Admissions
At Francis Baily, we aim to reach the highest possible standards, so our pupils are ready for all the opportunities and challenges their futures will hold. We are proud of our confident, caring and self-disciplined pupils who make the most of every opportunity offered and constantly rise to challenges. We hope you find our School Prospectus useful. If you have any queries, please get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to help.
If you have any questions or concerns arising from the information given here, or in general, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with us through our school office.
Admission Arrangements
If you would like your child to attend our school, please see full details of our admission arrangements below.
West Berkshire’s policy is to admit children in the academic year they are five. Our Foundation pupils are taught in our purpose built Foundation Unit. We admit children from a number of local nursery/playgroups and every effort is made to make entry into our school smooth and happy.
Our school can accommodate around 600 pupils and we currently admit 90 children into each new school year group. West Berkshire allocates places; not the school itself. Children are admitted in line with the Local Authority’s policy and come from within and beyond our designated area.
West Berkshire Council has determined the admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools for 2022/23. The consultation results and admissions policy are published on the Council’s website:
When applications exceed the number of places available, the following categories of over-subscription criteria for West Berkshire Community Schools are used to prioritise applications:
- Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs
- Vulnerable pupils
- Catchment area pupils
- Siblings
- Linked partner school pupils
- Denominational/Non-denominational requests
- Strong social grounds
- All other applicants.
For further information on the admissions procedure or how to appeal if you are not offered a place, please contact us.
Admissions Timetable
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| November (prior to your child’s fifth birthday) | Francis Baily’s school tours take place to which all parents of pupils due to be admitted in the following academic year are invited. |
Notes:
- If you have registered your child with us, you will automatically be invited. If your child is not registered, please let us have your details so that an invitation can be sent to you at the appropriate time. If you cannot attend these tours, or your child is due to be admitted to another year group or at another time, please contact us so that we can arrange for you to visit the school at a more convenient time. From September West Berkshire’s application form is available on its website and information is sent to prospective parents. In mid April places are allocated by West Berkshire. During early September staff make home visits prior to the children beginning school full time. Foundation children are usually introduced to school after the term has started on a part-time basis for the first week.
- Places can be deferred until statutory school age (the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday) but the majority of children begin school in September.