Nursery school places

If your child is three years old or more they are entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare and education for 38 weeks a year, in the term after their third birthday. You can choose to use your child's 15 hours in a variety of ways including:

• Council run nursery class or nursery school
• private day nursery
• pre-school playgroup
• childminder.

Once you know what you would like to do, you will need to contact them directly and ask what you need to do to get a place. All nursery providers intake children directly and not through the Local Authority; usually you will be sent a nursery admission form which you will return to the nursery or school and they will let you know if you have a place before the term starts.

If you are interested in finding a place at a nursery school or nursery class in a primary school, please contact us and we will tell you about the nurseries in your area.

Places at nursery school and in nursery classes not based in a primary school are not managed by the Families Information Service.

If you would like to know what providers close to you offer places, please contact us and we will tell you about the nurseries in your area. However please be aware admissions and childcare places are not managed by the Families Information Service.

Useful forms

• Nursery school places