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Admissions

Our Published Admission Number (PAN) is 15 places in each year group.

Ashdon is a small village school, so children learn in mixed-age classes. Reception and Year 1 are taught together in Mars class, and we keep this class to a maximum of 30 pupils in line with infant class size legislation.

Most children join us in Reception, but families come to us at other points too — when they move into the village, for example, or partway through a school year. Whether you are applying for your child's first school place or moving them from another school, applications are made through Essex County Council's Admissions Team and follow their process. 

We would warmly encourage you to visit us before you apply. Please contact the school office on 01799 584219 or at admin@ashdon.essex.sch.uk to arrange a look round.

How to Apply:

To find out more about all Essex admissions, including completing an application form, please visit by clicking on the image below:

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Our admin team is also willing to help if you have any queries regarding any kind of admission. 

Tel: 01799584219

Email: admin@ashdon.essex.sch.uk 

How places are allocated

Ashdon Primary is a community school, so Essex County Council is our admission authority and places are allocated using their criteria, set out below. Living in the priority admission area does not guarantee a place. Where there are more applications than places, they are allocated in this order:

  1. Looked after children and previously looked after children

  2. Children with a sibling attending the school

  3. Children living in the priority admission area

  4. Remaining applications

 

Where more children fall within one of these criteria than there are places available, priority is given by straight-line distance from home to school, with those living closest given the highest priority.​

Starting Reception

All Essex primary schools admit children full-time from the September following their fourth birthday. Your child does not have to start school until the term after their fifth birthday, when they reach compulsory school age, and there is flexibility built into the system for families who feel their child is not quite ready.

Deferring the start date

You can ask for your child’s start to be deferred until later in the school year. We will hold the place and will not offer it to anyone else. Entry cannot be deferred beyond the start of the term after your child turns five, or beyond the academic year the place was offered for.

Starting part-time

You can ask for your child to attend part-time until they reach compulsory school age. Please talk to us and we will explain what this would look like day to day.

Whichever you choose, you still need to apply at the normal time, in the usual admissions round.

Summer-born children

If you would like your child to start Reception a full year later rather than moving straight into Year 1, this is a request to be admitted outside their normal age group and must be agreed by Essex County Council. Please contact us early — we are very happy to talk it through with you before you apply.​

Once you have a place

After Essex County Council offers your child a place, we will be in touch about our summer term programme:

  • Parent Information Meetings

  • Stay and Play sessions

  • Our Come Dine With Me lunch

  • Nursery and home visits

These matter to us — starting school well is much easier when a child already knows the building, the staff and a few faces in their class.

Moving to Ashdon during the school year

Children join us at all sorts of points, not only in Reception — families move into the village, or circumstances change partway through a year. As a community school, in-year applications are made through Essex County Council rather than directly to us, using their in-year application form. The same oversubscription criteria above apply.

Do come and see us first if you can.

Please ring the office on 01799 584219 or email admin@ashdon.essex.sch.uk and we will arrange a visit at a time that suits you — you are welcome to look round before you decide whether to apply.

If your application is unsuccessful

If we are full in the year group you have applied for, Essex County Council will write to you explaining why a place could not be offered.

Waiting lists

If your child is refused a place at an Essex school you ranked higher than the one you were offered, they are added to that school’s waiting list automatically. Position on the list is decided by the same criteria above, not by the date you applied, so a position can move up or down as other families apply.

Appeals

You have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel, which is separate from the school and from Essex County Council. Appeals should normally be made within 20 school days of the refusal letter. Essex County Council will send you the appeal form and explain the process. The panel’s decision is binding on the school.

Being refused a place is disappointing, and we understand that. Please do still contact us — we can talk you through where things stand and what your options are.

Any questions

If anything here is unclear, or you would simply like to talk to someone, please contact the school office. We are always glad to hear from prospective families.

  • Email: admin@ashdon.essex.sch.uk

  • Telephone: 01799 584219

  • Ashdon Primary School, Bartlow Road, Ashdon, Saffron Walden, CB10 2HB

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