Children typically enter York House at Upper Nursery 3+ with another third joining at Reception 4+ .
Another entry point is into our Lower School at Y3 or Y4 (known as 7+ or 8+), or for the last two years at 11+ for Y7 and Y8.
On occasion, we do have occasional spaces in other year groups and we are happy to meet with families on an individual basis to discuss joining York House.
Prospective pupils may be registered for admission at any time after birth. For children wishing to join Nursery or Reception, we suggest children register by the time the child is 12-18 months old due to demand on places.
If a parent wishes to register their children, we ask that you have had a tour of York House with the Head, or another senior member of staff.
Once we have received a completed registration form with a copy of your child's birth certificate or passport, together with a non-refundable fee of £100, your child's name will be placed on our registered list. We will then be in touch in the year before admission to arrange an assessment.
Click here to download our registration form
| Reception 2024 | Register by 31st October 2023 | Please contact us to check availability |
| Upper Nursery 2024 | Register by 19th January 2024 | Assessments January 2024 Assessment dates on 30th & 31st January (by appointment) |
| Reception 2025 | Register by October 2024 | Assessments Autumn 2024 |
| Upper Nursery 2025 | Register by January 2025 | Assessments Spring 2025 |
Children are invited to take part in an assessment session about two terms before they wish to start in the Upper Nursery at York House. Your child will take part in a play-based assessment session, looking at social skills, speaking and listening and readiness to learn in a school setting. Typically sessions are run in small groups with parents staying in the room. If your child's current setting has a notice period that means you need an earlier assessment session do let us know so we can arrange an earlier assessment. We aim to take 36 children into our Upper Nursery class.
Entry for Reception requires the children to attend a 4+ assessment session, with children of a similar age. Assessments take place in the academic year before Reception entry, demand on places is high, and we typically offer 18 external places, as children in our Nursery get automatic entry to Reception.
We will see all children that have registered before our assessment week, once all children have been seen we will make offers in line with our admissions policy. We do keep a waiting list and keep in contact with these families termly.
We have a small intake of Lower Nursery pupils; these children tend to be siblings of current pupils and staff children. The children are required to attend an assessment session in line with the 3+ route.
Children who are seeking space from Year 1 upwards are asked to spend time at York House with the current cohort for an assessment and taster day. During the assessment day, the child will be asked to complete age-appropriate assessments.
The taster day also aims to give your child an overview of a day at York House, and usually includes activities such as sports, playground time, lunch and of course, standard lessons throughout the day and to ensure a decisive match between our current cohort, the schools' aims and the child.
A decision will be made within two weeks after the assessment has taken place. Places will also be offered with the school's co-educational status in mind. Children may be; offered a position, declined a place or placed on a waiting list. If a place is offered, families are required to confirm and pay a deposit of £1,000.00 to secure your daughter/sons place within 14 days.
We refresh our waiting lists regularly and will communicate any changes. If you do not wish to stay on the waiting list for a place, parents should inform the registrar.
On offer of a place, a deposit of £1,000 will be required. £475 will be refunded at the end of the pupil's final term if leaving at the end of Year 6 or Year 8. £525 will be credited back against the first term's fees. The deposit is non-refundable if the acceptance is cancelled for whatever reason prior to the pupil joining York House.
If you are not able to visit the school in person, The Registrar will request previous school reports and with your permission, contact your child's current school. Depending on your child's year of entry to York House, we would then ask them to invigilate the relevant assessments in controlled conditions. It is important that your child has a valid passport or visa (if applicable) to study at York House School. We will require to see their passport prior to an offer being made.
York House School maintains a selective policy for admissions. In line with the school's co-educational status, waiting lists are separated by gender to ensure cohorts remain co-educational. Pupils undergo age-appropriate assessments before entry. The assessment process ensures a match between the education we offer and the child's needs. Due to the volume of applicants being assessed, it is not practical to provide detailed feedback on a child's individual performance.
School Review:
We are pleased to share with you all our latest school review from Muddy Stilettos https://herts.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/york-house-rickmansworth/
