When to start applying for nursery?
A chat with Emma from Admissions at Raised in Bristol
As a new parent there’s so much to take in and suddenly somehow be an expert in everything!
As well as having eyes in the back of your head, being an aficionado in the latest CBeebies programme and just an all round multitasker – as a parent it’s hard to get a cup of coffee let alone catch a break! So getting around to looking for a nursery place it’s possible to find that a lot of the desired nurseries you’d hope to book your child into already have long waiting lists.
We have four Raised in Bristol day nurseries across the city of Bristol (And counting…) Two nurseries in Easton, one in St Pauls and our most recent nursery in the network is based at the Greenway Centre in Southfield. They are popular so spaces fill up fast – which is common in the nursery world especially when the quality is there. But it means if you don’t get in there early enough you could end up on one of our waiting lists.
With this in mind we asked the wonderful Emma in Admissions at Raised in Bristol some of the questions you may have and asked her for some tips to help shed some light on applying for nursery places…
Booking your little one into your desired nursery can sometimes be a headache!
How do I apply for a Nursery place?
To apply to one of our Raised in Bristol nurseries you will need to complete a registration form – it is free to register your child and you can select multiple locations in case your first choice isn't available. We aim to get back to you as soon as possible, this usually takes about a week but at busier times could be up to two weeks. You will find our registration form online here.
How do I find a nursery?
The best way to do this is to search for nurseries in your local area but sometimes there may be other factors like somewhere you can easily pick up your child when you’ve finished work so this might be a nursery closer to where you work. Although picking a nursery local to you means that you and your child are more likely to feel a part of your local community and meet other children and parents that live near to you.
Do I have to choose a nursery in my ‘catchment’ area?
Here at Raised in Bristol we work on a first come first served basis, not on a catchment area basis and we don’t take your address into account. But we believe that community led nurseries can make a real impact on everyone, not just the children who attend. One of our key beliefs here is that all children growing up in Bristol feel proud of their own neighbourhoods and are able to access everything that the whole city offers.
At Raised in Bristol that all children growing up in Bristol feel proud of their own neighbourhoods and are able to access everything that the whole city offers.
When do I apply?
With applying to nurseries I’d definitely say the earlier the better as places go so quickly and there is always a high demand for quality nursery places. Many parents apply and secure a space before their baby is even born!
I read that children get 15 hours free nursery time but when does this start/ how does this work?
Every child is entitled to ‘Universal Funding’ the term after they turn 3 years old, the terms begin January, April and September. Universal Funding for term time only nurseries provides 15 hours of funding per week and for all year round nurseries Universal Funding provides 12 hours per week.
At Raised in Bristol we are open all year round so if your child attends one of our nurseries they would be eligible for 12 hours of funding per week. When your child becomes eligible this will be automatically calculated within your booking.
You may also be entitled to ‘Extended Funding’, in which case you would have access to 30 hours of funding per week at term time only nurseries and 24 hours of funding per week at all year round nurseries. But unlike Universal Funding for Extended Funding you will need to notify us if you are eligible for this! You can check eligibility here.
For further details on how our funding works please refer to our Section 11 of our admissions policy here.
Do you have any other advice when it comes to applying for nursery?
The main advice is to apply as early as possible, even if you are not 100% sure on the exact days or start date you require. I'm always happy to have a chat on the phone to discuss the options.
We are proud to say our Raised in Bristol nurseries are very popular so we do have waiting lists at some but it’s still worth getting in touch to check our availability. We currently have spaces available at our newest nursery based at the Greenway Centre in Southmead. The nursery is located next to Southmead Rugby Club and opposite the Greenway Community Practice.
One of the rooms at our newest Raised in Bristol nursery in Southmead – we still have places available.
The nursery is spacious with high ceilings and large windows that look out onto the expanse of green of the playing fields behind the Greenway Centre. Spread across three rooms giving the children plenty of room to explore and play but it also has a cosy and homely feel too. There’s also a huge safe and secure outside space the children have constant supervised access to complete with a mud kitchen!
If you’d like to find out more you can check out the nursery page here or give Emma a call on 0117 251 0028 or email admissions@rasiedinbristol.org.uk to book a nursery tour and register your interest. You can also fill out our online registration form here.
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Emma, Sales & Admissions at Raised in Bristol.
