Joining Oakwood
Year R Admissions
Children reach compulsory school age the term following their fifth birthday and most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday.
Parents will need to apply for a Year R place through Hampshire School Admissions by the closure date given.
Open Mornings
At Green Oaks we offer you the opportunity to attend one of our Open Mornings at Oakwood in the Autumn Term. Our open mornings for prospective parents of children starting school in September 2026 are held in October 2025.
Starting School
At Oakwood we know how important it is for your child to feel safe, happy and secure when they start school.
We therefore work hard to build early relationships and start to get to know your child as soon as possible. Our Early Years Leader and Inclusion Leader visit our local pre-schools during the year and this enables them to meet the children, offer support, and begin to understand the children’s strengths and personalities. Once you have accepted a place at Oakwood you will be invited into school in the summer term to take part in our Acorn transition programme.
This includes:
- Stay and Play
On this visit, we invite you and your child to come into Year R and stay and play together as part of a group. This will help both of you become familiar with the Year R classrooms and start to get to know us, the other children and their parents a little better.
- Letting Go
At this Acorn visit we encourage you to leave your child in the capable hands of our Year R staff to have a session at school on their own. This is a really important visit to attend and will help build their confidence in readiness for September.
If your child finds separation difficult and you think that your child will find this session difficult please speak to a member of Year R staff at one of the previous sessions who will be happy to help. During this time, we would love you to stay for a coffee, get to know each other a little better in the school hall.
- First Steps
Now that you and your child are more familiar with Oakwood and Year R we invite you in to drop your child off at school, just like it will be on their first day in September. Your child will have time to play and meet other Year R children – a time when new friendships start to be made.
- Home Visit
In September your child’s Class Teacher and Teaching Assistant will come to meet with you and your child at home. This gives you the chance to talk about starting school, ask any questions and make that important connection with your child’s teacher.
- Phased Start
It is important that the very first week at school is successful, that it allows staff and children to get to know each other properly, and that everyone feels safe and settled. We therefore ask children to attend either morning or afternoon sessions in the first week of school ready for full time altogether the week after.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Year R and Oakwood and hope that you and your family form a long and happy association with us.
Applying for a school place in-year
This is when a child needs a school place outside of the usual transfer times, for example because of a house move or a change of school.
All in-year admissions will need to be made through a formal application through Hampshire School Admissions.
If you are interested in joining Oakwood in-year you are welcome to contact us to make an appointment to come and look around. We offer children who are joining us the opportunity to visit their new class before starting full time. This gives you and your child the chance to meet the class teacher and start to make new friends before starting at Oakwood.
We look forward to welcoming you to Oakwood and the Green Oaks Federation soon.
