Following an initial inquiry, prospective parents will be forwarded a school prospectus, including an Admissions Policy and Registration Form.

Prospective parents will also be invited to tour the school and attend an informal meeting with the Headmistress or another member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Prospective parents must complete the school’s registration form and pay the non-refundable £60 registration fee to be formally considered for a place at Newbridge Preparatory School. The return of the Registration Form and registration fee secures a provisional place on our entry lists and ensures that the child will be considered for a place at the school.

We arrange our waiting list in order of registration (Registration Form and £60 Registration Fee). Also, our policy may consider siblings attending the setting. Please note that if places are oversubscribed, registration for a place does not automatically guarantee that a place will be available.

At this stage, session booking forms will be sent to parents of children applying to start Pre-Nursery and Nursery. Sessions can then be requested but cannot be guaranteed.

Admission into Pre-Nursery is in the September following a child’s 2nd birthday. It is also based on the order of registration for Pre-Nursery. The minimum attendance is three sessions per week, determined by the criteria that the child is physically, emotionally, and socially ready to be away from home and participate and progress in a more formal learning environment; such determination shall be at the school’s discretion. Pre-Nursery maximum number of children per session is 16 (based on floor space and staffing ratios). Priority for session booking is given in the registration order.

Admission into Nursery is in the September following a child’s 3rd birthday, based on order of registration in Pre-Nursery. The minimum attendance is five morning sessions. The maximum number of children per session is 24 (based on floor space and staffing ratios).

Admission into Reception is in September following a child’s 4th birthday, based on the order of registration in the Nursery. Attendance is full-time. Reception average class size is 18. Class sizes more than this are permissible at the discretion of The Directors.

There is no formal assessment for children entering the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, candidates seeking admission at the Nursery and Reception are invited to an informal evaluation with the Early Years Coordinator, Reception Teacher, or Nursery Teacher. Admission into the Nursery and Reception will be based on this informal taster session to ensure that the child will benefit from our style of education. Some simple assessments might also help clarify this—the decision not to admit a child is final.

If you register your child for Pre-Nursery and they do not start/take up the offered place then they will be moved onto a waiting list for the next year of entry (i.e. Nursery in September). They will not hold their current position on the admissions list. Places on our waiting lists are offered in order of registration.

We do not allow deferral of places or future booking of places (Pre-Nursery to Reception) but you can be moved onto our waiting list for a place in both Nursery and Reception. This ensures the continuation of places for current children and allows a fair system of entry for all potential pupils.

All prospective pupils for key stage one and stage two are assessed for entry following the admission requirements of the school and the criteria relevant to the particular year group for which the application is being made. In evaluating the completed assessments, the Headmistress will seek evidence to support the view that the prospective pupil will be able to develop and prosper in the academic and social environment of the School. As part of the entrance assessment procedure, a letter may be sent to the Headteacher at the child’s current school to request a confidential pupil report.

Children are admitted to ensure their ability, aptitude, and attitude are within the range of the children already in that year group so that adequate education and use of resources may continue. The school must be able to meet the child’s educational needs within the resources available.

Pupils applying for entry into key stage one and key stage two are invited to attend two ‘Taster Days’. During these taster days, the pupil will complete the school’s entrance assessments.

Admission into Year One to Year Six is based on:

• A satisfactory report from the prospective pupil’s previous school
• The successful completion of entry assessments. Successful completion is defined as assessment scores falling within or above the existing academic range of the class.
• The completion of a signed declaration by all parents of the prospective pupils, which informs the school of all known special educational needs of the prospective pupil concerned
• Completion of the entrance procedure

Pupils are selected for entry from Year 1 upwards by assessments, but consideration is also given to character and co-curricular attainments or interests. We endeavour to find out as much as possible about each child before considering an offer of a place.

An offer of a place at the school will be made through a formal letter from the Headmistress to the prospective parents, which may be subject to such conditions as are specified in the letter. Accompanying the offer letter will be an Acceptance Form and the current edition of the Newbridge Preparatory School’s Terms and Conditions. To accept the place, the Acceptance Form must be completed and signed (signatures are required from each of those with parental responsibility). The form must be returned to the Headmistress together with the deposit of £300.

At this stage, session confirmation will be sent to parents of children applying to start Pre-Nursery and Nursery.

The £300 deposit is only refundable on the pupil leaving the school provided the appropriate notice period is given, any financial accounts are clear and any school property has been returned. The Deposit will not be refunded if a child who has accepted a place does not take up their position, and fees may also be due. Once a child has left Newbridge Preparatory School, it is the sole responsibility of the parent to formally request the refund of the deposit. This request must be made within 12 months of the child’s departure. After this period, any unclaimed deposits will be forfeited and no longer available for refund.

A place is reserved for a prospective pupil when the Acceptance Form has been completed and returned to the school, together with the required deposit payment. A formal letter is sent from the Registrar to the prospective parent acknowledging receipt of the Acceptance Form and deposit amount and confirming that the place has been reserved.

After the Acceptance Form has been returned, prospective parents who cancel their acceptance of a place less than a term before the date the pupil was due to join the School will be liable for paying a term’s fees (less the deposit held) to the School.

The offer of a place is subject to IAPS and ISA agreement criteria whereby parents of new pupils must have discharged all financial obligations at their existing school.

At this stage, sessions will be reserved and held for parents of children applying to start Pre-Nursery and Nursery.

PRE-NURSERY
Pre-nursery children will have a phase starting in September of their entry. A parent is recommended to stay with the child on the first visit and leave the child on the second, remaining contactable by telephone and within an easy return distance. (More details are available in the School Induction Policy)

NURSERY
Nursery children will be invited to at least two induction sessions of no longer than an hour and a half. For a child new to the setting, it is recommended that a parent stays with the child on the first visit and leaves the child on the second visit; remaining contactable by telephone and within an easy return distance. For a child moving up to Nursery from PRE-NURSERY, these sessions will take place as part of the child’s booked sessions, and a parent does not need to attend. (More details are available in the School Induction Policy)

RECEPTION, KEY STAGE ONE AND KEY STAGE TWO
In the Summer Term, before the pupils take up their place at the start of the next Academic Year, new pupils are invited to attend the school for a morning to meet their new Form Teacher and spend some time in their new classroom. This is known as ‘Move-Up Morning’ and is usually held in June/July.

NURSERY – YEAR SIX PARENTS
For the September intake of pupils, prospective parents will be invited to attend an Information Evening, which is specifically for parents of new children entering the school, along with parents whose children are moving to a new academic year and the provision of an opportunity for new parents to meet the School staff.

INFORMATION
Pupils joining the school in September will receive detailed information in June. Pupils entering the school during the academic year will receive detailed information as soon as possible following the acceptance of a place.

Should any year group be oversubscribed, a waiting list is held, ranked by order of registration, preference is given to siblings, or siblings joining the school simultaneously.

It is assumed that a pupil will continue into the next academic year (and parents must, in every case, give a minimum of a term’s notice if that is not their intention).

A place in the Upper School will be continued based on Academic Assessments. The Head must be satisfied that the pupil can cope with the pace and rigour of academic life in the Upper School. If the Head has concerns about a pupil’s progression into the Upper School, she will meet with parents as soon as possible in the pupil’s school career and, in any case, no later than the end of the Spring Term in Year Two.

All pupils progressing to the Upper School must also have demonstrated a willingness and ability to contribute positively to the life of the School and an ability to benefit from the educational opportunities on offer.

The pupils’ progress will be monitored carefully throughout Pre-Nursery and Nursery. Progression into the Reception Year is not necessarily guaranteed. Assessment at such an early age can be difficult as children develop at different rates throughout their early school days. If it is discovered that a pupil is finding it difficult to cope with the curriculum, a discussion with the pupil’s parents is entered into to advise alternative future schooling arrangements.

The continuation of a place from Pre-Nursery to Nursery or Nursery to Reception will be made based on the recommendation of the -Nursery Teacher, who must be satisfied that the pupil will be able to cope with the next stage of their education and that the school can continue to meet the pupil’s educational needs. If the Nursery Teacher has concerns about a pupil’s progression into the next academic year, they will meet with parents as soon as possible in the pupil’s school career and any case, no later than the end of the Spring Term.

It is assumed that a pupil will continue from Pre-Nursery to Nursery and from Nursery to Reception (and parents must, in every case, give a term’s notice if that is not their intention).

Parents wishing to confirm a place for their child in Reception for the following academic year will be asked for a further £250 guarantee deposit in December/January preceding September. This £250 guarantee deposit will be credited against the Reception Autumn Term Fees. However, this deposit is non-refundable if the pupil does not take up their place in Reception.

BURSARIES

A copy of the Bursary Policy is available on request. Any offer of an award shall be made under the current Bursary Policy.

REFUSED ENTRY AND PROGRESSION
Newbridge Preparatory School reserves the absolute right at its sole discretion not to register a prospective new pupil and further reserves the right to refuse entry and progress into any year from Reception to Year Six if the school’s structure, in the opinion of the Headmistress and teachers, does not meet the educational, pastoral, and social needs of the pupil concerned.

13/11/2023 (Website PDF)
01/02/2024 – Revised SAF (Website PDF)
09/09/2024 – Reviewed NBB
23/07/2025 – Updated NBB