Children are welcomed into school at the beginning of the school year, September,  in which they turn five years old.

If you would like to apply for a school place at Hopton Church of England Primary Academy please contact the Admissions department at Norfolk County Council 

on - 0344 8008020 or by going on-line at  admissions@norfolk.gov.uk where you can complete the application form. Please see the link below.

The Governors have agreed an intake limit of 30 reception children per year. If there are more children who wish to enter school than we have places we then apply the criteria set out in our admissions policy. Please see below for criteria for over subscription. 
 
Admissions to the school are  arranged  through Norfolk County Council and not through the school office. 

Email: admissions@norfolk.gov.uk
Telephone: 0344 800 8020
Address:
Admissions
8th Floor
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DL

Admissions for Reception Children
If your child is going to be 5 in the next academic year, you can apply to admissions through Norfolk County Council on the link above. 
The closing date for these applications is in January (please check the admissions website for exact dates). In the middle of April, Norfolk county council will send a letter to let families know what school they have been offered. The school will also receive a letter and we will then send you a letter inviting you to the new parents meeting and transition events (these will be outlined in the letter).
Starting school is an exciting but sometimes scary time for both parents and children. To ensure a smooth transition into Hopton Primary School we have a number of events for both children and parents to help make this a positive experience.
 
Open Day 
Every year the school holds several Open Mornings which gives prospective parents an opportunity to look round our school during the day so that they get a real feel for what our school is like. If you are unable to attend any of these open mornings then please feel free to contact Mrs Kelly the Office Manager who will be happy to  arrange an alternative time.
 
New Parents Evening
To welcome new parents we hold an informal Open Evening. This will also be an opportunity to meet the adults that will be working with your child, as well as other parents who have children in Reception. As part of the meeting each parent will receive a welcome pack that will hopefully answer any questions about your child’s school day, their daily routines and their learning.
 
 Visits to Pre-School providers on transition into Reception
The Reception teacher will link up with pre-school providers during the summer term either through phone calls or visits, to share relevant information about your child and to ease their transition into school. 
 
Transition Sessions
We have a series of transition events during the summer term which are a fun way for children and parents to get to know the school. During these events there will be the chance to meet children and parents from other year groups as well as to share fun activities. On the third of these sessions the PTA provide tea and coffee for parents giving them the chance to leave their children in the classroom with     Reception adults for a short time.
 
Home visit
We believe home visits are really important for you and your child to help to get to know the staff team in reception in the comfort of your own home. In September when the rest of the school start the Reception teacher, within the first week of the new academic year, will visit your home to meet with you and your child in order to get to know your child even better. These conversations are not to inspect your home, but to give time for conversations about settling in, transition, medical needs and anything else you would like to share with us before starting school.  
 
Staggered start
In September the children will start part-days for the first week to help ease the transition into full-time schooling. Within a couple of weeks, all children will be attending school full-time. Usually all children become full time from starting in Reception however if your child is summer born you may wish for them to start

part-time only, this can be discussed further with the class teacher. 
 
DNEAT Admissions Over Subscription Criteria

In the case of oversubscription to this academy DNEAT have delegated the application of oversubscription criteria to the Local Governing Body.
 

A child who has a Education Health and Care plan naming the Academy

If there are more children who wish to enter school than there are places then the following oversubscription criteria will apply in order of priority.  

1.  Looked After Children, previously looked after children, child arrangements order

     or a special guardianship immediately following having been looked after. 

2.  Siblings of children already at the school and living in the catchment area
     at the time of their admission.

3. Residence within the catchment area of the school.

4.  Siblings of children already at the Academy but out of catchment area.

5.  Children living out of the catchment area who have a faith/or whose parents are

     committed Church members and wish them to recieve an education in a school   

     with a Church of England foundation. They should support their application by

     completing the Supplementary Information Form which can be found as

     Appendix 2 of the admission policy.

6.  In the event of having to use a tie-breaker to between two or more applications,

     the child living the shortest distance from home to school in a straight line as the

     crow flies route will take priority.

If the Local Governing Body's decision is not to grant a place for your child, you have the right to appeal against the decision via Norfolk County Council admissions.
 
In Year Admissions 
If you are considering joining Hopton Church of England Primary Academy once the school year has started, you can apply to admissions through Norfolk County Council on the link above. Please be aware that there are only three times per year that the admissions team allow for changes between schools during a school year, these being January, Easter and after the summer holiday. If you are currently living locally we suggest that you talk with your current Headteacher about the reasons you think you need your children to change schools, as they might be able to solve any issues or concerns. Your current Headteacher will also need to agree and sign the relevant paper work. Once the paperwork has been sent, please make an appointment to see Mrs Kelly (the school secretary) to have a look around. 
 
Welcome
If you have been successful in gaining a place at our Academy, we welcome you and look forward to meeting with you soon, if you are considering our lovely Academy please come and have a look around. We have an open day in October but can also arrange times by appointment, just call the office. If you can’t make the open day or have missed it please phone the office for an appointment with Mrs Kelly, our Office manager.