Annual Admissions Consultation

Dear colleagues

Nottinghamshire’s annual consultation on admission arrangements is now open and I write to ask for your help in drawing this to the attention of parents.  The County Council, as the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools, is required by the School Admissions Code to determine admission arrangements annually.  Any changes have to be consulted upon prior to determination.

This year, the consultation for the admission arrangements for 2025-2026 for all community and voluntary controlled schools in Nottinghamshire will be open between 2 October 2023 and 26 November 2023.  Could I please ask that you and your governors consider this year’s consultation carefully and ensure that you share it widely with parents and other partner organisations through your own newsletters and school websites?  A poster is attached which you may wish to include in any communication. 

The consultation includes:

• review of relevant areas (the area in which a school must consult all other schools on any changes to admission arrangements)
• the proposed change to catchment area within the Gedling district (Chase Farm development)
• the proposed changes to the Published Admission Number (PAN) at:
  • Sir Edmund Hillary Primary and Nursery School (Bassetlaw district)
  • Walesby CofE Primary School (Newark district)

A summary of the consultation is attached, and the full proposed arrangements are available on our public website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissionsconsultation

It is important that all consultees have an opportunity to comment on the proposed arrangements if they wish to do so, comments can be made up to 26 November 2023 by:

• completing the online response form on the public website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissionsconsultation
• emailing admissionsconsultations@nottscc.gov.uk

School admissions consultation

Head Lice - Advice

Head lice and nits are very common in young children and their families. They do not have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact. They are small insects around 3mm long and it can be very difficult to detect them in your child’s hair.

Please be aware that we are still having issues with head lice in school. Year 2 has a larger number of children suffering with lice. Unfortunately, until all children have been checked and treated, the issue will not go away.

An easy and more cost-effective way to check your child’s hair is by following the wet or dry detection methods below:

Wet detection combing

To use the wet detection method:

• wash the hair with ordinary shampoo
• apply plenty of conditioner
• use an ordinary, wide-toothed comb to straighten and untangle the hair
• once the comb moves freely through the hair without dragging, switch to the louse detection comb
• make sure the teeth of the comb slot into the hair at the roots, with the edge of the teeth lightly touching the scalp
• draw the comb down from the roots to the ends of the hair with every stroke, and check the comb for lice each time – remove lice by wiping the comb with tissue paper or rinsing it
• work through the hair, section by section, so that the whole head of hair is combed through
• do this at least twice to help ensure you haven't missed any areas
• continue until you find no more lice

If you find head lice, you should check the rest of your family. Treat everyone found to have head lice on the same day.

Dry detection combing

To use the dry detection method:

• use an ordinary, wide-toothed comb to straighten and untangle the hair
• once the comb moves freely through the hair without dragging, switch to the louse detection comb
• make sure the teeth of the comb slot into the hair at the roots, with the edge of the teeth lightly touching the scalp
• draw the comb down from the crown to the ends of the hair with every stroke
• look for lice as the comb is drawn through the hair. If you see a louse, trap it against the face of the comb with your thumb to stop if being repelled by static electricity
• comb each section of hair 3 or 4 times before moving on to the next section
• continue until the whole head has been combed through

What do I do if eggs or head lice are detected?

If any head lice or eggs are detected. You would need to treat your child’s hair. The steps below should be followed in accordance with NHS advice:

1. You should check everyone in the house and start treating anyone who has head lice on the same day.
2. There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice and you do not need to visit a GP.
3. Use medicated lotions or sprays. Please speak to a pharmacist for advice on products that kill lice and can protect children after.
4. Head lice should die within a day. Some lotions and sprays come with a comb to remove dead lice and eggs.
5. Some treatments need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice.
6. Check the pack to see if they're OK for you or your child and how to use them.
7. If lotions or sprays do not work, speak to a pharmacist about other treatments.
8. It is recommended that bedding & hats are washed and hair bushes are cleaned. 

You cannot prevent head lice!  There's nothing you can do to prevent head lice but you can help stop them spreading by wet or dry combing regularly to catch them early.

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