Admissions Process for The Olive Tree School
A warm welcome to our family orientated school community.
We currently have 27 nationalities and around 200 pupils registered with us.
We offer an English education to children aged 3-16 and teach the British National Curriculum in an active, child-centered way. We teach our children a love of learning through active project work. Our small classes mean highly personalised learning. We have outstanding GCSE results at age 16, far higher than the UK national average.
If you would like to know more about our approach to education, please fill in the form below and book a visit. We look forward to meeting you and your child.
Please complete the form below to start your Application Process.
Admissions Information
Children are welcome to join us at any time during the year if there are places available in the relevant class. So, please contact us if you are looking for immediate admission.
Please complete the form below and submit it. We will contact you by email within 24 hours to help you with the admissions process.
We are currently fielding admissions enquiries for the school year 2024-25 and for school year 2025-26.
If there are no places currently available in your child’s class, or you are not yet ready to commit to registration, you can sign up to the waiting list (see right). You will then be contacted should a place become available.
Class Sizes
We encourage early applications as places are limited.
● Nursery and Reception (Saplings) maximum 24 children combined
● Year 1 to Year 6 maximum 20 children per class
● Year 7 to Year 11 maximum 20 children per class
Waiting List
Please note that being on the waiting list does not guarantee a place for September 2024.
The fee to join the waiting list is 300€ per child. This is non-refundable. If you subsequently register your child with us, the fee is discounted from the registration fee.
Academic & Language Assessment
We welcome fluent speakers and non-native speakers of English and cater to both.
We consider a child’s age, educational history, and level of English in the admissions process. There is no formal exam or entry test.
Assigning places in March/April 2024
In March 2024 we ask parents to confirm if their children will continue for 2024-25.
From 1st April we assign places that become available to children on the waiting list, strictly in chronological order from the date they entered the waiting list.
Your child’s place is only secured once the admissions application form has been completed and the registration fee has been paid.
Admissions Policy & Process
Aims of our admissions process
To ensure consistency and clarity for all involved in the admission of pupils to The Olive Tree School.
To ensure that the correct decision is made, with the child / young person at the heart of the process.
To allow teaching staff the opportunity to gain as much information about a prospective pupil in order to make an informed decision on admission.
To ensure that our current pupils’ needs would continue to be met optimally if the new admission were made into their class.
Criteria for admission
The Olive Tree School is non-selective in terms of academic performance or capacity. We successfully teach children and young people aged 3- 16 with a very wide range of prior attainment.
We are inclusive and welcome children and young people with a range of learning preferences and needs. We are experienced at integrating pupils with SEND into the mainstream and believe it is highly beneficial for all pupils to be part of an inclusive classroom, where high quality teaching addresses all needs. To this end, we have a team of special education teachers who take specialist care of our pupils with SEND.
We welcome pupils with a low level of English and zero beginners into our primary school and into our secondary Years 7-9 classes. With specific language instruction in the initial months, our English beginners flourish. We do, however, ensure the number of pupils with a low level of English is a small percentage of the pupils in each class; this ensures immersion in English continues to take place for all.
Occasionally, a pupil will be considered unlikely to thrive in our learning environment and with the resources which a mainstream school can offer. This is most often due to a child’s complex co-existing educational needs, sometimes coupled with a low level of English (i.e. more than one special need). In these rare cases, we work closely with the family to find the best learning environment in the local area for the child, where they can receive specialized / alternative schooling.
Admissions steps
1. A family expresses interest in joining The Olive Tree School
A family contacts the admissions department.
Admissions staff pass on the family’s contact details onto one of the four headteachers so that a visit to the school can be organised and a meeting held about the child’s profile: their educational history and particular needs.
Admissions staff request previous school reports for the past two years, and any educational psychologist’s reports.
2. Documentation requested from family
The headteachers consider the previous school reports for the past two years and any other documentation provided by the family.
The headteacher considers the child’s level of English and any special educational needs.
3. A two-day taster for the child; a visit to school for the family
If the headteachers believe the school might meet the needs of the pupil and that the pupil will be a positive addition to the relevant class, a two-day taster visit by the child to the classroom is offered. This visit is a time for class teachers to further evaluate the child’s suitability to join the class and the school.
The family is offered a tour of the school and a meeting with a headteacher.
4. Two taster days take place
Parents fill in a ‘pre-trial’ form before / on the day of the first taster day.
The two taster days are conducted and observations are made by the teacher, who passes these on to a headteacher.
The headteacher(s) makes a decision regarding the child’s admission.
5. Communicating the school’s decision to the family
The decision is communicated by the admission dept.
If admission is denied, the family is given clear details of the reasons why the school cannot meet the child’s needs. This may be done by phone by the headteacher or by the admissions officer.
A headteacher may, if the family wishes, offer detailed guidance in finding a more suitable school.
6. Parents complete registration form and child begins at The Olive Tree
If a child is admitted into school, the family is guided through the administrative process by the admissions officer.
Registration forms are completed and the matriculation fee paid.
If a child is admitted but there are no spaces in a year group, the child may be added to a waiting list if the family wishes.
7. Pupil joins the school; an 8-week period of evaluation
After a new pupil has joined the school, their academic and social-emotional progress is monitored and tracked for the first 8 weeks.
Any concerns are relayed to the headteachers and the SENCo for further close observation and discussion.
There is transparency from the headteachers with the family regarding any concerns.
If there are no concerns in those 8 weeks, the child remains on roll.
8. In case of initial concerns: steps in monitoring and evaluation
End of Week 2
End of transition period. Class teacher raises any concerns with a headteacher.
End of Week 3
Child is now monitored by the class teacher and headteacher. If concerns remain, parents are informed.
Start of Week 4
Targets for the child (behavioural or cognitive) are set by the class teacher and a headteacher.
Parents are informed of targets.
Targets are tracked on a daily basis. Parents continue to be informed.
End of Week 8
Headteachers decide if the child may continue at The Olive Tree or if the clause allowing for withdrawl of the child’s place during the first 3 months (as contained in the registration form) should be activated and the family informed that their child’s needs cannot be met at The Olive Tree School.
If the latter, school offers support and guidance in finding an alternative school that might meet the child’s needs.