How to apply, deposits, and patterns

Apply for a place

Fill in the free online application form. Do this after your child is born and when you have given them a name. We add them to the waiting list of the school you have selected.

Start the application form

Doing this gets it done, but it doesn't move you up the list. We decide who gets a place in the same way that primary and secondary schools do. Find out Who gets a place and what happens next.

Some children need significant support in nursery. We might only be able to offer them a 15-hour place. Sometimes this is all they can cope with at this young age. Please speak to the SENDco (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) to find out what is possible.

Apply for funding

15 hours for 2-year-olds

Check if you get funding on the Waltham Forest website. Apply for your 6-digit code on the same website. You can also:

call the Waltham Forest Childcare Team on 020-8496 3566 or
scan this QR code:

30 hours for 2 and 3-year-olds

Check if you get funding for 30 free hours on this page of the government website. Apply for your 11-digit code on the same website. You can also scan this QR code:

QR code leading to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

When do I find out if we have a place?

Most places are available in September. Just before Easter, we email everyone on the waiting list. We ask what hours you need. We then work out who can start next September. Please confirm as soon as possible:

that you still want a place
the hours and pattern you want
those who have one, tell us your eligibility code

If we offer your child a place we will send you some forms to fill in. This starts the admissions process.

If a place becomes available mid-year, we try to fill it. We contact the families on our waiting list in the order set out in our admissions criteria.

Deposits and other payments

For paid hours, we ask for:

£10 registration fee. You don't get this back.
a deposit of one month’s fees

You pay both these before your child starts. So in early July for a September start.

The deposit counts as the final month's fees.

You pay the fees monthly and in advance. The money leaves your account around the 5th day of the month.

We spread the monthly payments over 11 months. This means you pay the same amount each month, in term-time and school holidays.

Nappies and wipes

Families give us nappies and wipes for children who don't yet use the toilet.

School Fund

We ask all families to give money to School Fund. You don't have to. We use this money:

for the children’s snacks
to help pay for small group outings
to help pay for children’s entertainers.

All about patterns

Why every week day?

All children come to a 3-hour session every weekday. This way, they build stronger social bonds with other children and with staff. It helps their development. They also get used to having a weekday routine. This helps them get school ready.

Parents who are studying or working

Children also benefit enormously from spending quality time with their parents and carers. If you have the chance to study or work that means you need a different pattern, please talk to Helen Currie, our Executive Headteacher as soon as possible.

Changing your pattern

We can only make changes to your child's daycare pattern if we have the space and the staff to guarantee their education. Any change that we are able to accommodate will be actioned the term after you make the request, and we require a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice. We use this time to make sure we will have enough staff in the school to take care of the children, as well as to sort out the admin. This is a time-consuming and complicated process, so we only allow 3 changes per academic year and once in every term. If you change pattern between accepting a place and a September start, this counts as your Autumn term change, so you will not be able to change again before January at the earliest.