Admissions
School Admissions for Reception Age Children
We welcome applications from parents for their children to join our school. If the school place you are seeking for your child is for Reception please follow the link below.
Link to Dorset Council School Admissions
In Year School Admissions
We welcome applications from parents for their children to join our school at any time. If the school place you are seeking for your child is required during the school year, you must apply directly through the Dorset Council Admissions website using the links below.
Together with other schools in Dorset and in accordance with statutory requirements, Hillside First School has agreed to join the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admissions scheme for the entry admission and transfer process for 2023-24. Therefore, the in-year application and allocation process will be handled by the Local Authority.
Full details of the application process, and the main application form, can be found on the Dorset Council Admissions website on the link below.
Link to Dorset Council In-Year School Admissions
Tours of the School
We are always delighted to show parents/carers around the school and answer any questions they might have. Please telephone the school on 01202 822737 to arrange a tour. In most cases the headteacher or deputy headteacher will accompany parents/carers on school tours.
For new pupils due to start school in September, tours are available during the Autumn Term at our Open Day. Details of our Open Days will be advertised in the local area and also on our website nearer the time.
Appeals Against In-Year Applications
Primary School Age places – Year R, Year 3 and Middle school – September 2024
Offer letters posted to parents/carers on National Offer Day by Local Authority - 16 April 2024
Deadline for acceptance of offer by parent/carer - 1 May 2024
Deadline for lodging an on-time admission appeal - 16 May 2024
Appeal Hearing Dates Between 10 June and 18 July 2024
GENERAL
- Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.
- You will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date. School days do not include school holidays, inset days, bank holidays or weekends.
- Appeals are heard during the daytime on weekdays and are not normally heard during school holidays. Where there are multiple appeals for places at the same school, the hearings may go over a number of days.
- The school’s case will be made available to parents and Panel members at least 5 school days before the start of the appeal hearing.
- Additional evidence may be submitted up to 5 working days before the hearing.
- Any additional evidence received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing. The Appeal Panel must decide whether it should be considered taking into account its significance and the effect of a possible need to adjourn the hearing
- Following the hearing, decision letters will be sent, where possible, within 5 school days of the end of the hearing. During busy periods, such as main entry, full decision letters may take longer than this, so the Clerk will send a brief decision summary email in the interim.
- Appeal hearings for in-year places will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
Details of the application process for appeals and the School Admissions Appeal Code 2022 can be found on the Dorset Council website on the links below.
Link to Dorset Council Admissions Appeals Process
Waiting list information
A waiting list is held by Dorset Council for each year group. You can add your child to a waiting list if you have been refused a place or want to renew your place. If you want to be added to the waiting list, please follow the link below.