Admissions and Continuity of Education
Policy & Procedure

Revised and approved February 2021

At the Holywood Steiner School we are committed to ensuring that admission decisions will be made by a process that is free from any discrimination on the grounds of disability; race; ethnic or national origin; gender; religion or belief (assuming that, in the case of the latter, the prospective pupil and parents agree to support the ethos of the School as described in the prospectus, website and other literature).

The school must also feel reasonably sure that we are able to educate and develop the prospective pupil to the best of his or her potential and in line with general standards achieved by the pupil’s peers, so that there is every chance that the pupil will have a happy, fulfilling and successful school career, whilst maintaining effective education for the rest of the class. These aims must continue to be met throughout the pupil’s time at the school.

Admissions Process

As our approach to education is unique, it is important that parents understand our methods and some of our educational philosophy. Experience has shown that if there is a mutual understanding of child development and our curriculum between parents and the school, the pupils will benefit.

Walkthroughs
It is therefore important that parents attend a walkthrough tour as a first step in the application process. A brief description of curriculum and methodology will be given at this time and prospective parents will be given application documents.

After attending a walkthrough, an application form can be completed.

Application and Interview
Once the school receives an application form and other documentation (such as reports from previous schools), it will be passed to the Head Teacher who will coordinate the interview process through the school office. This interview will normally be conducted by the Head Teacher or/and the teacher responsible for the applicants class. Depending upon the age of the child they will meet with a teacher who will chat with them and ask them to complete some work. After this the parent/ guardians will meet with the teacher.We will endeavour to find a time for the interviews that are mutually convenient but timings are dependent on availability of staff.

Decision on Application
Following this interview the school will contact the family to let them know of the outcome of the application.FinancesAfter a child has been accepted into the school and enrolment pack is sent to parent/ guardians which includes the paperwork for finances. Fee information is available on the school website.

The school will assess applicants based on:

The Holywood Steiner School’s suitability for the pupil‘s ability or special educational needs.
Whether the school can make reasonable adjustments to accommodate a particular pupil’s needs.
Whether the acceptance of the applicant is compatible with the effective education of the children already placed in our school.
Whether we have the resources to meet the pupils needs within the classroom situation.

We cater for children who fall within an academic ability range which enables them to benefit from our rigorous and broad curriculum that leads to GCSEs and equivalent, in the Upper School.

Children with mild dyslexia, dyspraxia and related conditions may be accepted if they attend at a young enough age. In a few cases we can accept pupils with extra needs at a later stage.

Where resources and the curriculum allow, reasonable adjustments will be made to accommodate children with medical or Special Educational Needs. In the case of pupils with medical needs, as part of the admissions process a risk assessment will take place as well as consultation with relevant specialists to ensure that an informed decision is made.

We aim to have a ‘balanced constellation’ of pupils in each class, based on a realistic assessment of the resources available to support those with more complex needs.

Initially a new child might need some extra tuition in certain areas; in foreign languages for example. Although we especially welcome pupils from other Steiner Waldorf schools, the normal admission policies still apply.

Appeals
If parents or carers are convinced that we have made the wrong decision about their child’s application to the school, then they have the right of appeal. Appeals about an admission decision must be made to the Board of Trustees in writing, via the school office, within 5 working days of the receipt of the admissions decision. A response to an appeal will normally be provided within 10 working school days of receipt unless external specialist advice is required in which case a response will be provided as soon as practicable.

Temporary Education away from the Holywood Steiner School and re-entry

If a pupil is away for sound pedagogical reasons which are supported by the class teacher then it will be regarded as a leave of absence, fees can be waived.
If a child is away for other reasons, then if parents continue to pay their contribution a place will be kept in the class for up to one term.
If the absence request does not have strong support from the class teacher and the parents decide to withdraw the child (with a term’s notice) in order to avoid paying their contribution for that term, then a full admissions process will take place upon their return and we cannot guarantee their re-admittance to the school or to a particular class.

Withdrawal of pupils for a temporary period
Although we understand that there may occasionally be instances when parents need to withdraw their child(ren) for a temporary period, we regret that we are not able to hold a place in the school or in a particular class. This could prevent other children from being educated at the Holywood Steiner School, or in a particular class.

On reapplication the usual admissions procedure will take place and where appropriate and possible the child may be placed in his/her previous class.

However, this may not be possible for one or more of the following reasons:

A significant amount of our curriculum will have been missed
The pupil in question may have changed• The constitution of the class may have changed
The class may be full
Other

Progression and Readiness

Although we would hope that pupils can enjoy their entire education here, progression from the Kindergarten to the Lower School (Class 1) and from Lower School to Upper School (Class 9) is not automatic and an assessment process will take place at each stage.

In Kindergarten school readiness will be assessed.
In Class 8 the pupils will be asked to complete a project to illustrate their abilities and approach to work This will be presented to teachers representing the Upper School.
Class 8 pupils will also attend an interview and a report will be provided by the Class teacher.