Starting School For The First Time, Reception Classes

The Application Portal for Reception 2025 is now closed.  For those starting Reception in September 2026, the portal will open at the beginning of November and close in January.  Details of this can be found at:

Apply for a primary school place | Buckinghamshire Council

Elmtree Nursery Admissions Policy
We admit children into our Nursery every term and it is important for parents to complete a registration form so that we are aware of their interest in the school. Priority is given to those children who live in the catchment area or who have siblings attending Elmtree. 

Attending Elmtree Nursery does not guarantee a place at Elmtree Infant School.

Elmtree Infant School Admissions Policy

Elmtree Infant and Nursery School is now part of the Oxford Diocesan Bucks Schools Trust, who are the admissions authority for the school and the Trust may make changes to the policy for admission.

If there are more applications received than the places available at the school, then the places will be allocated within the primary scheme in accordance with the published  over-subscription criteria for the school. (See below)

Details for dates for timely applications and how late applications are handled are given in the primary scheme parents’ guide on the Buckinghamshire Council website. Parents/guardians wishing to apply for a place in our Reception Class for September 2026 must complete the common application form provided by their home local authority (the home LA). The home LA is the LA in whose area the parent(s) live at the time of application. The online applications closed on 15 January 2026. Applications received after this date will normally only be considered after all those received on or before the cut off date. Offers and refusals of places will be posted by the home LA on 16 April 2026.

Questions regarding this round of admissions should be directed to Bucks County Council Admissions Team. Please contact them in the first instance by using their 'Contact Us' form which can be found at: Buckinghamshire Council Admissions

Over-subscription criteria for 2026 admissions

1. Looked-after children and children who were previously looked after, including those children who appear to have been in state care outside England, but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted. 
2. Families who have exceptional medical or social needs that make it essential that their child attends Elmtree Infant and Nursery School rather than any other. These needs must be fully supported by written evidence from the appropriate professional person involved with the family. 
3. Children with a normal home address in the catchment area and with a sibling on the roll of the school or at the linked junior school, Thomas Harding at the time of application or whose parent has accepted an offer of a place at the school and who is expected still to be in attendance at the time of entry to the school.
4. Children with a normal home address in the catchment area.
5. Children with a normal home address outside of the catchment area and with a sibling on the roll of the school at the time of application or whose parent has accepted an offer of a place at the school and who is expected still to be in attendance at the time of entry to the school. 
6. Other children. 

Proximity of the child’s home, as measured by the straight-line distance  between the home and the school with those living nearer being accorded the higher priority, will serve to differentiate between children in criteria 1 to 6 should the need arise. In the event that two distance measurements are identical, the school will use random allocation to decide which child should be offered the place. The process will be conducted in the presence of a person independent of the school.

Appeals 2024-2025 (including timetable)

Appeal a primary school decision | Buckinghamshire Council