We take children into our nursery the term after their 3rd birthday and have up to 3 intakes each year (September, January and April).  

We contact parents in the half term before they are due to start to advise if the application has been sucessful or not (if a place is being offered we will also discuss admission arrangements).  Details of what we offer are below.  

15 Hours' Entitlement

The funded early hours’ entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds is 15 hours per week set out below:

• Morning children - daily from 9.00am-12noon
• Afternoon children - daily from 12.30pm-3.30pm

30 hours entitlement

We offer 30 hours' entitlement to eligible families.  Please see this link for eligibility. Children will attend daily from 9.00am-3pm.

As the rest of school finishes at 3.30pm, we offer the option for 30-hour children stay until 3.30pm to coordinate with the normal end of the school day, particularly useful for parents with more than one child at school.  This will cost £2.50 per day, and we ask that parents choose a regular collection time of either 3.00pm or 3.30pm, for consistency of the children and staff. We will ask which option you want when we go through the enrolment process. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When can my child start nursery?  Your child is eligible for a nursery place from the school term after their third birthday.

The school year starts at the end of August or beginning of September and finishes the following July. This makes the term starting in April the last intake of that school year.  If your child is due to start in April you may find that the places are filled by children starting in September and January.   If this is the case you will be considered for the following September entry and there is no need to reapply.

How soon can I register my interest for a place? You can apply for a place in nursery at any point. However, applications are NOT based on the amount of time your child has been on a waiting list, the admission criteria is outlined on the back of the Nursery Registration form.

What is the admissions criteria for nursery?

The following criteria will be used when allocating Nursery (F1) places to a child:

1. Places in the Nursery (F1) will be given first to applicants who reside within the school catchment area in date of birth order
2. Consideration will next be given to those who live outside the catchment but who, at the time of admission, have a sibling attending the school
3. Consideration will next be given to children living outside the Arnold Mill catchment in date of birth order

Special Circumstances

At the discretion of the Head Teacher, and in line with the whole school admissions’ policy, consideration will be given to an applicant on the grounds of special educational needs. 

What is my Catchment area? Your catchment school is not necessarily your nearest school.  To check your catchment area visit Nottinghamshire County Council’s website and use their “find my nearest" search - type in your postcode and select your house number.  The address is http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/findmynearest

When will I know if my child has a place? We contact parents in the half term before they are due to start to discuss admission arrangements.  

Can my child start nursery at an earlier age? No, we only offer nursery places from teh term after a child turns 3. 

How big is the Nursery? The unit has 25 morning and 25 afternoon places. As part of this we offer 30-hour places to eligible families. 

Is the Nursery open 52 weeks of the year?  No, the unit is only open during school term time.

Can I visit to view the Nursery before I decide to apply for a place? We are happy to show prospective parents around and answer their questions.  This is done strictly by appointment, please contact the school office to book one of our look around sessions. 

If my child attends Nursery at Arnold Mill will they then go to school at Arnold Mill Primary? Attending our Nursery does NOT guarantee your child a school place at Arnold Mill Primary.  If your child lives in Nottinghamshire you must apply for a school place through Nottinghamshire County Council as they manage the admissions process.  

For current/more information about school admissions please see the County Council’s website http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/school-admissions/when-to-apply  or telephone the School Admissions team on  0300 500 80 80 – OPTION 2, OPTION 1.