Nursery and Reception
Admissions Policy
John Ball is a three form entry community primary school. It is a popular school and there are many more parents and carers who want to send their children to us than we are able to take. The school only has responsibility for nursery admissions. The Borough of Lewisham admissions deal with all Reception class places as well as In-year admissions for all other age groups.
John Ball Primary School follows the admissions procedures and policy set out for maintained schools by Lewisham Local Authority. The local Authority also manages all applications for secondary school places as part of a pan London agreement.
The school employs an Admissions Officer, who is part of the school business team. They have day to day responsibility for managing this process and liaising with the Local Authority. Ultimately the Head teacher is responsible for ensuring the school manages the admissions process correctly in line with the Local Authority policy.
Nursery Admissions
John Ball offer 24 full-time nursery places. This is for 30 hours a week, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 3.00pm. However, if you wish to be considered for a part time place, please indicate this on the application form. Please note preference is not guaranteed. Part time hours would be Monday to Friday 9.00-12.00 midday or 12.00 midday to 3.00pm
The application form is below. Please e-mail this to admissions@johnball.lewisham.sch.uk or you can drop the form into the main school office.
We do not accept applications until your child turns 2 years of age. Children are admitted to the Nursery once they have turned 3 years of age and in the academic year they turn 4. We only have one intake in September. The School manages its own admissions for the nursery class using the criteria of siblings first to be offered a place and then home to school distance.
Deadline for Nursery Applications for starting in September 2022 is Thursday 5th May 2022
If your child is only eligible for 15 hours funding but you would like 30 hours;
For the other 15 hours, you would need to pay the current charge of £6.00 per hour, which will be £90.00 a week to top up to the total of 30 hours. (You will be invoiced termly in advance for this)
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim a total of 30 free hours. Please see the link below for information and to see if you are eligible:
https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare
If your child is eligible for 30 hours funding
If you are entitled to 30 hours of free childcare, you MUST apply for this as soon as possible and let us know your unique 30 Hour code. You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you will have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.
Children who are not offered a place, will automatically be put on a waiting list. Should a place become available we will contact you.
If you wish to contact someone about admissions please click on the link admissions@johnball.lewisham.sch.uk or call 02088521601
Reception Admissions
If you would like your child to join our Reception class then you must complete your local borough common application form (CAF) online. To apply online go to eadmissions.org.uk On the form you can select up to six schools listing them in order of your preference.
However, there are a number of admissions criteria that apply to offers that are made for places at John Ball. These are in order of priority:
- a child in public care; that is a child who is looked after by the local authority
- in exceptional circumstances, a child may be admitted on the grounds of acute medical or social need, for either them or a family member
- a child whose brother or sister is still on the school roll at the time of admittance in to Reception Year
- if after the above criteria are taken into account, priority will be given to children whose permanent home address is closest to the school.
Waiting lists will be held for the first term of the reception year only. Those with a continuing interest in a place at a school beyond this time will be required to inform Lewisham Borough Admissions to remain on the waiting list.
For applying for Reception for 2022
Lewisham Determined Admissions Criteria 2022-2023
Lewisham will offer parents an e-mail reminder service about admissions and will also offer on-line information via their website with PDF printable versions for parents to print off and direct links to schools websites.
For further information about the primary school application process please click on this link to take you to the Lewisham Website
Parents and carers of children who wish them to join the school, in any class, at any other time of the year need to complete an “In-Year” admissions form. This is now done online. The same admissions criteria is applied to all applications with the addition of an “out of education” priority, whereby children who have just arrived in the area are given priority over other children who are already in a school and just wish to move.
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For starting school September 2021 – If you did not get John Ball as your school
You are automatically on the waiting list of any school of higher preference choice to the one you are offered.
Waiting list for Lewisham Community Schools will not be available until after 31st May 2021. Parents are asked not to ring before this date.
However, if you require any other information, please do not hesitate to contact the admissions officer via 02088521601 or admissions@johnball.lewisham.sch.uk
Appeals
- Parents wishing to lodge appeals should do so by Friday 14th May 2021.
- For community schools in Lewisham parents should contact Jasmine Kassim, on Tel: 0208 314 8577
- Appeals lodged after Friday 14th May 2021 will not be heard until September 2021.
More information on the process and for Appeals can be found here:-
Headteacher: Jacqui Noakes
Deputy Headteacher: Stephen Mitchell
Address: Southvale Road, Blackheath, London, SE3 0TP
Telephone: 020 8852 1601
