Informed Families

This answer to this question depends largely on what type of nursery education you are looking for: nursery places in schools, or the private / independent sector.

School Nursery Places- A school nursery is a nursery run by a maintained school and you apply for places in the same way you apply for primary school places.  You can only make your application for a place in the academic year before your child's fourth birthday. Application forms will be available from 1 October, but no earlier than this date. Application forms can be obtained from any of the community schools, which have a nursery class attached or from the Enfield Schools Admission Service. All applications are treated in the same way in accordance with the procedure detailed on the School Admissions website. Applications are not dealt with on a first come first served basis.

You can contact the Admission Service free from a landline by calling 0800 694 1066 and choosing option 2. You can also apply online at www.enfield.gov.uk/admissions.

Private Nursery and Pre-School Places- A private nursery is any nursery that runs as a private business and/or as a nursery unit attached to but independent of a maintained school.    

Each private nursery has its own admissions policy.  For some nurseries parents are allowed to put their child's name down before they are born, for others they only accept places on the waiting list when the child reaches a certain age.  You will need to check with each nursery for their particular admissions policy.

But if you haven't put your name down yet, don't panic.  There are always spaces available and we will do our best to help you find one.  If you need the space at very short notice you may find that you will have to travel a bit further than you may want to secure a space though, so best to give it at least six to nine months to make sure you can find a place in your area.

If there is a specific nursery you are interested in, we suggest you call them as soon as you know you will need a place to find out if they have any spaces, if you can be added to the waiting list, how long their waiting list takes, and what their admissions policy is.  The length of the waiting list varies from setting to setting. If you want to find free sessions at a nursery on the Council's Directory of Providers, we can help you find one that suits your child's needs. You can access these sessions from the term following your child's third birthday until they start school. (See When can my child access their Free Entitlement sessions?)

If you need further information or assistance to find free nursery education sessions, please call us on 0800 694 1066 and choose option 3, or ask us here.