Admissions Procedure

Step 1: Open Morning

As a first step in considering Heritage, we would encourage you to prioritise an Open Morning.

Step 2: Arrange a Visit

The second step, or the first step if you are not able to attend an Open Morning, is to arrange a visit to the school during normal working hours for a tour and a meeting with the Headmaster. You will get a good feel for the school, and you can ask all the questions you may have about Heritage as you consider whether it is a good fit for your child. It is also an opportunity for the Headmaster to learn about your child.

Step 3: Taster Day

The third step is for your child to come to Heritage for a ‘taster day’. The purpose of this visit is for the child to get a feel for what Heritage is like and for us to assess their academic levels, behaviour and social skills. Here’s what to expect:

Prospective Lower Prep (Reception) pupils have a play-based assessment in small groups which lasts about an hour.
Pupils of Upper Prep (Year 1) age will usually attend for a half day and the class teacher will assess a child in the context of that day’s normal classwork.
Children of Year 2 age and up will participate in normal lessons for most of the day. A standardised assessments in Maths and English, lasting for up to two hours, will also be delivered during the day.

Step 4: Confidential Reference Form

For children already of school age, a Confidential Reference Form needs to be completed by your child’s current school; any offer of a place is conditional upon receipt of a satisfactory reference. Children who are offered a place need to be able to access mainstream classroom teaching effectively, with the high level of support available in small classes. They need to be cooperative and have a respectful attitude. With regards to academic ability, prospective pupils need to be able to achieve average to above-average scores in standardised assessments in Maths and English.

Step 5: Accepting a Place

Following the ‘taster day’ assessment, you will be contacted by Heritage School within a week, usually by a telephone call from the Headmaster, about whether a place can be offered. You will then receive an offer letter, and you will be asked to return a signed Acceptance Form together with a non-refundable Acceptance Fee*. Once the Acceptance Form and Acceptance Fee have been received, your child’s place is secured. All other necessary information, such as consent forms and uniform information, will be sent to you at that time.

*For a full list of current application fees, please refer to our Admissions Policy.

Support for Learning Difficulties

Children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, who need a small amount of 1-1 support, can thrive at Heritage. We do not have the resources to offer more than a small amount of one-to-one or small group work up to Year 4 or 5. Parents can pay for a modest amount of additional in-school 1-1 support. As a rule, we are unable to offer a place to pupils with significant special needs requiring substantial 1-1 support.

Additional Information

Additional details about our admissions process, including application fees, can be found in our Admissions FAQs. For more information about Heritage School, please explore the ‘About Us’ section of this website, and read through this booklet for prospective parents: