- Nursery admissions
- How nursery places are allocated
- Early-intakes
- Waiting lists
- Letters of representation
Nursery admissions
In Stockport there are a range of nursery classes attached to schools, including community schools, academies, voluntary aided schools and standalone nursery schools.
You should apply through Stockport Council if you would like your child to be considered for a place at one of these maintained nursery classes.
If you are applying for a place with a private nursery that is not part of this process, you should apply directly to the provider.
September 2027 intake
To apply for a September 2027 start, your child must have been born between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024.
September 2027 nursery admissions
- Applications open on 1 September 2026
- Applications close on 31 March 2027
- We'll email you the outcome of your application on 24 May 2027
- Applications received after the closing date will be considered after all on-time applications have been processed
- All nursery places allocated through this process are for 15 hours per week
- Any arrangements for additional hours should be made directly with the nursery once you have received an offer of a place
Early intakes
Some children may be eligible to start nursery earlier in January or April, depending on their date of birth and whether places are available:
- to start in January 2027 your child should be born between 1 September 2023 and 31 December 2023
- to start in April 2027 your child should be born between 1 September 2023 and 31 March 2024
For your child to be considered for an early intake, you should submit your application by:
- 31 October 2026 for the January 2027 intake
- 31 January 2027 for the April 2027 intake
Submission of an application by the relevant deadline does not guarantee that an early intake place will be available.
How early intake offers are made
Schools are responsible for making offers for January and April nursery intakes.
The Council provides schools with ranked waiting lists but does not make early intake offers and is not notified of the outcome of offers made by schools. For this reason, we cannot provide updates on whether your child is likely to receive an early intake place.
Schools will consider applications in accordance with their published nursery admissions arrangements.
If a school is able to offer your child an early intake place, they will contact you directly.
Not all schools contact unsuccessful applicants for January or April intakes. If you would like an update on your child's application, you should contact the school directly.
If you have any questions about a January or April intake place, including vacancies, waiting lists or offers, you should contact the school directly.
If your child is not offered a January or April place, they will continue to be considered for the September intake. You do not need to submit another application.
Waiting lists
If your child is not offered a place at your preferred nursery, their name will automatically remain on the nursery waiting list until 31 December 2027, unless the individual school’s nursery admissions arrangements specify a different date.
How waiting list positions work
Waiting list positions are based on the school’s over subscription criteria, not the date of application. This means:
- if a child higher on the waiting list is offered and accepts a place, others move up
- if a child declines a place or moves away, others may move up
- if a new application is received and the child meets a higher category, they may be ranked above existing applicants
- if a child already on the waiting list has a change of circumstances meaning they now fall into a higher category, others may move down
These changes can result in a child’s position moving both up and down over time. Due to the large number of applications that we process, waiting list positions can change frequently.
If a place becomes available, it will be offered to the child who is highest ranked on the waiting list at that time.
Letters of representation
Parents/carers do not have a statutory right to appeal if they are refused a place at their preferred school(s).
If you’re unhappy with the outcome of your application, you can submit a letter of representation. Your outcome letter will give you details on how to make a representation.