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 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 £30

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

Applying for Reception 2025

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 2020 and 31 August 2021 they are due to start Reception in September 2025. 

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 from school

(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.

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

If your child is not offered a place at one of the schools you listed on your application form, 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.

You can find out more about how to appeal an admissions place here on the Waltham Forest 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 carers 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 Reception learning, please visit the Reception Year Group page

Deferred / delayed Reception places - September 2025

All children are entitled to a full-time school place in the September following their fourth birthday. If your child is eligible you could choose to delay your child's admission to school.

Deferring or delaying starting school is a big step and should not be taken without very careful consideration of the impact on the child’s whole time in school (academic, social and well-being) and not just starting Reception. 

If you feel your child is not ready to start school in the September after their fourth birthday, you can:

1. Ask in writing if your child can go part-time until they reach compulsory school age. You must do this as soon as the place is offered.
2. Ask in writing to delay the admission of your child to later in the school year. This must not be beyond compulsory school age or the start of the final term of the school year.

Requests for a deferred or delayed start to Reception must be done by email or letter to the Headteacher and preferably by the end of May before the September when the child was due to start.

Plan for the Deferred Year:

It is important to have a plan in place for your child's delayed time. This could include staying with your current Nursery, or an alternative childcare arrangement that works for your family. If your child currently attends the George Tomlinson Nursery from September 2025 we cannot guarantee an extended time in our setting. 

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 have different published admission numbers (PAN) in different year groups at George Tomlinson.

In 2024/25 our year group PANs are as follows: 

Year 1 90 PAN

Year 2 90 PAN

Year 3 60 PAN

Year 4 90 PAN

Year 5 60 PAN

Year 6 40 PAN.

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 and carers 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.