Prospective Parents

Nurtured + Inspired = Happy

We warmly welcome parents/ guardians of children due to start school in September 2024 to an open session where you can hear about our fantastic school and join a guided tour.

At Oatlands Infant School we are proud to specialise in early years education. We nurture and inspire every child to be the very best they can be as they embark on their journey to becoming a happy and well-rounded member of society. 

Applications:

You can apply for school places via the North Yorkshire admissions website here: School admissions | North Yorkshire Council. You can also use the website here to make find out how to make an appeal and to check deadlines. We strongly advise that you fill in all of your options, and that you do not leave any blank, just in case you don't get your first choices!

Open sessions:

Our open sessions have now finished. Please phone or email the school office if you would like to arrange a visit.

School tours:

We can also facilitate 1:1 or small group tours during the school day. If you would like to make a booking, or if you have any questions, then please call our school office on 01423 871036.

Deferrals:

If you are considering deferring your child(ren)'s start to school, then plase carefully read the guidance from the Department for Education here: Summer born children: advice for parents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Some local Nurseries and GPs are suggesting that all families with summer born children request a deferral, which conflicts with the DfE guidance. Some members of the community, including local Nurseries and GPs, have also advised families that being allocated a space and deferring reserves that pupil a place in the school for the following year. This is not true, and families will need to reapply via the admission authority the following year.

We agree with the recommendations laid out by the DfE below: that deferring is not usually in the child(ren)'s best interest as it can have a considerable impact on their future schooling, and that it should be reserved for very rare, exceptional circumstances only.

The school will look at each request on a case-by-case basis, and we urge families to research thoroughly before making a request.

DfE deferral guidance:

Starting school aged 5:

If you decide your summer born child will start school aged 5, and you want your child to start school in reception (not year 1), you need to make a request to the school’s admission authority. This is called requesting admission out of the normal age group – because children born from 1 September in one year to 31 August the following year are normally educated together in one year group.

Reception is the final year of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) and has a focus on phonics and early arithmetic. The key stage 1 curriculum begins in year 1.

If you do not make a request for admission out of the normal age group your child will start school in year 1. You should consider the potential impact of missing the reception year.

The admission authority decides whether children who start school at compulsory school age should be admitted to reception or year 1. They must make this decision in the child’s best interests.
The government believes it is usually not in a child’s best interests to miss the teaching that takes place during the reception year, and that it should be rare for a child to start school in year 1.

To find out more information about our nurturing and inspiring school please follow us on Instagram at oatlands_infants.

According to the parent / carer survey carried out in the 2023 Autumn term:

• 100% of parents / carers strongly agree or agree that their child is happy here in school
• 100% of parents / carers strongly agree or agree that their child feel safe in school
• 99% of parents / carers would recommend Oatlands Infant School to other parents / carers
• 98% of parents / carers feel that their child does well in school

Quotes from families:

"The support and advice we have received from the team has been fantastic and so appreciated. We feel very lucky to be part of the Oatlands school community."

"Absolutely brilliant school. All the staff are amazing and my child loves attending every day."

"Such a nurturing and caring school. I know that this is the case because my child is very sensitive to his environment and would certainly not be thriving as he is otherwise."

"Teaching staff are all extremely approachable and we are very happy with the school."

"I have two children in the school who are both thriving here. I would highly recommend it to others."

"The school staff and the new Head has done a fantastic job at welcoming us into the new school. They have provided impressive SEN support for my child and are very proactive in putting place strategies and enrolling staff for training courses."

"We continue to champion Oatlands Infant School and its values. Our children have always been happy and thriving at school. They enjoy all aspects of school life. ​​​​​​"

"I'm really impressed with the new head teacher's leadership and commitment to the children's education. He has brought a fresh perspective and positive changes to the school. I'm pleased to see that the school is open to suggestions and positive changes. Thank you for valuing parental input."

"Highly positive first impressions of Mr Harrison - visible, welcoming, friendly, great ideas, keen to drive change, open to feedback and comes across with the school’s best interests at heart."