Children do not have to attend school full time until the term after their fifth birthday, so you may wish to delay your child starting school until after Christmas or after Easter, depending on their age.

• Children who are 5 in the Autumn term must attend school full time from January.
• Children who are 5 in the Spring term must attend school full time from April, after the Easter Holiday.
• Children who are 5 in the Summer term do not have to attend school full time until the following September when they will be in Year 1.

You are able to decide if you would like your child to come to school part-time or full-time . If you decide on part time, your child could come to school for just the morning (until 11.35) or for some mornings and some full days. If you choose for your child to come to school part-time you will have the opportunity to gradually introduce your child to coming to school full-time.  At each half-term, you will be asked whether you would like to add any/more full days. We have found that parents and carers have really appreciated the flexibility of this system.  It means that you can decide how many full days your child does depending on how they are coping.

The Admissions Team at Oxfordshire County Council now controls all admissions for Oxfordshire. They will send you a book, with details of all the schools in Oxfordshire, in the autumn of the year before your child will start school. This contains an admissions form that you will need to send to them.  We would also like you to fill in our own form (Northbourne School Supplementary Form) and return it to the office.  You will be notified by the Local Education Authority of your child’s place in the following January.

We are always pleased to show prospective parents around the school. If you would like to visit and meet the Headteacher before you choose a school for your child please telephone the school office to make an appointment.

Admissions Policy

The full Admissions Policy is available from the office, but it can be summarised as follows.

Parents who wish their child to have a place at Northbourne School are asked to complete the common LEA application form and the Northbourne School Supplementary Form.

Northbourne C of E (A) School is a church school which takes children from the whole of Didcot.

If there are more applicants than school places available, places are allocated according to the following criteria:

1. Children with a statement of special educational needs which names Northbourne School.

1. Children in the “looked after” category.

1. Children who have a sibling attending Northbourne School at the time of this child’s entry to school.

1. Children where at least one parent is a regular worshipper at a church which is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

1. Children who live in the designated area of the whole of Didcot.