the children are due to start school. It is important to return the form to West Sussex as early as possible to secure a place at the school. Families are officially informed whether a place is available at the school during the Spring Term before the child starts in the September. Children who attend our Pre-school are not necessarily entitled to a place at the school. All children are admitted to school based on the West Sussex admissions criteria.