Nursery for 2-year-olds

At 2 the rules change: there are two routes to funded hours, the legal staff ratio loosens and the nursery owes you a written development check. This guide covers each, plus behaviour and toilet training.

Funded hours at 2

There are two ways a 2-year-old can get funded hours in England:

• Working parents: up to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks, if you meet the income rules. See 30 hours from 9 months.
• Early Learning for 2 year olds: 15 hours a week for 38 weeks if you get certain benefits (including Universal Credit with take-home pay of £15,400 a year or less, not counting benefits), or if your child has an EHC plan, gets Disability Living Allowance, or is or was in care. See 15 hours for 2-year-olds.

Hours start from the term after the qualifying date. Our funded hours checker tells you which apply, and the start date tool gives the dates.

Toddler rooms and ratios

The legal minimum ratio for 2-year-olds in England is one adult to five children. Many nurseries staff more generously. Fees for 2-year-olds are often lower than for babies for this reason; our cost of nursery by borough pages show local medians by age where we know enough fees.

Toddler rooms usually mix free play with short group times, songs and stories, messy play, outdoor time and plenty of practice at doing things themselves: putting on shoes, pouring drinks, washing hands.

The progress check at two

Between ages 2 and 3, the nursery must give you a short written progress check on your child’s communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. It highlights strengths and anything that may need extra support. Many areas combine it with the health visitor’s review at around the same age.

Use it as a conversation. Ask what the nursery is doing to support your child’s next steps and what you can do at home. If your child may need extra support, ask about the nursery’s SENCO.

Behaviour

Tantrums, biting, snatching and saying “no” are all common at 2, as children feel strong emotions before they have words for them. Ask how the nursery handles them. Look for calm, consistent responses that help children name feelings, rather than shaming or long time-outs, and for clear communication with you when incidents happen.

Toilet training

Children do not need to be toilet trained to go to nursery. Most nurseries help when your child shows signs of being ready, and work with you so home and nursery use the same approach. Ask whether nappies and wipes are included or charged as extras; see extras and consumables charges.

What to ask on a visit

• What ratios do you run in the toddler room, in practice?
• How do you support language development?
• How will I get the progress check, and who writes it?
• How do you handle biting and other common behaviour?
• How do you support toilet training?
• How do funded hours work for 2-year-olds here, and what is charged on top?

Take our visit checklist. When your child turns 3, every child gets 15 funded hours: see the pre-school year.