School nurseries - when to start, waiting lists, how they work

[ShoalShark]

I want to make use of the free hours for 3 year olds and want my DS to attend the nursery class attached to the local primary school. He doesn't attend any form of childcare at the moment.

I read that they start the term after they turn 3. He turns 3 in November 2025, so he would be starting January 2026. We signed him up to the waiting list in January 2025, as the website suggested a year in advance.

The receptionist has said that we will find out in November if we have a place, because it will depend on the September intake. I'm not really sure how it all works but if the class is filled in September, does it mean we would need children to drop out to be able to attend?

Would it be more usual for him to start in September 2026, then move to reception in September 2027? In that case, would it make more sense to send him to a private nursery until then, with the free hours? Or is it common for new children to join school nursery classes each term after they've turned 3?

I will stay on the waiting list but I'm wondering whether to also go on the waiting list for other school nurseries in the area just in case he doesn't get a place. Is it common to sign up to multiple lists for school nurseries?

Go on the waiting list elsewhere just incase. We've got a place confirmed for our 2 year old to start when she turns 3 (starts in the April after turning 3 in Jan '26)
I'd assume if they haven't confirmed that he will need someone to drop out and is on the waiting list so at least you have a backup that way.
It's common for them to start midway through the year as places are reserved based on the term after they turn 3.

Everywhere does it differently to be honest. It sounds like this nursery need to be full so won’t hold an empty space for you for January start. You just need to decide if that works for you.

You could potentially ask to start for 15 or 30 hours in September and then increase in January - as there is already 15 hours funding for 9 months plus.

In my experience most nurseries don’t use the system that your nursery use. I’ve always been told well in advance whether there is a space or not so if you need to know, look around.

My daughter is a year older. There are 3 infant / combined schools within a mile and a half of my house, all of which start at a different age (2/3/4) so I’m taking from this that there is very little standardisation even within the same LA.

I actually choose to send her to a completely different pre school (in a cricket pavilion, not attached to a school) and use her hours to do so as well as pay the top up. This means it is term time only which is less convenient, but I think more “like school”. At the moment she goes 2 1/2 days a week and I am planning on bumping her up so she does 4 full days by the time she finishes in July next year.

I am planning on sending her to Reception (application Sept 25, starting Sept 26) at a combined school and she will no longer be be entitled to hours.

I don’t know where you are but most of the primaries gave lots of space around me, making it much easier to change your mind!

Thank you both. I am going to sign up for two others as well just in case. It's just all so confusing. The nursery class in question looks so lovely, and would be ideal as it's so close to our house. It states on the website that they have September, January and April intake but despite signing up a year in advance (I actually tried earlier than that but wasn't able to get a response) so I'm surprised that they can only give me an answer a couple of months before he'd be due to start.

It's confusing that with the way it works (starting the term after turning 3) he'd be in nursery class for 1 year and 8 months. Since children would only usually leave to move to reception, I'm assuming that spaces are generally only available each September - otherwise the class would just keep increasing in size each term through the year.

One of the others only offers places for the year before they're due to start reception (so he could only start there from September 2026) and the other I think could start in the January but there's not a lot of info available so I will contact them directly.

I will also look at other options that aren't just the school nurseries. He seems so young still - I wasn't ready for all the stress of waiting lists😁

Sorry I missed this but thank you - yes I think you're right. It sounds like they need to fill up in September and so that means they cannot guarantee a space will be available in January. I do completely get it, from their point of view - they can't take half a class in September and leave places open for people to join during the year.

It's just hard to get my head around it all, as every place seems to work differently.

I cannot send him in September 2025 because he would only be 2 and they only accept 3 year olds. What might end up working well though if needed, is to just send him somewhere else until September 2026, then he could attend for the year before reception.

Thank you all!

In my area most stay in private nursery and use the free childcare hours there, then move to school nursery in the September.
I would find out about nurseries/ playgroups in your area that let you use free childcare hours.

My daughter turned 3 in March and started school nursery (15 hrs a week) in April after the Easter holidays. I applied last September/October and was told I'd need to wait and see if they still had places after the January intake. They let me know late January that she had got a place for April. I think the main intake is usually in September but it seems pretty common for a few children to join in Jan or April if they have spaces.
I think it's fine and a good idea to apply to other school nurseries and look into private nurseries too.

It’s a lot to get your head around and I’ve used a variety of nurseries- they all have different ages for intake, 6 months, 1year, 2 years, 3 years…it’s confusing. (My daughter is in a village hall nursery that takes from 9months but will move to the school nursery which takes from 2 years whereas yours clearly only takes from 3 years!)

The bit that generally is consistent is that the term time nurseries generally are cheaper as the funding matches their opening hours more closely. So if that pattern works for you then that’s a good start. Look around and see what works. I think if the school only takes from age 3 they are likely to have spaces in January but it’s stressful not knowing!