Quick Links

Useful Links Open/Close

Dartford Bridge Primary

Admissions

The school provides education for children between 3 and 11 years old, year groups Nursery to Year 6 inclusive.

The published admission number for the school is 60.  Children are admitted to the Reception class in the school year in which they have their fifth birthday. All Reception year children are admitted in September.

Where the number of applications for admission exceeds the number of places available, all applications will be considered in accordance with the over-subscription criteria in the following prioritisation order:

  1. Children in, or previously in, Local Authority Care.
  2. Current Family Association: having a brother or sister attending the school.
  3. Health, Social and Special Access: Medical, Health, Social and Special access reasons.
  4. A child of staff at the school.
  5. Permanent residents of 'The Bridge' community: Distance between the child's permanent home address and the school.
  6. Nearness of children's homes to school: Distance between the child's permanent home address and the school.

Please refer to our Admissions Policy for the definition of these categories.

 

Early Years Pupil Premium & Disability Living Allowance

Here at Dartford Bridge Community Primary School Nursery we provide a fun and exciting learning environment. We understand that children learn best when they are engaged and involved and so we plan stimulating activities, incorporating our children’s interests whenever possible. We endeavour to provide a warm and friendly atmosphere, organising our inside and outside environments to reflect this ethos.

Please see the poster below to see if your child would be entitled to Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).

EYPP

If your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance please speak to the Nursery Teacher as we may be able to apply for Disability Access Fund for your child. 

Please click here to view our Privacy NoticePrivacy Notice.

How old should your child be when they start school?

Most children begin primary school at the start of the school year in which they are 5 years old. All schools must provide for the admission of children from the September following their fourth birthday.

A school year runs from 1st September in one calendar year to 31st August in the next.

Primary school applications procedure:

Information about applying for a primary school place, including key dates can be found on the KCC website.

Primary school applications will open on 3 November 2023 and applications need to be submitted by 15 January 2024 for your child to be guaranteed an offer of a school place on 16 April 2024.

If you apply online KCC will email you on 16 April 2024 after 4pm to tell you which school you have been offered.  Offer emails will be sent to the email address provided on your application.  You can also log in from 5pm on 16 April 2024 to view your offer online.

The final date for Acceptance / Refusal and also for Late Applications and Waiting Lists is 14th May 2024.

If you have already submitted your application and need to make any amendments, please contact kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk for further information on what you need to do next.

If you missed the deadline, you can still submit an application for a school place. Once you have submitted, you will receive an email confirming when this school place will be offered. Further information can be found on KCC's website

Apply Here 

You can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day.  You must submit your appeal before 14 May 2024 for it to be considered by 16 July 2024. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education. Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education.

Government advice for parents on school admission appeals

KCC appeal a school place web page

We recommend that you still accept the place your child has been offered. This will not affect your waiting list position or your appeal. It will guarantee your child has a school place if no places become available or if your appeal is unsuccessful. 

Further information about the appeal process can be found on the Kent County Council website following this link.

In Year Admission:

To apply for a place for any year group during any academic year please download the In Year Admission Form from KCC and bring it along to school with proof of age and address of the child.

The application will be processed and you will get a letter advising you if a place is available or not. You will need to reply to accept or be added to the waiting list. If we do not receive the slip back your child’s name will not be added to the waiting list.

Waiting lists are long and accumulated by year group and sorted using the same criteria listed above. There’s no requirement to call to move the child up a year as we do that automatically. We will only contact you should a place become available and you are at the highest point on that list.

Registering your interest with primary schools

If your child isn’t old enough to start school yet, you may register an interest at any school you want by contacting the school office. When your child is old enough, the school will get in touch with you so that you can collect a booklet and admissions form for that year.

Registering an interest at a school does not give your child priority for a place just because their name has been down longer than any other child.

Appeals

If you are unhappy with your child's offer, you can put your child on the waiting list or make an appeal for any of the schools you applied for.   

You have the right to appeal for a school place (but not for a nursery place). This is done by applying directly to Kent County Council.

Nursery

The published admission number for Nursery is 52 (26 AM and 26 PM session).  Our standalone pattern of delivery for the Universal 15 hour Free Early Education is either 5 x AM sessions or 5 x PM sessions over 38 weeks (term time only).  We only offer 15 hours Universal Free Early Education – 3 hours a day 5 times a week (Monday-Friday).  The school does not offer FF2 or the Extended Entitlement (30 hours).

Nursery Sessions

  • AM: 8.30-11.30am
  • PM: 12.20-3.20pm

If you are entitled to 30 hours Extended Entitlement then you can claim the additional 15 hours at another setting, but you must ensure that the other setting is aware of any hours you are claiming at our Nursery.

If you do gain a place for your child at our Nursery it does not guarantee a transfer to our school. A separate application via Kent County Council is needed to get a place at our school.

Applying to Nursery is done by submitting an admission form (copies at main reception) along with the original birth certificate and/or passport and proof of address. This is is best done after their second birthday, but before the third birthday. Bringing the forms earlier does not give you any priority.

Parents will not receive a response to their application until it is approaching the intake period for that age group. 

Please note that entitlement to a Free Early Education place does not offer a guarantee of a place at any one provider or a particular pattern of delivery of provision.

Should we be oversubscribed, our priority criteria for nursery places are the same as for our school:

  1. Children in, or previously in, Local Authority Care.
  2. Current Family Association: having a brother or sister attending the school.
  3. Health, Social and Special Access: Medical, Health, Social and Special access reasons.
  4. A child of staff at the school.
  5. Permanent residents of 'The Bridge' community: Distance between the child's permanent home address and the school.
  6. Nearness of children's homes to school: Distance between the child's permanent home address and the school.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How can I get a place for my child in any year group (Reception – Year 6) in your school?

A. Please see these links for more information: Kent County Council Primary Admission and School Admissions Criteria.

Q. If my child is going to start Reception Class next year, and I would like to view your school before I make my choices, how do I make an appointment?

A. Open school tours for new parents wishing to view our school before registering for September Reception places:

Q. Do I need an appointment?

A. Yes, please email office@dbcps.kent.sch.uk to book on to a new reception meeting. On the day of your meeting report to Main Reception and a member of the school staff will show you to your seat.

Q. Are there any other supplementary forms to fill in?

A. No.

Q. If I had a tour does that guarantee me a place or give me an advantage over someone that names your school on their form and have not visited themselves?

A. No.

Nursery Admissions

Q: When should I apply for a nursery place for my child?

A: After your child’s 2nd birthday.

Q: How do I apply to your nursery?

A: You will need to come along to school the term before your child is 3 to fill in a Nursery Admission Form at main reception and bring the child’s original birth certificate and/or passport and proof of your address. We can not post forms but you can download one here.

Q: Is it better to apply as soon as I have my baby?

A: No, it does not give you any advantage.

Q: If I file my application earlier, am I guaranteed a place?

A: No. There is no benefit from applying earlier. Nursery admissions will be allocated a place at the start of the term following their 3rd birthday.  If we are over subscribed, the above oversubscription priority criteria will be followed. 

Q: If I get a place offered at the nursery would that guarantee a place in reception?

A: No. Nursery admissions are separate to the main school so do not guarantee a school place.

Q: When will I hear if I have obtained a place for my child at your nursery?

A: Admissions to our nursery take place in September, January and April so you will receive communication from us prior to the next admission intake.  Your application will remain on file until then.

Q: If I have a sibling at your school does that guarantee me a place at your nursery for my child?

A: There are no guaranteed nursery places. If the nursery is full you can ask to join the waiting list. 

Q: Is your nursery able to take children full time (9am-4pm)?

No. Our nursery only offers 2 sessions a day 5 x AM (8.30am-11.30am) sessions or 5 x PM (12.20pm-3.20pm) sessions, school term time only. Children are admitted to either the AM or PM session, depending on vacancies available.

Q: What are the points of admission throughout the year?

A: There are 3 points of admission for Nursery throughout the year (September, January and April). Children will be able to take up their 15 hour Universal Free Early Education entitlement from the beginning of the term after their 3rd birthday, if we have places.

If your child’s 3rd birthday is:

Between 1st April – 31st August

they can start nursery in September

Between 1st September – 31st December

they can start nursery in January

Between 1st Jan – 31st March

they can start nursery in April