Admissions Process

1. Enquire

Please contact the school directly by completing our enquiry form on this page, emailing admissions@holmwood.house or calling 01206 673750. Natalie Leach, our Admissions Director, will be able to advise if there is space in the year group you are considering for your child. We welcome admissions into all year groups throughout the academic year from Pre-Reception for 3 year olds to Year 11.

2. Register

To apply for a place, please complete and sign the Registration Form. The Registration Form must be signed by both parents or carers. and then returned to Holmwood House School together with a registration fee of £50. On receipt of the Registration Form, together with the registration fee, the School will move forward to your child’s entry or in particular years place your child’s name on the List for the term in which they expect to enter Holmwood House School. However, this does not guarantee your child a place Payments can be made electronically to Holmwood House School: Account number: 43187330, Sort code: 20 58 69, (Reference: child’s name).

For children who are joining Pre-Prep, we would ask for a contact at your child’s current school or nursery, whilst for pupils who are joining the Prep School, we will ask for a recent school report and a reference from your child’s current school.

3. Offer & Place Acceptance

Waiting List
Once a child is registered they are placed on the waiting list for that year; usually positions on the list are allocated on a first come first served basis, subject to the following criteria being given precedence:
– a child with an existing sibling within the School wishes to join
– a member of staff wishes that their child join the School
– a child who has previously attended the School wishes to re-join

School Visit
Parents or carers may view the School on Open Days or on tours, which take place on a regular basis. Prior to admission children joining the nursery spend a session in the setting, while older children will spend a morning or a full day in the School for assessment.

Interview
Once your child’s name is registered they can be considered for a place. The School’s Admissions Office will contact parents or carers to arrange a meeting with the Headteacher or Deputy Head where parents or carers will be given a tour of the School and provided the opportunity to ask questions.

Assessment
For children entering Years R-6, the child will spend a day in school during which they will be observed and informally assessed by the classteacher/practitioner. Candidates for Year 7 and above are asked to sit the ISEB pre-test. This is not a barrier to entry as Holmwood is not a selective school but test results are used to inform setting positions and decisions regarding academic scholarship. The school will also require your child’s last school report, Early Years Profile information and a reference form will be sent to your child’s existing school requesting further information on your child’s academic and social progress. Progression from PreSchool and Nursery is not automatic.

Pupils Applying from Abroad: Individual arrangements will be made for families applying to join the school from abroad.

Not Offered: Should your child not be offered a place following your visit and interview to the school their name may remain on the Waiting List, in which case your child will be considered for a future place.

Once we have reviewed the information provided, we will be able to confirm whether we are able to offer a place for your child. Our Admissions Registrar will then send you an offer letter, parental responsibility form, final acceptance form and request for a deposit of £300. Return of this paperwork and deposit completely secures your child’s place at Holmwood. An email confirmation will be sent.

The deposit will be returned to you when your child leaves the school. In the event of the place being accepted and then cancelled in writing prior to entry, the deposit will be retained by the school.

4. Confirmation & Additional Information

A new joiner form will also need to be completed prior to your child’s entry so we can gather contact details, consents, medical information, etc.

1. Enquire

We welcome families for individual visits throughout the year and we also host regular open days. 

Our next open day is at 9.30am Friday 28 February 2025. Please click here to register your attendance.

2. Register

Register for a place and pay the £50 registration fee.

Registered pupils can join us for a Discovery Evening in the autumn or spring term when they can experience what life at Holmwood House is like. Please email admissions@holmwood.house for more details about our next Discovery Evening.

Pupils will be asked to sit an entrance assessment in November/December 2024, completing English and Maths Assessments and will be invited to a an interview with the Head. 

Pupils performing particularly well in the entrance test may be considered for an academic scholarship.

3. Offer & Place Acceptance

Offers of places will be issued by the 13 December 2024. 

Pupils who wish to be considered for a sport or creative arts scholarship should indicate this on their registration form and should submit supporting documents by 29 November 2024. 

Assessments will take place in January/February.

The deadline for the acceptance of places is 7 March 2025.

4. Additional Information

A programme of induction will commence in the summer term.

The detailed timeline for our Year 7 Entry Process for September 2024

The main points of entry are into Preschool, Reception and Year 7, however we admit pupils in to any year group that has available space.

Reception intakes can fill up quickly and so early registration is recommended.  All applications will be considered in the order in which they are received by the school and where a year group is already full, this will determine the child’s position on the waiting list.

(Due to the terms and conditions in the Essex County Council Early Years Education Entitlement contract with EYFS providers, Holmwood House no longer facilitates this funding in the Reception year for children under five. Early Years funding is still possible at the Nursery and in the Preschool but not beyond.)

Admission into other year groups is based on a satisfactory result in an assessment test and taster day in school.  We aim to identify pupils who are able to benefit from our balanced and well rounded education and to make a positive contribution towards the life of the school.  We cater for a wide range of abilities.

Click here for a copy of the School’s admissions policy.

Click here for the most up-to-date terms and conditions.

1. Make an Enquiry

Please contact the Nursery directly by phone, email nurserymanager@homwood.house, or by completing our online enquiry form on this page. Vicki Shreeve or Clare Cutts, Nursery Managers, will be able to advise if there is space for your child. Children can join the Nursery from 6 months and up. Our nursery is very popular, so early registration is advised.

2. Register

Please complete and submit our online registration form, which will be sent to you by the Nursery managers upon receiving your enquiry. The receipt of this places your child on our room lists for your chosen point of entry.

3. Offer & Place Acceptance

We will send you a final acceptance form, parental responsibility form and request for a deposit of £150 (returned to you when your child leaves the  Nursery/School). Return of this contract and deposit secures your child’s place at Holmwood House Nursery. An email confirmation of receipt of these will be sent.

4. Confirmation & Additional Information

A digital new joiner form will also need to be completed prior to your child joining the Nursery so we can gather contact details, consents, medical information etc.

If you choose for your child to transition to our Pre-Reception or Reception class at the school, a Nursery to School transition form will be issued by the school Admissions Registrar and an additional £150 deposit will be payable to secure the school space. This total £300 deposit will be returned to you when your child leaves the school, less any disbursements. If your child leaves the Nursery at any other time, having given the requisite 8 weeks’ notice, your £150 Nursery deposit will be returned, less any disbursements.