Does a place at a school nursery mean a place in reception?

No. Reception places are allocated through your council's admissions process, using the school's admission criteria. Attending the nursery class usually does not give priority, though a few schools' criteria say otherwise, so check.

From what age do school nurseries take children?

Most take children from the term after they turn 3; some take 2-year-olds too.

Can I use 30 funded hours at a school nursery?

Many school nurseries offer 30 hours for eligible working families, but not all, and some offer only 15. Ask the school.

School nursery vs day nursery

A school nursery is a nursery class run by a primary school, usually for children from the term after they turn 3 until they start reception, and often open only in term time with sessions around the school day. A day nursery is usually privately run, open for a full working day all year, and takes children from babies to school age. Both follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and are inspected by Ofsted, but they suit different families.

At a glance

	School nursery class	Day nursery
Ages	Usually 3 to 4, sometimes from 2	From a few months to 4
Opening	Term time, school-day hours	All year, often 7:30am to 6pm
Staff	Often led by a qualified teacher	Early years practitioners; some have teachers
Ratios for 3s and 4s	Can be 1 to 13 with a teacher	1 to 8, or 1 to 13 with a qualified teacher or early years teacher
Costs	Mainly funded hours; extras and wraparound may cost	Day or session rates beyond funded hours
Inspection	Ofsted, as part of the school’s inspection	Ofsted, on the Early Years Register

School nurseries

Good for: families whose hours fit the school day, and children who will benefit from getting to know a school.

A nursery class is part of the school. It is often led by a qualified teacher, follows the school’s terms and may share facilities such as the playground and hall. Many children attend only for their funded hours, so costs can be low, though there may be charges for lunch or wraparound care. Some schools run breakfast and after-school clubs that nursery children can use.

Attending a school’s nursery class usually does not guarantee a reception place there. You must apply for reception through your council. See moving on to reception.

On Toddly school nurseries are listed when they are registered as separate early years providers; nursery classes inspected as part of a school appear with that school’s inspection.

Day nurseries

Good for: working parents who need long days, all year, and children under 3.

A day nursery offers full days and usually stays open about 51 weeks a year. Rooms are grouped by age. Most charge a day or session rate on top of funded hours, often stretching funded hours across the year. Many include meals; others charge for them.

Cost comparison

For a 3-year-old who only needs funded hours in term time, a school nursery is usually the cheapest option. For a working family needing ten-hour days all year, a day nursery is usually simpler, even though it costs more, because it avoids juggling wraparound and holiday care. Our childcare cost calculator lets you compare 38 and 51 weeks.

Questions to ask

School nursery: What are the session times? Do you offer 30 hours? Is there lunch or wraparound care, and what does it cost? Does attending give any priority for reception?

Day nursery: How are funded hours applied? What is included in the day rate? How do you prepare children for school, and do you have links with local schools?

Combining the two

Some families use a day nursery until 3, then move to a school nursery, or split funded hours between a school nursery in the morning and a childminder in the afternoon. Check your council’s rules on splitting funded hours, and take our visit checklist to both.