Admissions Process
Becoming a pupil at Prestfelde School is made seamless and very easy by our Admissions Team. Working through the Admissions Process, we will get to know your child and your family, to ensure that we provide the exact support that your child needs in order to flourish.
Our 8-step process is very simple and straight-forward:
Your journey with Prestfelde School begins with that very first telephone call, email or drop-in visit. However you contact us, we will always be very pleased to see you. Here to answer all of your questions and to help you on your search for a new school, Prestfelde’s Admissions Team will become your primary contacts from this point on. Requesting basic contact information and an understanding as to what you are looking for, we will invite you to come and take a look at the School for yourselves, as part of a private tour.
At a time that suits you, our Admissions Team will warmly invite you to visit Prestfelde and experience the unique atmosphere of our school community. During your visit, we’ll take you on a personalised tour of our beautiful 30-acre campus, where you’ll have the chance to explore our outstanding facilities and see our pupils engaged in learning—both in the classroom and outdoors.
You’ll also be introduced to our Headmaster, Mr Thavenot, who will be delighted to meet you for an informal chat and share more about the values and vision of Prestfelde.
Tours typically last around an hour, with additional time to meet with Mr Thavenot and ask any questions you may have.
After your Tour, should you want to progress your application to Prestfelde School, you will be asked to complete a ‘Registration of Interest Form’. This does not guarantee you a place at the school, but it does enter your details within the official Admissions Process. You will also be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit of £120 from Reception to Yr8 and £100 for nursery pupils.
Stay & Play
If you are looking for a Nursery place at Prestfelde, you and your child will be invited to come along to Stay & Play sessions run free of charge by the school. This gives you and your little one the chance to join in the fun and to see if Prestfelde is the right fit for you. Stay & Play sessions run on the last Thursday of every month. If you like these, you will be invited to come to an official Taster Session with Miss Adams and the team, in Little P.
Taster Day
For pupils across the rest of the School, once we have received a completed Registration of Interest Form, your child will be invited to come along to a Taster Day, so they can try out what life is like at Prestfelde. They will be assigned with one or two ‘buddies’ who, along with all of the teaching staff, will take good care of them throughout the day. There is no need to worry! Joining in with all of the classes, your child will enjoy a delicious lunch at school too.
At Terra Nova we understand that choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions that you will make as a parent or guardian. We guide and support families throughout this decision making process, offering an efficient, streamlined process from start to finish.
We welcome applications all year round, for all year groups (subject to availability), although for Early Years places we strongly advise parents to contact the school in advance as the demand to reserve a Nursery or Reception space is increasing and spaces are limited.
In order to register their interest in the school, families must complete a Registration Form and pay the registration fee of £90.00 (incl. VAT) for each child. Only when the school are in receipt of a completed form and the payment can a taster day be arranged.
the 4 key steps to joining terra nova
Visit & Enquire
Begin by arranging a personal tour or attending an Open Day. This is your chance to see the school and meet our staff.
Register Interest
Complete the Registration Form and pay the non-refundable fee (£90.00). This secures your child’s place on the list.
Taster Day / Assessment
Your child will spend a day with their future cohort. This includes informal assessments appropriate to their age group.
Offer & Acceptance
A formal offer is made. The place is secured upon receipt of the Acceptance Form and a surety payment (£600).
EARLY YEARS ADMISSIONS
EARLY YEARS ADMISSIONS
Children are welcome to join our Lower Nursery from 2.5 years, followed by our Upper Nursery the following academic year and Reception in the September before they will turn 5 years old.
Prior to a formal offer being made for a place in either Nursery or Reception, children, along with their parents, are invited in to our Early Years setting to meet with our Head of Pre-Prep.
After this meeting a formal offer of a place may be made via an offer letter and an acceptance form to complete.
YEARS 1-8 ADMISSIONS
YEARS 1-8 ADMISSIONS
Those hoping to join Terra Nova in Years 1-8 will receive the invitation of a taster day which they will spend with their current cohort. The day includes informal assessments in Mathematics and English, along with the opportunity for the child to sample a typical day at Terra Nova, making new friends and exploring our facilities.
Once the taster day has been completed we will request from parents a copy of the child’s most recent school report. We also contact the child’s current school for a confidential reference. All of this information is passed to our Headmistress who will confirm if a place can be offered. All offers are made in writing through a formal offer letter with an acceptance form to complete.
YEAR 7 ADMISSIONS
YEAR 7 ADMISSIONS
For those considering joining Terra Nova in the Autumn Term of Year 7 we hold an assessment day each year in the Spring Term. The day comprises of a number of assessments along with a variety of activities to showcase the Senior section of Terra Nova and provide a day in the life of a TN student.
Again, in line with our admissions policy, references from the child’s current school along with recent school reports will be required and passed to the Headmistress for consideration before a place can be offered. We will contact families in writing to confirm if a child has been successful in securing a place at Terra Nova, again with the addition of an acceptance form.
enquire today
Complete the form below and a member of the Admissions Team will be in touch.
