Rejected from Scottish nursery - please help!

[PartyRingaRosie]

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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?

The council will set criteria for priority if it is likely that a school will be oversubscribed, and not allow placements from out of catchment. I know this because it happened in our area a few years ago. The council will have projections for what the school rolls will be.

If it helps with your primary school place worries, the school nursery class my DSs went to had a maximum capacity of 15 per session, so total 30 children. Reception intake was 60 children.

Maybe yours is the same?

It’s quite likely they will stick portacabins in the playground as temporary classrooms as well. Or turn a communal space into a classroom for the years they need it. But they almost always get all the catchment kids into the school.

They are continually building new houses in our school area. Classes are capped at 33 for single age, 25 for composite. Classes are made up according to numbers in each stage . We've had to rejig classes after Christmas and Easter in the past if new pupils come in.

Haven’t read the full post but you do know that you can use a funded 2 space in a private nursery? Have you tried that as an option?

school is different to nursery, the LA are obligated to provide your child a space at school.

Primary school education is different. All children must go to school so the LA must provide facilities for all.

No, all children must be educated, but they don’t need to go to school.

Your understanding is very wrong.

We had to put my child's name on a waiting list for our local nursery when she was born.

There are no catchment areas for local authority nurseries in Scotland. You can apply to any nursery. If they are full then they’re full. There’s nothing that can be done about that from your end. They have offered a place but not one that is terribly convenient. This will have no impact on primary school. You have a catchment school. You are guaranteed a place for P1 in this catchment school. You can apply out of catchment but this is dependent on space being available.

Do check what your catchment school is. It may not be the one you imagine it is.

You’ve misunderstood OP, they do not have to provide a place, but IF you can find one then you can use the funding.

No. If the catchment school can’t take the number of kids projected in a new build estate, they won’t get permission to build. Or, they will re-zone the catchment area so kids go to a school that has places. I’ve worked on housing projects which has homes sitting empty for 6 months because they aren’t allowed to release them for sale if there are no places in the catchment area school. Or, the school is expanded with temporary classrooms.

You can firmly blame the Scottish Government for this. It's happening in nurseries all over the country since they widened the age range for deferring to p1 entry. So lots more kids staying at nursery an extra year, but no more nursery places provided. Kids turning 3 therefore have no place while kids who are nearly 5 or 5 remain in nursery an extra year. The whole thing is a mess. If your daughter is just turning 3, you might not get a space this year, but you should next year when she is 4. If she is already 4 and you've just moved to area, you are likely stuck without a place till school.

Nope it isn’t. The school classes will be recomposited if this would add extra capacity or the building would be extended, likely with modular classrooms, should they need additional classes. Role projections are known years in advance and plans put in place. We know our school will breech capacity next year and the plan is in place for how this will be managed. If you’re in the catchment you will get a place.

Same, I’m in Scotland and we actually had DC’s name on a waiting list before they were born! We moved about a year later and it was sheer luck we were able to find a nursery, as someone happened to be moving away from the area.

They can provide the childcare funding but they don't make sure there are enough spaces. I don't know how they could since nursery is completely optional? Apart from that, childcare places are underfunded which has a knock-on effect. All you can really do is look at alternative options - a nursery further away or a childminder. Go on the waiting list for the private nursery, and reapply to the LA nurseries when you can

Edit: also did you apply for specific days? It might be worth asking if they have space for any other days or half days. They might be not being full all the time.

So as previous posters have said there is no obligation on the part of the local authority to provide a nursery place for your child. I assume since you applied you are on a waiting list and you may well end up with a space in January as children move out. There is no connection between nursery attended and school places, so you will still be allocated a space at your catchment school. Unfortunately all nurseries are bound by Care Inspectorate guidance not just on staff numbers but also on the space available and will have been registered for a specific number which they will not be allowed to go above. I’d suggest getting on all waiting lists and checking the councils priority lists to see if your child meets any of the criteria for preferential entry.

Apologies not read all the posts so might be repeating.

Nursery is not statutory, therefore the LA are not obliged to offer a place. Statutory education starts at the term after the child’s 5th birthday.

Unfortunately, if there is no capacity then a space cannot be offered at nursery. Had this been a situation at say Reception, the LA would have to offer a place to meet their statutory obligation to provide education and if they could not meet your preference/s, they would offer a place at the nearest suitable with a vacancy.

The nursery system in Scotland is quite different, so some posters aren't understanding. Sadly there aren't enough places at the council nurseries. My sister was a childminder and was being paid by the council to provide additional spaces. Try and find a local childminder.

That’s exactly what everyone is saying.

It really isn’t much different from England. You sign your kid up for a private nursery or childminder and they claim the funded hours. You pay the difference if there is any.

Because not every kid goes to nursery goes to school. Isn’t that obvious ?

The LA offer spaces but it isn’t school and they don’t have to guarantee them.

You didn’t get in. Put your name on a waiting list. End of. Otherwise complaining about your kid not getting a non legal required space sounds entitled.

Unfortunately nursery is not compulsory. By you or them .so if they give you a place further out that's a bit rubbish but they have fulfilled what they have to do .but under scottish rules you must be given a school place in your local area so don't worry about that .

For those suggesting a nursery near your/your DH's place of work you need to check if this is possible if you live and work in different LA areas. I'm on the border between a small commuter town with limited pre-school places and a bigger town and the two LAs no longer fund places for kids who don't live in their area. This caused carnage when it changed.

It might be different in Scotland but in England there are no catchment areas for nurseries and going to a local nursery or not has absolutely no impact on whether they get into a local primary school. Even if the child goes to a nursery att attached to the primary school.
Also it is not compulsory for children to go to nursery whereas it is compulsory for children aged over 5 to be in school and LAs have a legal responsibility to make that happen. So you can't compare the two.

Not true. School is not compulsory.
It is compulsory for parents to provide an education for their children, whether by school or otherwise.

(ie home education is otherwise than at school)

That sounds the same as England to be honest

Actually there some obligations on Local Authorities as defined in the Childcare Act 2006. Not sure to what extent it applies in Scotland.
Local authorities are not obligated to provide every child with a nursery place but must ensure there are sufficient places to meet the demand for childcare from working parents, as per the Childcare Act 2006. They must also secure funding for free early education hours for all three- and four-year-olds, and for eligible two-year-olds. Local authorities are responsible for securing sufficient childcare but should not provide it directly unless no other providers are available.