Admissions

FAQs

Below you will find answers to many Frequently Asked Questions that are related to admissions at Heathside. If you cannot find the answers to your questions below, please contact our admissions team.

How do I contact Admissions?

For general admissions enquiries or enquiries regarding fees or payments, please use our contact us.

Are there any open days?

We hold regular tours for small groups of parents. To attend a tour, please register your child using the online form here.

Do you accept vouchers?

Heathside does not currently accept Government Childcare Vouchers. However, we do accept certain private vouchers provided by some employers which subsidise childcare for their employees.

There are numerous private schemes available, and Heathside is signed up to many of these voucher schemes. Regrettably, we can only accept vouchers for the private schemes for which we are members. Full details of the schemes we are members of and the related account numbers are available to parents via the FAQs section of our Parent Portal.

Alternatively, please contact us for more information.

When is the earliest I can register my child?

We recommend that you Register as soon as possible. Many parents do this soon after the birth of their children. Waiting lists can be long for some year groups.

I’ve received an offer of a place. How long do I have before I have to commit?

To accept an offer of a place, please pay the deposit within 4 weeks of receiving the offer letter.

If you have uncertain relocation plans or need more time, please contact us.

Does my child need to be assessed?

We do not normally hold formal assessments. Instead, once the Registration Form and registration fees have been received, parents are invited to attend a school tour.

If the parents and the school wish to progress with the admission and depending on the availability of places, we will invite your child (Year 1 and above) to spend a day at the school so they can experience a typical day at Heathside. We find this provides the best opportunity to determine if there is a good fit between your child and the school.

Why do you need to contact my child’s previous school?

This is due to government legislation and guidelines. All schools are routinely in contact with each other to confirm joining and leaving dates to ensure that children do not have gaps in their education.

All schools also regularly are in contact to provide confidential references on students.

Can I visit the school before paying the registration fees?

To arrange a tour, please complete the Registration Form.This will provide us with preliminary information about your child.

You will then be invited to attend a tour of the school. If you prefer, you may pay the registration fees after the tour. Please note that waiting list priority is determined by date of registration fees payment.

My child has special needs – can Heathside cater for this?

Heathside is an inclusive school. To understand your child’s needs and any additional resources that may be required, please contact us, and we will put you in touch with the appropriate member of our SEN team.

We do urge you to please use our Registration Form to detail any special needs so we can help you faster and put you in touch with the relevant staff.

I have accepted an offer of a place – how do I order lunches and uniform etc?

Once the place has been accepted and as we get closer to your child’s start date, you will be sent login details to set up an account with WisePay, Heathside’s online payment system. This is usually sent approximately half a term before your child joins the school. If you require any assistance with your WisePay account, please contact us.

This account enables you to purchase uniform and book other things such as school lunches, clubs and trips.

How do I pay school fees?

Fees are normally invoiced termly, in advance. Details of how to pay school fees are included in the offer letter and detailed on your fees invoices.

Most people pay by bank transfer. If you wish to pay using other payment methods, or with a different payment schedule, please contact us for assistance.

Can my child be admitted to Heathside mid-year?

Yes. Occasional places do come up mid-year dependent on waiting lists. Many Heathside parents have international careers and do sometimes need to relocate as necessary.

Please Register your child as soon as possible, and we will try our best to accommodate your plans.

How much notice does the school need if our family has to relocate?

Written notice must be given one full term in advance for withdrawal from school to avoid a full term’s fees in lieu charge being incurred. If you wish to give notice, please contact our Bursar.

Does Heathside publish a prospectus?

Heathside is an environmentally-conscious school. For the good of the environment, we try to minimise what we print.

This website is our prospectus and contains all the latest information.

Are bursaries available?

Heathside does not normally offer any bursaries. However, in rare cases and extenuating circumstances, we may be able to offer some help or advice.

We may also be able to accept different payment plans. e.g. monthly, annually or via a trust fund.

Please contact us for more information.

Can I defer my child’s start date?

Once you have registered your child, you may wish to defer your child’s start date to another term or year. We will shift your child to the appropriate waiting list for the desired year group as necessary. Please note, in most cases, parents that have already paid the deposits will bypass the waiting list and get an immediate place.

While we will always try our best to accommodate you, the place cannot be guaranteed until you have initially accepted the offer of a place by paying the deposit. Once the deposit has been paid, we can guarantee to keep the place for you.