Admissions Procedure
Undoubtedly the best way to find out more about the school is by visiting us. Any one of our Open Mornings each year will provide you with a fascinating glimpse of school life, although we do encourage you to arrange a personal visit as well. Choosing the right school for your child is vital – and it’s important to see it in action!Mrs Jeffries, our Admissions Secretary, is responsible for all aspects of a pupil’s admission to the school. She will be delighted to take you on a tour of the school during which you will have the chance to meet the Headmaster or another senior member of staff. In the meantime why not have a prospectus sent to you? Either Request a Prospectus here or telephone Mrs Jeffries on 0121 410 6807.
Buttons Nursery and Pre-Prep
Children may join Buttons Nursery in the term following their second birthday, if a place is available. They attend an informal pre-admission visit with their parents, after which a place may be offered. Places are offered only to those children who have a reserved place in Transition, and priority is given to siblings of children already at the school, if they have been registered by the age of 6 months. Children in Buttons Nursery may attend for 3, 4 or 5 mornings (or alternatively 3, 4 or 5 days) a week. They must attend Buttons Nursery for at least two terms.Children may join Pre-Prep Transition classes in the September following their third birthday, if a place is available. They attend an informal pre-admission visit with their parents, after which a place may be offered. Priority is given to siblings of children already at the school, if they have been registered by the age of 6 months. Children in Transition (age 3+) may attend for 5 mornings for the Autumn and Spring Terms, but thereafter must attend for 5 full days a week.
Since most children remain at the School unless their parents move from the area, only a few places become available between the ages of 4 and 7. Where a place is available children up to the age of 5 attend an informal pre-admission assessment. Children aged between 5 and 7 are assessed to ensure that they have reached an appropriate standard in reading, writing and numeracy during a morning visit to an appropriate year group. We also ask for a report from the child’s current setting, and this, together with assessment scores, remains confidential to the School.
The Application Form for Admission to the School should be filled in when applying for places in both Buttons Nursery and Pre-Prep. Additionally you should fill in the Buttons Nursery Registration Form when applying for a place in Buttons Nursery.
Prep
For entry between the ages of 7 and 11, all children sit the School’s own Entrance Tests in English (comprehension and creative writing) and Mathematics. A Reading Assessment is also undertaken for entry at 7+, and the school normally requires a Reading Age at least one year above the child’s chronological age.Candidates may be invited to spend a morning or full day with their year group before an offer of a place is made, and a confidential report will be sought from their current school. In the case of a borderline result, a child may be asked back to sit a Verbal or Non-verbal Reasoning Test. Assessment scores remain confidential to the School.
The Application Form for Admission to the School should be filled in when applying for a place in Prep.
Up to six scholarships worth 25% of full fees are offered each year for academic or musical excellence to children entering Year 3 internally or externally.
Further information about the school's academic and music scholarships may be found by clicking here.
The Admissions Process
Should you decide that The Blue Coat School is the right school for your child, you will need to register his or her name with us. Please complete the enclosed Application Form and post it, together with a copy of the child’s Birth Certificate and a non-refundable registration fee of £60, to the school (the address is on the back cover). Places are then reserved by date of application.The Admissions Secretary will then write to you informing you either that your child has a place reserved for the year specified or that your child has been placed on the waiting list for the year specified.
Should a child with a reserved place subsequently withdraw from the list, the vacant place will be offered to a child on the waiting list. This is generally done in the order of registration but preference is given to siblings of children already attending The Blue Coat School.
Parents of children with reserved places will be contacted by the Admissions Secretary approximately 12 months prior to the specified date of entry (or for Buttons Nursery, the term before), and invited to meet the Deputy Head (Pre-Prep) during an informal visit with their child, after which the offer of a place may be made.
If you decide to accept the offer of a place then a deposit of £250 will be required. This will be repaid without interest when the child leaves the school, by means of a credit against the final invoice for costs due at that time.
Please post your completed application form to:
Mrs J A Jeffries - Admissions Secretary
The Blue Coat School
Somerset Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham, B17 0HR
Mrs J A Jeffries - Admissions Secretary
T: 0121 410 6807
E: jeffriesja@thebluecoatschool.com