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Original poster

Rejected from Scottish nursery - please help!

211 replies

PartyRingaRosie · 20/09/2025 11:47

X posting for traffic..

My DD has just been rejected from our local nursery (literally a 2 minute walk from home) due to capacity. I called to ask about alternatives and was told the 2 other nurseries in our village are also full. The only option the could offer was a nursery 10 miles away.

I’m really upset and worried about this. It’s not at all practical for us to be driving 10 miles each way before work every morning, and I’m also anxious that if she can’t get into a local nursery now, she may struggle to get into the local primary when the time comes.

Has anyone been in this situation? What did you do? Is there anything I can do to challenge this and push for a place locally?

OP posts:
Darragon · 20/09/2025 11:57

I called to ask about alternatives and was told the 2 other nurseries in our village are also full. The only option the could offer was a nursery 10 miles away.
This reads like you expect the full nursery to find you a place??! That seems really random to me. You may have more luck ringing around yourself.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/09/2025 11:56

If it’s a private nursery I’m assuming Scotland is the same as most countries that have private nurseries - you have to go on the waiting list if it’s full.

A pain but can you hold off returning to work for a while, or is there a CM near you?

Smartiepants79 · 20/09/2025 11:56

I don’t anything about the Scottish systems for whether it different there to England.
Is it a private nursery? A school one? Council run?
In the end of they’re all full they’re all full.
10 miles isn’t that far. How long would the drive actually take?
I’m not sure what your options are?

warmapplepies · 20/09/2025 11:55

PartyRingaRosie · 20/09/2025 11:55

Perhaps I should have stated in my original post that this is a local authority nursery. It’s a case of applying when the window opens each year.

Surely the council have an obligation to ensure there are adequate early years education facilities to accommodate local residents? If the LA cannot accommodate these children in nursery, how are they going to accommodate them in primary school?

Show quote history

Nope, that's not how it works. Nursery isn't compulsory, school is.

Original poster
PartyRingaRosie · 20/09/2025 11:55

MidnightPatrol · 20/09/2025 11:50

Push who exactly…?

There is no obligation for a nursery to give you a place, and if they’re full, they’re full. Thats why people register for them even years in advance.

You have to deal with the inconvenience until a space comes up, or look at alternatives like a nanny or childminder.

Perhaps I should have stated in my original post that this is a local authority nursery. It’s a case of applying when the window opens each year.

Surely the council have an obligation to ensure there are adequate early years education facilities to accommodate local residents? If the LA cannot accommodate these children in nursery, how are they going to accommodate them in primary school?

OP posts:
Readyforslippers · 20/09/2025 11:54

Are you able to check nurseries near to where either of you work perhaps?

Sirzy · 20/09/2025 11:54

Nurseries will be tied with ratios so it’s unlikely you can do much other than go in waiting lists.

how old is your child?

warmapplepies · 20/09/2025 11:53

If they're full, they're full - I'm not sure what you think pushing or challenging is going to achieve?

You'll just have to use a different nursery or alternative form of childcare.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 20/09/2025 11:53

It may well be very different in Scotland, but surely nurseries are private businesses (even if attached to a school) and as such have numbers and don't need to exceed them? How would you push them? It isn't like school where they can massage ratios if they want to, they are restricted by numbers per adult.

Most nurseries have waiting lists for this reason, how far in advance have you started getting organised?

10 miles isn't far either, I'd just get on with it.

Cadenza12 · 20/09/2025 11:52

Wel if they haven't got a place not much can be done by challenging. All you can do if put your name down.

MidnightPatrol · 20/09/2025 11:50

Push who exactly…?

There is no obligation for a nursery to give you a place, and if they’re full, they’re full. Thats why people register for them even years in advance.

You have to deal with the inconvenience until a space comes up, or look at alternatives like a nanny or childminder.

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