Can a UK school deny reception admission after nursery?

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I live in the UK. Our closest school is 0.6 miles away but I am hoping my daughter will attend a different school 0.9 miles away.

It's slightly further away but is in the opposite direction which is more convenient for our family in terms of travel.

Thankfully, she is now on the waiting list for nursery at school 0.9 and we are happily anticipating her starting in October, the first half term after she turns 3. There have been no questions raised about catchment area.

My question is, will she still be eligible to attend this school beyond nursery, or will the school challenge us near the end of nursery and instruct to apply for reception at the closer school?

If a child has attended nursery in a school, are the school obligated to carry the children into reception or can they dispute places later on?

You need to find the published criteria for admission into your preferred school. Nursery attendance could move you up the priority list (it does in several schools near me) but it certainly won’t guarantee a place.