Applying for a Nursery place 

Children can be registered for our Nursery by contacting the school office and completing a Nursery application form. Children can start nursery the term after they turn 3, when the nursery funding begins.  

The times for Nursery are

Morning Nursery 8:30 to 11:30am

Afternoon Nursery 12:30pm to 3:30pm

We offer 15 hours free Nursery as 5 mornings or 5 afternoons. 

We also offer 30 hour places equal to 9 sessions with an option to pay for an additional session for £25

Please contact the school office for further information: school@georgetomlinson.waltham.sch.uk

Applying for Reception 2023

Children are admitted into Reception in September. If your child attends our Nursery you must still apply for a Reception place. We have 90 Reception places (PAN). 

If your child was born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019 they are due to start Reception in September 2023. 

We follow the Waltham Forest admissions policy which can be found below. The local authority allocate places. If there are more applications than there are places available Waltham Forest will use the following criteria, in priority order, to decide who should be offered a place at our school

Priority 1 – Looked After Children or Children ‘At Risk’

Priority 2 – Medical or social reasons

Priority 3 – Siblings (not if out of area)

Priority 4 – School Staff Children

Priority 5 – Distance

(definitions of the groups above can be found on the Waltham Forest website).

If your child is not offered a place at one of the schools you listed, you have the right to appeal for a place at your preferred school. You can only appeal once for a place in the same school in the same academic year, please visit the Waltham Forest appeals website for more information.

Children who have a Education Health Care plan (EHCP) are placed in schools under the terms of the Education Act 1996 and not through the admissions criteria referred to above. 
Children who have a EHCP will be allocated a place at the school named on their EHCP.

The deadline for September 2023 Reception places was 15th January 2023. If you have missed this deadline please visit the Waltham Forest website here. 

If your child attends our school nursery or has an older brother or sister at George Tomlinson, you must still apply for a Reception place. Applications should be made through the Waltham Forest e-admissions website.

Our school induction programme includes a meeting for all new Reception parents and carers in June and July before the children start school, along with opportunities for the children to come and meet their teacher and play with their new classmates. Informal parent and carer sessions provide the opportunity to meet other parents and ask questions about school routines and school life.

In September, as part of our admissions we undertake home visits to all our new Reception children and children start their new classes on a staggered basis to ensure children are settled in their new classes. 

To find out more about our Reception learning, please visit the Reception Year Group page.

In year admissions / school transfers
All admissions to our school during the year and in different year groups are handled by Waltham Forest pupil admissions service, who hold the school waiting list and can be contacted on 0208 496 3000.

You can apply online for in-year applications via Citizen Portal. The portal can be accessed via the Council's Website www.walthamforest.gov.uk - please search 'school admissions' and click on 'in year admissions'.

For telephone admissions advice please call 0208 496 3000 

primary.admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk or

secondary.admissions@walthamforest.gov.uk for information regarding primary to secondary transition.

We believe that every child is entitled to equal access to an engaging curriculum, regardless of race, gender, class or disability.
 
We are committed to promoting a learning and teaching environment that embeds the values of inclusive educational practices for all. Through a child centered approach, we aim to ensure that education is accessible and relevant to all our learners, to respect each other and to celebrate diversity and difference.

All children joining our school get the opportunity to visit with their parents prior to starting.

We would be delighted to welcome you to our school. If you are considering applying for a place please contact the office so that we can make an appointment to show you around.

Deferred Entry 

By law, children must be in full-time education the term after their 5th birthday. This is called compulsory school age. Please find more information here.

If you feel your child is not ready to start school in the September after their fourth birthday, we can work with you and find the best solution for your child. 

If they were born in summer, and you feel for any reason they are not ready to attend Reception in their current year, we are happy to discuss this with you further.  

However, we believe this should only happen in exceptional circumstances. It is up to parents to provide supporting evidence in such cases. 

All applications for a deferral must be made in writing through the school office.