Admissions

Effective April 1st 2025

Our nurseries take children from six weeks old until they are ready to go to school (usually the September after their fourth birthday).

The number and ages of children admitted to the nursery strictly adhere to the statutory space requirements outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions, we carefully evaluate staff-to-child ratios and the availability of appropriate educational space within the nursery.

Priority for places  

When allocating nursery places, we consider the following criteria at our discretion. In no particular order, priority is given to a child who:

1. Is enrolling for sessions that match the spaces available for the child’s age group and our ability to maintain safe staffing ratios and space requirements under the EYFS. Most children attend for at least three days per week, as this continuity of care helps build a strong sense of security, which is vital for their well-being and motivation to learn. For children under the age of two, we offer additional flexibility, recognising that families may prefer to begin with fewer sessions and gradually increase attendance as parents transition back to work. If your child has been offered a place but your circumstances change before their start date and you wish to change the number of sessions, please contact the Nursery Manager as soon as possible. Please note that if we are unable to accommodate the revised pattern due to availability, we reserve the right to withdraw the offer of a place. Any registration fees and deposits paid will not be refundable under this scenario.

2. Is already in attendance looking to increase their sessions

3. Is a sibling of another child attending the nursery you wish to enrol at

4. Is currently enrolled at another ����AV nursery and looking to transfer

5. Has specific needs and it is the Nursery Managers’ opinion that the he or she would particularly benefit from the place e.g. a looked after child, a vulnerable child with either a Child Protection or a Child in Need Plan

Priority for funded places

Our nurseries participate in the Government’s 15-30 hours funding offer. Please see our Early Years Funding Guide, Nursery Fee Sheet and our Terms and Conditions for further details on how we offer funding.  

Priority for funded places follows the same criteria as listed above for general admissions. Moreover, funded places are allocated based on availability and our ability to maintain safe staffing ratios and space requirements. Any alternative days/times offered will apply equally to all families, regardless of whether they choose to opt in or opt out of optional charges.

For children who qualify for Disadvantaged 2-year-olds entitlement or Early Years Pupil Premium, additional consideration will be given to ensure that ability to pay is not a barrier to accessing a funded place.  

Term time places

Our nurseries are open year-round to meet the need of working families and, accordingly, we primarily cater for children on a year-round basis. The nursery may have a limited number of spaces to be able to offer term time provision.  

Where we are able to offer a term time place, priority will be given to the children of teachers and school-based employees. The nursery may require a retainer to hold the child’s place during non-term time weeks. Additionally, where a term time place is offered, the child must attend for five days a week during term time.

Inclusion

We operate an inclusion and SEND policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents by making reasonable adjustments. During the admissions process if we feel we cannot meet a child’s needs without additional support from another service or agency such as the Local Authority we will need to ensure this support is in place prior to a child starting. If, after taking reasonable steps and exploring available support, we are unable to meet the child’s needs safely within our legal requirements, we may be unable to offer a place.

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