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Nursery Admissions

Hertfordshire County Council has a duty to provide access to 15 hours a week of free early years provision for all three and four year olds.

At Merry Hill, we have provision for 60 children in our Nursery: 30 in each of the morning and afternoon sessions. A child will be eligible for admission to the Nursery class in the term after they turn 3 years old.

Important note: Attending Merry Hill Nursery does not confer any priority when applying for a school place.  For details of the admission rules for Reception entry please go to Reception Admissions

Welcome to our Virtual Tour

30 Hours Free Childcare/ ‘Top up’ Hours

We offer 30 hours free childcare for children who are eligible for 30 Hours funding, subject to availability.

For details on how to register and to check for eligibility for the 30 hours funding please visit:

We also offer additional hours to parents who are not eligible for 30 Hours Funding but who would like to self- fund the additional hours, for more information about this please contact the school office.

School Visits

Choosing the right school is an important decision.  We encourage parents (normally without their children at this stage) to visit the school prior to completing the Admissions application form.

We have the following tour dates and times available:
Wednesday 4th December 2024 at 9.00am
Wednesday 8th January 2025 at 9.00am
Wednesday 8th January 2025 at 2.00pm

Please note we kindly ask that no children attend.

To book a place on one of these visits, please telephone the School Office on 020 8950 2166 or email the office at admin@merryhill.herts.sch.uk. We look forward to meeting you then!

Admission Rules

The criteria for entry to the school are based on Hertfordshire’s Determined Admission Arrangements. Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school will be allocated a place in accordance with section 324 of the Education Act 1996. Schools must also admit children with an EHC (Education, Health and Care) Plan that names the school.

The Admission Rules that apply if the school receives more applications than there are places available are as follows:

Rule 1: Children Looked After: Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order)

Rule 2: Medical or Social: Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school. The evidence must relate specifically to the school applied for under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child’s needs

Rule 3: Sibling: Children who have a sibling on the roll of the school or on the roll of the link school (Ashfield Junior School) at the time of application.

Rule 4: Nearest School: Children for whom it is their nearest school

Rule 5: Distance: Children who live nearest to the school. Children not considered under rule 4 will be considered under rule 5. These rules are applied in the order they are printed above. If more children qualify under a particular rule than there are places available, a tie break will be used by applying the next rule to those children.

The school will use the parent or legal guardian’s address or the address of a relevant adult who has parental responsibility, as defined under the 1989 Children’s Act, for the child. We will require proof of address to be submitted with the application form.

Tie Breaker

When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from a school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer.

Applications

Please fill out the Nursery Application Form below and return it to the school office between Friday 1st November 2024 and  Wednesday 15th January 2025. This can be returned by hand, post or by email to admin@merryhill.herts.sch.uk.

The school office will need to see your child’s birth certificate and proof of address alongside the application. The office will then take a copy of these and store them securely alongside your application form.

Please contact the school office if you require assistance to complete the application and we will do our best to help.

Key dates in the Admissions Process 2025/26

Applications open 1st November 2024
Applications close 15th January 2025
Offer date Beginning of March 2025
Accept your place by End of March 2025