Join us for our open sessions for new prospective parents on Tuesday 5th November and Thursday 14th November, from 9:30am to 10:30am and 2pm to 3pm on both days.
Admissions - Nursery
If you would like your child to start in our Nursery you need to complete a registration form at your earliest convenience. We can offer both the 15hrs Universal Funding and 30hrs Extended Funding. Why not make an appointment to come see our nursery provision for 3 and 4 year olds?
NURSERY REGISTRATION FORM - click here
Bishops Down Nursery School is a sessional nursery, led by qualified teachers, for children aged 3-4 years old. We are very proud of our provision and, we believe, we offer our children the best start possible.
Our Nursery School is on the same wonderful site as Bishops Down Primary School and the children get to enjoy and share the amazing grounds, facilities and dedicated staff.
The Nursery provides a stimulating, exciting, secure and friendly learning environment where every child's contribution is valued. We aim to give each child a sense of achievement and success. Through practical activity children broaden their growing understanding of the world.
We can offer all children the Universal Funded Government entitlement of 15 hours per week in nursery and we also offer the Extended Funded 15 hours per week – a total of 30 hours - if you are eligible. We know how important it is to support working parents and we hope that you will consider Bishops Down Nursery. Please do come along for a tour of our Nursery and see for yourself our unique provision – to make an appointment please phone the school office and ask for the Admissions Secretary.
Admissions Criteria for Entry into the Nursery 
In the event that the Nursery is oversubscribed, pupils will be offered places in the following order:
- Children who have been offered places in the school’s reception class in September but who will not be starting in that year group until January or April the following year and prior to their 5th birthday.
- Health and Special Access reasons. These places are for children who have a permanent, severe and/or complex physical disability or serious medical condition that causes a level of independent mobility or self-care that restricts/prevents an alternative placement.
- Children in Local Authority Care.
- Current family association or siblings.
- Nearness of child's home to the school (as the crow flies).
We do not take account of the following:
- How long your child has been registered with the Nursery School.
- Any previous association you or your family may have with this school.
- How long or short a time you have lived in this area.
When can my child start at the Nursery?
We admit children 3 times per year:
- Children born in the period 1st January to 31st March: the start of term beginning on or following 1st April after the child’s third birthday;
- Children born in the period 1st April to 31st August: the start of term beginning on or following 1st September after the child’s third birthday;
- Children born in the period 1st September to 31st December: the start of term beginning on or following 1st January after the child’s third birthday.
What is my child’s entitlement?
All children are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded universal nursery provision.
Some children will also be entitled to an extended entitlement of an additional 15 hours of funded nursery provision. The additional 15 hours of funded childcare is available for families where both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone-parent family), and each parent earns the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, and earns less than £100,000 a year. To find out if you are eligible for the new extended funding please go to: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
How long are the Nursery sessions?
Sessions last for 3 hours and you can choose between mornings only, afternoons only or a combination of the two.
| Morning Session | Lunchtime Session | Afternoon Session |
| 8:30am to 11:30am | 11:30am to 12:15pm | 12:15pm to 3:15pm |
| A full day would be two sessions, the morning and the afternoon combined, with lunch in the middle. | ||
What Sessions can my Child attend?
We are flexible! Of your universal funded 15 hours we ask that you start with 3 sessions increasing to 5 as your child becomes more confident – but you can use all your 15 hours from the beginning. We would expect children to be attending 15 hours per week (5 sessions) in their last few terms with us, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If you are eligible for the extended 15 hours of funded childcare then again we are flexible – it will be up to you and what your needs are whether you want your child to extend by 3 or 15 hours. In total your child is entitled to 30 hours funded childcare as long as you are eligible.
You can split your funding between two settings – which means your child can attend Bishops Down Nursery and also another nursery or childminder. We would hope that your child would be with us throughout their Early Years education but we realise that parents need the flexibility to split between two settings due to their personal circumstances.
Increasing your sessions can take place at the beginning of each seasonal term. Due to funding restrictions you are not able to increase half way through a term. So do ensure you book what you need from the beginning, letting the Admissions Office know as soon as you can when you want to increase so they are able to give you priority for the next seasonal term.
You can buy extra sessions too!
If you are using all your universal 15 hours and are not entitled to the extended 15 hours then you can buy sessions. These are payable in advance and are currently £19.50 per session. You can secure the same sessions each week for a whole short term or you can book them on an ad-hoc basis – whatever suits your circumstances. The Admissions Office will organise this for you.
Please note that extra sessions are only available if the nursery is not full. Termly sessions need to be booked each short term so that new children joining us are not disadvantaged.
How do sessions get allocated?
Sessions are allocated on a first come first served basis once parents are offered places. Parents will be asked to submit a request using the form provided at the time. Informal requests will not receive priority. Sessions will then be allocated by school staff and offered to you. The school cannot guarantee that you will be offered all your choices as that will depend on sessions already taken up by existing children.
Your child can have Lunch too!
Lunch is from 11.30am to 12.15pm each day. The cost for the lunch period is £4.90 (known as LUNCH CLUB) for the staffing/childcare element and you can either provide your child with a packed lunch or they can have a cooked school dinner which is currently £2.30. If your child is with us all day (morning and afternoon session) then you can also collect your child at 11.30am and return them at 12.15pm if you do not wish to pay. If you child is here for just the morning or just the afternoon you can also tag on a school lunch.
We have Wrap Around Care – so you can extend further!
We have a Breakfast Club and an After School Club should you need them. Breakfast Club starts from 7.30am and After School Club runs until 6.00pm. There is a charge for these as our nursery provision is sessional and not a day care facility. Find out more by clicking this link: Wrap Around Care.
How do I apply for a place?
Please complete a registration form which is available either from the school office or via this link. Nursery Registration Form.
When are the Deadlines for Registration?
| Term Your Child will Start | Applicant Needed by |
| Term 1 September | End of Term 4 Prior to the Easter Holidays |
| Term 3 January | End of Term 6 Prior to the Summer Holidays |
| Term 5 April | End of Term 2 Prior to the Christmas/New Year Holidays |
Requests received after the deadline dates above will be treated as “late applications” and these will only be considered after all other applications.
When will we find out if my child has a place?
You will be informed whether your child has a place in writing a seasonal term, as per the dates above, prior to your child starting.
Can I book a tour of the Nursery?
Yes of course. Please telephone the school office on 01892 520114 to book a private tour.
Admissions - School
Mrs Jo Sheldon is the school's Admissions Officer and Office Manager. She can be reached on 01892 520114 or via email on: jsheldon@bishops-down.kent.sch.uk
Reception Class 2024 - Appeals process
Information below from Kent County Council Appeals Department:-
If your child is due to start Primary school in September 2024, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Tuesday, 16 April 2024). You need to submit your appeal before Tuesday 14 May 2024 for it to be considered by Tuesday 16th July 2024. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.
For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education
Prospective Parent Tours for Admission to Reception Class - September 2024
We have now held our Prospective Parent tours for Reception class 2024. These were held at the beginning of November. However, please do get in touch with the Admissions Officer for a private tour.
In Year Admissions
If you are interested in a place at our school in one of our current academic years please do phone our Admissions Officer to enquire if there is space and perhaps book a tour.
If you are interested in the place available or if you wish to join a waiting list for that year group you will be asked to complete an IYAF. Should there be a space in the year group you are interested in and accept the place offered our Admissions Officer will assist you with the paperwork needed and ensure that a smooth transition is obtained.
Where there is no space available you will be asked if you would like to join a waiting list for that year group. If a place becomes available, and your child is the the most eligible on the waiting list, the Admissions Officer will make contact with you. This is in accordance with KCC's Over Subscription Criteria as below. Please note that in the case of two children with siblings on the waiting list the most eligIble will be the one living closest regardless of how long you have been on the list.
Our Admissions Criteria
KCC oversubscription Criteria for Community and Voluntary Controlled Infant Junior and Primary Schools is:
· Children in Local Authority Care (see * below)
· Attendance at a linked school (this does not apply to Bishops Down Primary)
· Current Family Association (siblings)
· Health and Special Access Reasons
· Nearness of children's homes to school
* Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children:
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A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.
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A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
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A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
Kent County Council, our Local Authority, is the school's Admissions Authority and parents are always advised to contact Kent to find out about the admission arrangements for our school. Their telephone number is: 03000 412121
Click below for KCCss Admissions Page:-
http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places