School nursery age and process

[Jockney73]

Hi, I have twins turned 2 this week. When can I expect them to start school nursery? I want them in as soon as poss not least as we both work full time and my parents have been providing childcare for a year but it is taking its toll. Is the process that I start visiting the school nurseries around here, Tower Hamlets, to put their names down before the registration next year for places Sept 2019? Forgive my ignorance I'm just finding it hard to understand the process and timings, it all seems a bit ad-hoc and dependant.

Currently childcare funding starts for 3 year olds the term after they are 3 but for a school nursery you need to check with your la and individual schools as some areas only have September Intake others so September and January. You can also use private nurseries and childminders for funding so if the school doesn't take them soon enough you can use other types of settings from the term after they are 3.
You maybe entitled to 30 hours which may mean using both a school and another setting if schools in your area don't take the full 30 hours.
The entitlement for 15 or 30 hours is a term time only number of hours- you can choose to stretch funding with non school providers to cover the whole year with 11 or 22 hours a week.