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Children, Children's Mental Health, Health & Wellbeing, Parenting, Under-5s

Get Ready for Children’s Mental Health Week This February

Each year, February marks the date for Children’s Mental Health Week. It is the perfect opportunity to reflect on how we can all contribute to improving children’s mental wellbeing. Often overlooked in favour of a focus on ‘physical’ health, good mental health for children is, of course, profoundly important. This special week occurs every year during February and has done so for over a decade. Let’s take a closer look today and see how the initiative can both inspire and empower parents and families to help children’s mental health thrive.

“Around 50% of mental health conditions are established before age 14.” — Place2Be (Children’s Mental Health Charity).

What & When is Children’s Mental Health Week?

Children’s Mental Health Week is designed to bring greater awareness around the mental health of children. It aims to give children a voice, empower them, and give them the tools to thrive. It is a UK initiative originally launched in 2015 by Place2Be, a charity that focuses on children’s mental health.

In 2026, Children’s Mental Health Week will be from Monday the 9th to Sunday the 15th of February inclusive.

The Theme for 2026

Each year, the event has a theme. The theme for 2026 is ‘This is My Place’. It brings a focus to the need, by every child, to feel they belong. Whether it’s to a friendship group, peers at their nursery or school, their family, a club, or a team of some kind, it’s incredibly important for every child to feel they belong. Hence, the theme ‘This is My Place’ for 2026. Click the thumbnail image or this link to launch the official video.

“To know our place and really feel part of our environment is a basic human need. It can have powerful and long-lasting impacts in lots of areas of our lives, including our physical and mental health, education, employment and relationships. When we feel that we belong, it empowers us to contribute to the world and make a real difference.” — Place2Be.

By feeling they belong, children will feel that they are connected, accepted, and valued for who they are. That’s important for children of any age and, in turn, will help them feel happy and safe. It will also teach them to be more inclusive and kind towards others, so no child feels alone or an outsider.

“As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s wellbeing.” — Place2Be.

Resources for Families of Children — Including Under 5s

Although the charity that founded Children’s Mental Health Week is primarily involved in supporting children in schools, the overall theme applies equally well to pre-school children under five. Indeed, the Place2Be charity has support and resources that fit perfectly with helping good mental health in children in their early years. Families can download free resources here, and useful information for parents and carers here.

How Can Families Help Children?

To facilitate children’s good mental health, parents and carers have a number of ways to help children, including under-fives, to feel that they fit in and are valued. A few examples include:

Enrolling them in environments like clubs, nurseries, and sports teams, and nurturing their participation in friendship groups.
Taking an avid interest in the child’s interests — getting involved, asking them questions about what they’re passionate about, and encouraging them in associated activities.
Taking the time to be present with your child, engaging with them proactively during activities they’re interested in, and avoiding other distractions whilst doing so.
Encouraging activities that clearly make them happy and feel safe.
Allowing them to choose and steer activities, while also allowing them to explore other pastimes that may be new to them.
Listening, allowing them to speak, encouraging and reassuring them at every step.
Ensuring they have a warm, comfortable space of their own where they can play while feeling safe and nurtured.
Providing consistency so that bonds with siblings, friends, and peers can grow and flourish.
Encouraging those relationships that look to be the most healthy for your child, while withdrawing them from toxic environments that don’t look healthy.
Being your child’s biggest cheerleader — applauding their achievements and boosting their self-worth and confidence.
Talking with children to explore their feelings around belonging, being included, being important, being liked by peers, being loved by family, and being enormously valued.

“1 in 5 children currently has a probable mental health disorder.” — Place2Be.

With it being likely that 1 in 5 children has a mental health disorder and around half of such disorders being established before the age of 14, it’s never been more important to address the issue. As parents and carers, we need to be conscious of the issues, aware of the possible signs, and equipped with the tools to support our children. Learn more about Children’s Mental Health Week and some of the support available here. A non-profit called MindForward Alliance also has an excellent toolkit for parents whose children are experiencing mental health difficulties. Download the toolkit here.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

A High-Quality Childcare Service for Southwest London

Do you have a child under five and live in Streatham or close by? Little Cedars Nursery provides high-quality childcare in Streatham, and we’re conveniently close to families in Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury, and Colliers Wood. Rated ‘Good’ in all categories by Ofsted, we also support free childcare hours for eligible children from the age of 9 months to 5 years.

Start your childcare application today or contact us to learn more:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

1 January 2026/by Mark

Early Years Education, Education, Ofsted Report

A New Approach to Ofsted Ratings: A Guide for Parents

A new approach to Ofsted ratings officially launched in November 2025, as part of a new Education Inspection Framework. Parents of children attending early years settings, schools, and further education, will therefore soon begin to see the new-style Ofsted ‘Report Cards’ that will be published following inspections. These are designed to replace — and improve upon — the previous one-word Ofsted rating system, which had become controversial^∞. Gone will be what became known as the “single word judgements” on settings (previously a choice between Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate). Instead, parents will see a much more detailed ‘Report Card’ that combines at-a-glance headline information with multiple sub-section details. The idea is to give parents a more comprehensive view of how schools and settings measure up across a broad range of performance metrics, as well as providing important context. In essence, parents will be able to easily and quickly identify areas of strength, as well as those that require development. In today’s post, we take a look at Ofsted’s new Report Card and explain how it works.

The New Performance Metrics

The single ‘Overall Effectiveness’ grade has now been retired. Instead, Ofsted will assess settings across a range of key areas and confirm their evaluation of each one separately on the new Report Card. For each, they will use a 5-point scale, with the exception of Safeguarding, which we’ll come to separately in a moment.

The 5-Point Assessment Scale

Example of the new Ofsted report card. Except for Safeguarding, the new Report Card will show Ofsted’s evaluation of each of the assessment areas as one of the following:

Exceptional — the highest quality provision (indicated in blue);
Strong standard (indicated in dark green);
Expected standard (indicated in bright green);
Needs attention (indicated in orange); or
Urgent improvement (indicated in red).

The Report Card will use colour-coding, as indicated above in brackets.

Key Areas of Assessment

For Early Years Settings For early years settings, Ofsted will evaluate the following areas of provision: Safeguarding, Inclusion, Curriculum and teaching, Achievement, Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, Children’s welfare and well-being, and Leadership and governance.	For Schools For schools* inspected by Ofsted, they will evaluate a slightly different list of key areas: Safeguarding, Inclusion, Curriculum and teaching, Achievement, Attendance and behaviour, Personal development and well-being, and Leadership and governance.

^{* Early years and/or sixth form education will also be assessed if schools provide them. In parallel to the above, independent schools will also continue to be assessed against the ‘independent schools standards’.}

For Further Education & Skills Providers The list of key areas of assessment for further education settings and skills providers is longer still. As today’s guide pertains to younger children, however, such a list can be viewed separately here.

Safeguarding

Because the safety and welfare of children is paramount, Ofsted’s assessment of a setting’s Safeguarding features separately in the new Ofsted Report Card. That’s for all types of settings, whether they’re early years providers, schools, further education, or skills providers.

How will that look? The new Report Card will show the result for the assessment of Safeguarding clearly as either Met (with a green tick) or Not Met. More detail will be available by opening a drop-down ‘show/hide’ selector and sub-link (shown below).

More Details on the Ofsted Report Cards

As well as assigning a finding of either Met or Not Met to the Safeguarding element and rating each of the other key areas using the 5-point scale, Ofsted will provide extra narrative to explain each of the findings in more detail. In tandem with this, additional commentary will provide contextual information, such as any relevant SEND, demographic, or other factors that may explain the story behind the grades. Additional narrative providing an overview of what it’s like to attend the setting will also be included. These expandable narrative sections will be displayed below the more prominent colour-coded assessment grid and Safeguarding section.

Final Thoughts

The new Ofsted report cards intend to give families both an at-a-glance snapshot and more comprehensive details that outline strengths — and any areas that require development — for educational settings like nurseries, schools, colleges, etc. By showing their evaluation of a whole raft of key areas in this way, Ofsted is aiming to give parents a clearer picture of each setting. That’s in stark contrast to the historical “single word judgements” that we’ve been used to – until now. It does make sense — after all, no single word can ever tell the whole story or sum up a unique and complex service.

Not everyone is convinced the changes go far enough. However, Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills, has said that the new system should be fairer and better for parents, while also providing tangible and financial support to any settings in difficulty. The government expects the new system to raise standards for children, which is incredibly important — and what it’s all about at the end of the day. Learn about the new education inspection framework in more detail here.

Little Cedars Nursery – a Good Provider

Looking for a High-Quality Nursery/Preschool in Streatham?

We haven’t yet been graded using the new Ofsted rating system, so we don’t yet have one of the new-style ‘report cards’. However, Ofsted rated us as a Good Provider in their most recent report, so you know your little one is in safe hands if you send them to Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham. If you’d like to explore a possible nursery or preschool place for your child at this wonderful setting close to Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury, and Colliers Wood, get in touch — or start your application today. We’d love to show you and your child around and answer any questions. We also support funded childcare places for eligible families.

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

30 November 2025/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Flora and Fauna, Learning through play, Nature Activities, Under-5s

Summer Nature Hunt Activity – with Free Poster!

Summer is in full swing from late June until late September*. It’s a wonderful season that brings with it many amazing things for children and families to look out for in nature. Indeed, that’s what today’s suggested activity is all about. We’ve created a free-to-download poster that highlights 20 things from nature that children, including under-fives, can look out for when they’re outdoors^†. Whether it’s in gardens, on walks with family members, at the park, or out in the countryside, summer’s natural wonders are incredibly abundant when you take time to look.

How many of the wonderful flora and fauna can your child spot? Some, like bees and butterflies, will be super-easy to spot. Others, like sunbathing birds and — for the very lucky few — slow worms, may be a little harder to discover. Searching is part of the fun, though, and this nature-based activity is a great way to get little ones to open their eyes to the natural world around them whilst also enjoying exercise and fresh air. It’s a great opportunity to encourage little ones to spend time outdoors, close to nature^† — which is so incredibly good for them! Why not download the free Summer Nature Hunt activity poster today and see what you and your little one can spot?

* When Exactly is Summer?

According to the astronomical calendar, for 2025 summer starts in the UK on Saturday 21st June, which is the Summer Solstice — the longest day of the year. It continues until Monday 22nd September 2025, which is the Autumnal Equinox. That’s the time in the year when day and night are of virtually equal length because the sun is right above the equator. Dates vary a little from year to year, however, because the solstice and equinox will fall on slightly different days.

In contrast, summer always spans the calendar months from the 1st of July, through August, until the 30th of September according to the meteorological calendar. This calendar is used more for things like weather forecasting.

Download Your Free ‘Summer Nature Hunt’ Reference Poster

Click the preview image below to view or download the free Summer Nature Hunt reference poster (2MB, Acrobat PDF format). Print it out at any size up to A3 in high resolution. Use your printer’s best paper and settings for the best results.

There are many species of some of the creatures shown, so your child does not need to find one that’s absolutely identical. There are 51 species of mayflies, for example, each of which will look a little different. Similarly, there are over 40 different ladybirds and 59 species of butterflies in the U.K. — the variety of nature is incredible!

“Look Don’t Touch!”

Remember that children should look but not touch; the idea is to spot natural things, not to try to collect them or to interfere with living creatures who are going about their business. That’s a safety and well-being issue as much as anything — for both the child and nature’s flora and fauna. The idea is for children to simply see how many they can see when out and about. Then, when spotted, they can perhaps tick them off using the little tick boxes provided on the poster.

Have Fun Little Explorers — Nature is Good for You!

We hope today’s free poster and the activity idea give children and families some educational fun outdoors this summer. Spending time outdoors in the fresh air, close to nature, is incredibly important to children and adults alike. It benefits them in an amazing variety of ways, from greater motor skills and improved problem-solving to enhanced well-being and reduced stress just for starters. And did you know that even academic grades are improved when children spend time closer to nature? That’s just one of the many benefits of nature that you can learn more about here.

Opportunities to be Close to Nature at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Children get to enjoy nature at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham too! We know how important spending time in and around nature is to children. So, we’re lucky to be close to natural open spaces like Tooting Common and to have our own planting area. Here, children can nurture seedlings, grow flowering plants that attract pollinators, and harvest their own vegetables. They love it! It teaches them so much about the world, where food comes from, the importance of taking responsibility for another living thing, and all the time teaching them new skills.

Little Cedars is a fabulous nursery located in Streatham near Streatham Hill and Streatham Common, conveniently close to those in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. Rated as a Good Provider by Ofsted, you know your child will be well looked after and nurtured at Little Cedars. It’s a warm, welcoming, home-from-home environment where children feel safe, well cared-for, and valued. If you’d like your baby, toddler, or preschooler to have the best start in life in readiness for school, consider Little Cedars Day Nursery for your weekday childcare needs. We would love to show you and your little one around, so you can see for yourself the wonderful environment for under-fives.

Get in touch today to register for a place, request a tour, or ask a question — we’re here to help!

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

^† Outdoor Safety

^{It goes almost without saying that children, especially the youngest, should only explore outdoors under appropriate and close adult supervision. Read our tips for child safety outdoors for more safety inspiration.}

30 June 2025/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Childcare Funding, Early Years, Early Years Education, Free Childcare, Nurseries, Nursery, Parenting, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

Apply Now for the ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Scheme for Working Families – for Children 9 Months+

[May 2025]: Applications are now open for the final “30 hours” expansion of the Government’s free childcare scheme for working families. The new, expanded childcare hours are for eligible children, aged 9 months up to 3 years by 1st September 2025, attending nursery from that month. It doubles the previous number of hours available under the scheme, potentially saving eligible families as much as £7,500 per annum per child. The extended childcare hours will also allow parents — particularly mothers — improved potential to get back into work or take on more hours. Either would increase both household income and the greater economy. Most importantly, though, increasing access to high-quality early years childcare will give children the best start in life, enabling them with the skills and tools necessary to thrive once they leave early years settings to begin school.

Don’t delay — if your child is eligible, you can now apply for the September 2025 term but you only have until the 31st of August in which to do so. That deadline will be here before we know it, so act quickly if you want to benefit from the expanded childcare funding from September 2025.

The changes will make a “massive difference to children and working parents”— Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary.

Here’s a snapshot:

Who can apply? Eligible working families with a child aged 9 months up to 3 years by September 1st 2025.
How many funded hours will be available? 30 hours per week over 38 weeks per year term time (1140 childcare hours over the year).*
When can families start to apply? From 12th May 2025 for a September ’25 term start.
When is the application deadline? Apply no later than 31 August 2025 if you want your child to start nursery in the September 2025 term.
What About Children Aged 3 and 4? 3-and-4-year-olds of eligible working families have been able to access the 30 hours of free childcare per week (1140 hours per year) since it was phased in late last year (September 2024). Previously, only half those hours had been available under the scheme for this age group.
Does the funding cover everything? No. The government funding does not cover additional items like extra childcare hours over the allowance or nappies, meals, and the cost of trips. Your chosen provider will be able to provide more details specific to their particular setting. To clarify for government-funded places at Little Cedars Day Nursery, meals, other consumables, and extra hours will need to be paid for separately.
What if we’re not a working family? If you’re not a working family that’s eligible for the new 30 hours extension, it’s worth noting that all children who live in England already qualify for 15 hours per week (570 childcare hours per annum) under their ‘Universal Entitlement’. That is a separate scheme that’s explained here, does not require parents to be working, and is not means tested.

^{* Some settings may allow some flexibility, for example, by spreading out the same number of annual hours over more weeks of the year. For the academic year 2025-26, Little Cedars will accommodate families in this way via a 51-week provision starting in September 2025. Click here to learn more.}

This is a plan “to break the unfair link between background and opportunity across this country, which starts by ensuring our children start school ready to learn.” — Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary.

Eligibility

The key rules around eligibility for working families state that both you and your partner if you have one must:

Work at least 16 hours or more per week at the National Minimum Wage^∞ or more;
Earn an adjusted net income^∞ of less than £100k per annum;
Have a National Insurance number.

If the above factors do not apply to you, you may still be eligible for childcare funding if you are disabled, a carer, on maternity/paternity/adoption leave, or receive certain benefits or assistance from the government. Check your eligibility more comprehensively in Step 1 below. More details and an excellent overview are also provided in an official video provided by the Department of Education (viewing time: 2½ minutes).

To-Do List

First, check that your child is eligible via the Childcare Choices website.
If eligible, apply for the funded childcare on the Government website by 31 August 2025 if you want your child to start in the September 2025 term. If applying for a different term, you will need to apply during the term preceding it (terms begin on the 1st of January, April and September). Once approved, you will be issued with a code that your childcare provider will require in order to access the funding.
Contact your preferred childcare provider at any point to check if they have a place available for your child under the scheme. Be aware that some have waiting lists.
Log into your Gov.uk childcare account every 3 months to ensure your code is kept up to date. You need to reconfirm your details and check for continued eligibility in case your circumstances have changed.

You will not be able to receive the funded childcare without a valid code!

Funded Nursery Places at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars Day Nursery is a wonderful childcare setting in Streatham, close to Tooting Common, that offers a first-class service to local families and their children. The setting supports most government-funded childcare schemes and thereby provides affordable childcare for Streatham, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham families. Through the government funding schemes, free childcare is available to eligible children aged from 9 months to school age and this includes a number of places available under the extended ’30 hours’ scheme for working families. It’s the perfect way to give children the best start in life while also allowing parents, especially mothers, to rejoin the workplace after maternity leave, boost working hours if they want to, and elevate household income.

Begin your application to Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham, come for a visit with your child or send us your questions today. We can’t wait to meet you!

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham is rated as a Good Provider of childcare and early years education by Ofsted. It may also be a convenient choice for families living nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

20 May 2025/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Reading, Storytelling, Under-5s, World Book Day

World Book Day Fun for Under-Fives

Children of the UK, it’s time to get ready for World Book Day! Arriving in early March, it is a wonderful annual event where children across the nation get to immerse themselves in books, storytelling, and other book-inspired activities. Such activities are incredibly important for children. Did you know, for example, that children who regularly read for pleasure are happier children who also go on to have greater success in their lives? This uplift is even more significant for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such is the power of reading for little ones! With all this in mind, today’s article outlines more about World Book Day and why it’s so important. It also suggests some activities that children and families can take part in to celebrate this year’s event.

“World Book Day improves children’s life chances, particularly those growing up in disadvantage and inequality, by encouraging reading for pleasure.” — World Book Day^® Impact Report 2024

Why World Book Day is So Important to Children

World Book Day arrives each year on the first Thursday of March. So, for 2025 it’s celebrated on the 6th of March, then in 2026 it’s on the 5th, for 2027 it’s the 4th, and so on. Organised by the charity of the same name, the core mission of World Book Day is “to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.” The reason is simple: a life-long love of reading for pleasure results in improved life chances. It’s incredibly powerful for children of all ages, as indicated in the following findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development:

“Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.”

The National Literacy Trust, BookTrust and others also came to similar conclusions:

“Evidence … shows that reading enjoyment and literacy levels are associated with educational attainment and employability skills as well as health, social, emotional and intellectual benefits.”

How to Encourage Children to Love Books

Children said that being able to choose what to read, when to read, and where to read were crucial factors to their enjoyment. The World Book Day^® charity published a 17-page impact report for the event that took place in 2024. One of the key findings was that something needed to be done to stop the significant drop in children reading for pleasure. Otherwise, children would be missing out on some profound benefits. The report concluded that there had been several reasons for the downward trend. For example, 20% of children said they felt judged for what books they read. Some said that reading felt more like a chore or ‘work’ because the books were foisted upon them by adults. Just over 8% of children simply didn’t have access to any books at home. Of those that did, over a third said they had no choice over what they read.

However, after asking the children what would make reading better, the conclusion was that being able to choose what to read, when to read, and where to read were crucial factors in their enjoyment. Being given the freedom to read in other ways also played a role; for example, some wanted access to audiobooks, graphic novels, and other non-standard book types. From this, a new approach was devised and World Book Day organisers have adopted it this year. It’s called ‘Read Your Way’ and is proving to have positive results.

Employ the ‘Read Your Way’ Approach to Reading

This new theme has six key components, each helping to increase children’s enjoyment and regular uptake of reading:

Read to/with children regularly;
Help children find time to read;
Ensure children have books at home as well as at school/nursery etc.
Make reading fun for children;
Ensure children get to choose which book(s) they read;
Ensure children have trusted help when choosing a new book.

Books for World Book Day

In the UK, children under 18 are eligible to receive a £1 book token through the event. This can be used to buy a special World Book Day title or go towards another book (more information is available here). World Book Day is therefore the perfect time to encourage children to read books – or, of course, to read in tandem with parents/carers if they’re not yet old enough to understand printed words. Greater success is likely, though, if the ‘Read Your Way’ approach, outlined above, has been employed. So, for example, by allowing a child to choose the book, when to read it, and where to read it. And they don’t have to stick only to World Book Day because every day is a great day for children to benefit from reading!

Activity Ideas for Under-Fives

While many schools and childcare settings arrange activities for children on World Book Day, families can also organise their own. Consider these fun and simple ideas to get you started:

Visit a Library or Bookshop

Many local libraries take part in World Book Day each year by organising storytelling sessions, book-themed activities, and fancy-dress fun for local families. So, perhaps check what’s on near you. A special trip to a local bookshop is also a great idea for World Book Day, especially if your child has one of the event’s book tokens and the bookstore is a scheme participant. Make it an event, let your little one pick out a book, and it can become a truly special experience for them.

Dressing Up for Story Time

Children will love dressing up as their favourite book character! It doesn’t have to be complicated — a red top for Little Red Riding Hood, a black sheet or tablecloth for Harry Potter’s robe, or a stripey t-shirt for Where’s Wally can be effective as a little one’s costume. Then, snuggle up and read their chosen book together.

Creating a Cosy Storytelling Nook

A storytelling nook or corner is also a wonderful addition to a child’s home. Part of the fun is setting them up with your child, so they’re cosy and comfortable. Cushions, warm rugs, and child-safe LED candles give a bit of atmosphere and perhaps blankets can be stretched over a frame or furniture to create a snug teepee or den. Once complete, you and your child have somewhere welcoming and comfortable to read stories together. Follow the bold link to learn more about this magical idea.

Interactive Storytelling

Make books come to life with silly voices, props, and actions. These give stories a realistic slant as well as making them interactive — and great fun! For example, whispers can add suspense, scary voices can add tension, and well-placed silly voices can add a bit of humour! Perhaps go a step further and act out scenes with your child after reading sessions.

Sensory Play Inspired by Books

Stories can also be brought to life with hands-on sensory activities. For example, the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar could inspire a home fruit-tasting session! Let your child try different fruits and talk about their colours, textures, and flavours. Harry Potter books or Room on the Broom could inspire playful potion-making. Children could mix coloured water, glitter, leaves and all sorts of (safe) things for a magical potion play session!

Book-Themed Arts & Crafts

Books and stories can really inspire children’s creativity. So, why not harness that instinct and get them busy with some book-inspired crafts? Some easy creative ideas include making a DIY bookmark with stickers and drawings, creating a simple puppet of a story character, designing and decorating a mini picture book together, or even creating stories together that the children can illustrate.

Get Siblings Involved

If your child has older siblings, they can read aloud to their younger brother or sister, act out a story together, or even write their own book. Encouraging them to share their love of reading encourages little ones and makes the day even more special.

These are just a few ideas for families celebrating World Book Day. Be sure to check out the family activity ideas on the World Book Day website for even more ideas.

World Book Day is a fantastic way to introduce children to the joy of books, but why stop there? Reading with children is incredibly beneficial to them, so keep the reading fun going all year by making stories a daily part of playtime and bedtime. Happy World Book Day!

Little Cedars Day Nursery, Streatham

Today’s article was brought to you by the team at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham. This wonderful nursery and preschool in London SW16 provides high-quality weekday childcare virtually all year round. It is rated as a Good Provider by Ofsted and supports funded childcare for eligible children under five including babies from just 9 months. Being located in Streatham, close to Tooting Common, means it may also be a convenient choice for families in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Get in touch today to explore a possible nursery place for your baby or child under five — we’d love to hear from you and would be happy to show you around on a guided visit with your child:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

28 February 2025/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Children, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Little Cedars Day Nursery, Nurseries, Nursery, Preschool, Streatham, SW16, Under-5s

38 Weeks, 42 Weeks & All-Year-Round Childcare in Streatham

At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, we offer a range of three main options for weekday childcare and early years education. Some families require all-year-round childcare for their under-five child. Others may prefer (or, if funded through Government schemes, only be eligible for) “term-time” cover over 38 weeks of the year. Between those two options, Little Cedars Nursery also now offers a ‘midway’ solution that provides childcare cover for 42 weeks. In today’s post, we clarify how the options work and differ over the course of the year, including in calendar form so that parents can see the differences graphically. See our overview below and click the calendar image for a larger view. If you have any questions, use one of the contact options at the end of today’s post and we’ll be happy to help.

All-Year-Round Childcare

Our all-year-round childcare option does pretty much “what it says on the tin” and provides weekday childcare and early years education right across the year. Apart, of course, from that week or so when we’re closed over Christmas/New Year and on inset days and public holidays. So, it’s a great solution for busy parents.

38 Weeks of Childcare

Our 38-week childcare option is particularly well-suited for those families whose childcare is funded through one of the key Government childcare schemes. These typically fund a child over 38 weeks of the year. However, do talk to us (or your childcare provider if not Little Cedars Nursery) if you would like to explore the possibility of stretching the hours out over more weeks of the year.

The term dates and holidays for the 38-week option match very closely with those of most schools*, so are often referred to as ‘term-time’ places. So, if you have an older child at school as well as a child at nursery or preschool, your under-five child’s timetable should synchronise well if they attend using the 38-week option.

^{* Term dates sometimes differ a little from school to school. Check yours here.}

The 38-week option also ties in with the legal minimum number of days that childcare settings like ours are required to be open each year (190 days when the nursery must be open to children plus 5 inset days for staff training and development).

42 Weeks of Childcare

Little Cedars Nursery has also introduced a childcare timetable that’s somewhere between the all-year-round and 38-week options. With our “42-week” childcare option, under-fives at Little Cedars Nursery are looked after over four more weeks of the year than provided by the 38-week option. This will give greater flexibility for families, particularly where parents simply cannot take as much time off work as there are school breaks. For example, childcare is provided during the school half-term break in February, during one week of normal school closures between spring and summer term in early April, and during two weeks of the school summer holidays in late July/early August. Take a look at the calendar provided above to see how the three options differ across the academic year.

Days when children don’t attend, common to all three options, are:

Inset days when we’re closed to childcare provision while staff attend training and development sessions.
Bank holidays and public holidays when, like virtually all businesses, the nursery is closed.
The week or so between the start of Christmas and the New Year, when the nursery is closed.

Check Out our Competitive Fees

You can check out our competitive childcare fees here. There are a few things to note therein:

Fee-paying places have slightly longer sessions, with morning sessions starting at 7:45 am and afternoon sessions finishing at 6:15 pm. In contrast, term-time Government-funded places begin a little later at 8:00 am and the afternoon sessions finish at 6:00 pm.
Lunch hour occurs between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
For some children receiving government-funded hours, additional fees may be required for meals.
The standard £85 daily fee and £46 half-day fee are reduced, in effect, for those attending all year round.
Fee-paying siblings of children already attending the nursery are eligible for a 13% discount.

^{Fees and details are correct at the time of writing (31 October 2024).}

High-Quality Weekday Childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Do you have a baby, toddler, or child under five in or around the Streatham area? If so, do consider us today for your childcare provision. As you can see above, we have several options that will suit a variety of different family situations. We also support many Government-funded free childcare schemes for eligible families. What’s more, we’re way more than just a childcare provider; we nurture every child to bring out the best in every area of their learning and development, enabling them to thrive and be ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave us to begin primary school.

Little Cedars Nursery is located in Streatham and is just a stone’s throw from Tooting Common. So, we will suit families requiring childcare nurseries in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park as well as those looking for good nurseries near Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Contact us today, book a free guided tour of the nursery, message us or ask us a question — we’ll be happy to help:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

31 October 2024/by Mark

Children, Early Years Education, Parenting, Preschool, Preschoolers, Primary School, Reception

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

Are you the parent of a 3-year-old child, or one that’s just turning 4? If so, you need to choose your 3 preferred primary schools now and submit your application for them at the latest by mid-January of the coming year. It’ll be here before you know it! Whether you want your child to begin school at the age of four or five, you have limited time left for your application. With that in mind, today’s post outlines our top tips for a successful primary school application for your preschooler. Read on to learn how to maximise your potential success in achieving a school place that’s best for your child.

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

1. Be Prepared — Know Your Dates!

Once your child is 3 or has only just become 4, you need to plan for your primary school application right away. And it doesn’t matter whether you want your child to begin primary school at the age of 4 or 5 — the deadline is the same. Applications open on the 1st of September and the submission deadline is 11:59 pm on the 15th of January.

2. Decide on Comparison Criteria

What do you want in a primary school? In the lead-up to your application, you will need to carefully consider how to decide which primary school will best suit your child and household. What criteria should you use? How can you compare schools? Decide what’s most important to both your child and your household. Criteria will probably include, for example, proximity to your home, travel time, whether a sibling already attends the setting, quality and reputation of the school, feedback from parents of children already there, Ofsted ratings, specific facilities that may best suit your child, and so on. These are all great ways to benchmark schools, but consider if there are other factors specific to your child too.

3. Focus on Primary Schools Nearby

It’s important for parents to focus on primary schools that are close to their child’s home. That’s for two reasons:

It’s convenient, with less travel time involved in dropping off and collecting your child from the school;
Proximity to a child’s home is one of the key criteria schools and admission authorities use for the selection of schools (the closer the better).

So, nearby usually means a school is both convenient and a safer bet!

4. Research the Contenders

Now armed with your comparison criteria, research the schools, ask around for opinions, check those Ofsted ratings, ask for brochures, research the primary schools online, speak to your local authority about each contender and glean as much information as possible. Knowledge is power and getting it right is incredibly important for your child’s future.

5. Don’t Assume an “Attached” Primary School is a Safe Bet

Some parents whose children attend a nursery or preschool attached to a primary school assume it’s a safe bet; the assumption is often that their child will automatically be offered a place there. Because of this belief, some of the parents are rather more ‘relaxed’ about their school application than they should be, for example, submitting it late. In such a case, they may get a nasty surprise on National Offer Day. So be warned; attached schools are not always a safe bet and therefore on-time applications are just as important with those as they are with other schools.

6. Visit the Schools

Visit the schools on your shortlist. Such ‘in-person’ visits are like gold dust. You can ask questions, get a feel for the school, see how the existing children are getting on, witness the teaching style, and see how well your child might fit in. Take them with you if possible. Most primary schools will have open days or evenings, so find out about those and attend. Alternatively, call the head or school office to arrange a guided visit if possible.

7. Make the Most of Your 3 Choices

Don’t try to ‘outsmart’ the admissions system by entering your top school on the application form three times. It will not make any difference to your success rate for a place at the school. Instead, make full use of all three of your choices on the application form and ensure you enter three different schools.

8. Check if They’re Oversubscribed

School heads and local authority admissions staff will have access to data on historical applications and admissions to schools. Contact them to ask if the schools you have shortlisted are likely to be oversubscribed. Some popular schools are, and this alone makes it very hard to land a school place there because of the sheer level of competing families, especially those that live closer to them than you. If you do find that one or more of your school choices are likely to be oversubscribed, based on historical data, ensure that at least one of your 3 choices is unlikely to be so when you fill in your application. Then, at least you have a ‘safer bet’ to fall back on should your top choice(s) not prove successful.

9. Decide Whether Starting at 4 or 5 Works Best for Your Child

One of the most fundamental decisions you need to make before applying is whether you want your child to begin at primary school when they’re 4 or the ‘legal’ maximum age of 5. This is a conundrum especially for “summer-born children” i.e. those born between the start of April and the end of August. For this age group, they’ll be amongst the youngest if they start in Reception Year at 4 or amongst the oldest if they defer their start until the age of 5. What’s more, for those deferring until 5, it’s not the parent who decides whether a child goes into Reception or Year 1 — it’s the schools and local admission authorities. So, parents need to decide, before applying, whether they wish to go with the usual flow and start their children at 4 (will they be ready?), or defer a year until they’re 5. It’s a fine balancing act and your decision needs to be made in the best interests of the child. That said, most children do start at 4 and go in Reception Year.

10. Include an Email Address in Your Application

It’s a simple fact that on-time parents who enter a valid email address on their primary school application forms receive their school offers first, on the morning of their release. That’s in mid-April for children starting in the September term. Submitting an application form without including an email address means you will find out via post. That is sent out via Second Class post, so usually takes a few days longer to arrive.

11. Don’t be Late With Your Application!

Priority for primary school places is given first to those who submit applications on time. Each year, that means between the 1st of September and the 15th of January when your child is 3 or has just turned 4. Even if you intend to defer your child’s school start until they’re 5 rather than starting them while they’re 4, you still need to apply while they’re only 3 or have just turned 4. If you miss the mid-January deadline, you will stand a much lower chance of achieving a place for your child at your preferred school(s) — because places will already have been allocated to those who applied on time. Sadly, many families miss out because they simply didn’t realise how early they needed to apply.

12. Know Where to Apply!

Primary school applications are made via your local authority website (find yours here). However, some schools and specific settings (for example, some church schools, faith schools, and academies) require parents to fill in and submit the setting’s own supplementary form as well. Parents will need to find out whether this applies to the schools they are applying for through their own research, as it varies from school to school.

13. Chances Increase if a Sibling Already Attends

If your child’s sibling already attends the primary school you’re applying for, they stand a better chance of a successful offer at the same school. That’s a nice head-start for some!

14. Know What to Expect on School Offer Day in Mid-April

Be prepared for the result of your application next April, so you know what your options are if you do not get the offer you had hoped for. However, we’ve got you covered with all of the options in our Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions which covers things like appeals, waiting lists, and much more.

15. Accept Whichever School They Offer You

You read that right! When National Offer Day for primary schools arrives, it’s generally agreed that you should accept whichever school place is offered to your child. That’s the case even if you’re unhappy! It’s because your child then has a firm school place to fall back on should you appeal, or go on a waiting list for another school, and are unsuccessful. Accepting the initial school place that’s offered does not adversely affect your chances with appeals or waiting lists, which is why the accepted wisdom is to accept the initial offer.

16. Accept Your Offer On Time!

Once you have received your school offer, it’s incredibly important to officially accept it by the acceptance deadline. Such a deadline will be shown in the offer communication you receive in mid-April assuming you’re applying for a standard September term start. If you miss the deadline for accepting the offered school place, you may lose it. That’s because “unused” offers are offered to other children, for example, those who are on waiting lists, applied late, or successfully appealed.

Good Luck from the Team at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

We wish all parents of 3- and 4-year-olds the best of luck with their applications and trust that today’s tips help to increase their chances of a successful outcome. It’s a huge milestone when children begin school, but rest assured that little ones under the care of our early years practitioners are nurtured in every area to ensure they’re as ‘school-ready’ as possible by the time they leave us. The good news, too, is that the vast majority of parents receive an offer for a school they specified in their application. Indeed, in 2023, only 1.4% missed out, so the odds are extremely good.

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery in Streatham, just a short walk from Tooting Common (see map). As well as being perfectly located for those in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park, the nursery is also only minutes away from Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Explore a possible nursery/preschool place for your child at Little Cedars Nursery today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

18 October 2024/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Butterflies, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities

The Big Butterfly Count — Little Citizen Scientists Get Ready!

The arrival of July brings with it an annual request for young citizen scientists to help in the world’s largest butterfly survey. Adults, teens, younger children and even little ones under five can all play their part. Butterflies are beautiful creatures for children to see and taking part in the survey takes as little as just 15 minutes. This important nature-based activity is also fun, free, and educational, and will help in the conservation of butterflies and the UK’s natural world. With all that in mind, today’s guide tells you everything you need to know about taking part in the Big Butterfly Count for 2024.

What Is the Big Butterfly Count?

Since 2010, the Big Butterfly Count has taken place during the ‘peak butterfly’ period each year in the UK. During the count, thousands of people across the nation spend as little as 15 minutes surveying how many butterflies and day-flying moths they can spot, and of which species. Their findings are then submitted to the Butterfly Conservation scheme so that a detailed picture can be pieced together about butterfly populations across Britain.

“Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs.” (Butterfly Conservation)

Why Butterflies?

Butterflies are important to the UK’s ecosystem because they pollinate food crops and themselves form part of nature’s food chain. However, populations of butterflies have declined significantly in recent decades.

“80% of butterflies have declined since the 1970s and we have lost up to 44% of moths in the UK. ” (Butterfly Conservation)

This may be due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, and the use of harmful and indiscriminate pesticides. The decline is alarming from the perspective of butterfly conservation – some species are in real danger of extinction – as well as being a warning barometer for the state of nature overall. By monitoring butterfly and daytime-flying moth populations, experts can get a better idea of the health of biodiversity and the natural environment across Britain and, by doing so each year, identify trends over time. Only through such a widespread and comprehensive approach can measures be put in place to try to fix any problems identified. The Big Butterfly Count is therefore an important and hugely worthwhile activity for children and families to get involved in during July and early August.

When is 2024’s Big Butterfly Count Taking Place?

The Big Butterfly Count itself starts on Friday 12th July 2024 and will run to Sunday 4th August. However, the overall scheme and Big Butterfly Count smartphone app open on the 1st of July so that people can prepare, plan where to spot the butterflies, and so on.

How Can Children & Families Get Involved?

It’s simple for children, families and individuals to take part. It can take as little as just 15 minutes and is totally free.

What to Do

Preparation is the first step. This is made easy for families because all the necessary resources are supplied by Butterfly Conservation, the initiative’s organisers. Download a free butterfly identification chart for your area here. This can be printed out for your child. Alternatively, for those with smartphones, simply download the Big Butterfly Count app (available free on IOS and Android) which incorporates everything you need, all in one place, including additional tools that are both helpful and highly informative.
When you/your children are ready for the count, find a suitable butterfly-spotting location* and count the targeted butterflies and daytime-flying moths that you can see over the course of 15 minutes. This must occur during the period from Friday the 12th of July to Sunday the 4th of August 2024 inclusive. The smartphone app and/or identification chart from Step 1 above will help you identify the species of each butterfly you spot. More details about counting butterflies can be found here.
Submit your findings via the scheme’s website or directly through the smartphone app (please note that, in each case, you will not be able to submit your results until the count is officially open). You can submit your butterfly sightings right up until the end of August and may submit more than one entry.

* Butterflies are more likely to be around when it’s sunny and sheltered, and there are lots of flowers and blossoms in bloom. Another option is to simply attract butterflies to your own garden; explained for children and families here.

How to See Results of the Count

Once the event is over (from 5th August inclusive), you can visit the event’s official map, which is interactive. Zoom in on your area to see which butterflies you and others spotted. You’ll be able to filter by species and date and see total butterfly counts and even the number of citizen scientists who have taken part.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, our childcare practitioners fully understand the enormous benefits of nature to children. It’s simply transformational, which is why we have outdoor spaces where children are able to sow seeds, tend to plants, and even grow vegetables. Nature teaches them so much and we therefore wholeheartedly recommend children’s involvement in the Big Butterfly Count each year.

First-class Childcare for Families in Streatham, Tooting, Furzedown, & Balham

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, also close to Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. If you’d like to consider sending your child under five to this wonderful nursery, please get in touch today. The setting has the backing of Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families and a ‘Good Provider’ rating by Ofsted. Please choose an option to get started:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

28 June 2024/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Children, Early Years Education, Flora and Fauna, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities, Outdoor Play, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

It’s the Perfect Time for Some Children’s Gardening Activities!

At the time of publishing this article, many UK children are enjoying National Children’s Gardening Week. At this time of year, the weather is sunnier more often, so it’s the perfect time to involve children in gardening activities. Whether taking part in the event or not, gardening is a fun, educational activity for children — and will also help to make the world a better place! So, if you would like to introduce your child to gardening and all that it has to offer little ones, read on as we tell you about some gardening activity ideas that little ones can take part in now and at any time during the warmer months of the year.

National Children’s Gardening Week

National Children's Gardening Week takes place each year during the 'warm week' beginning right at the end of May. National Children’s Gardening Week takes place each year in the UK during what’s known as the ‘warm week’ beginning right at the end of May. This year (2024) it spans from 25 May to 2 June. However, children can get involved in gardening well outside of those dates*, of course.

The annual gardening event for children started in the north of England but now takes place across the whole Nation and, like the plants and flowers in the gardens, its popularity is growing. Indeed, children are taking part at home, in schools, and at childcare settings like nurseries and preschools. In turn, the initiative itself supports the Greenfingers charity, which provides wonderful gardens and outdoor spaces for children in hospices.

* Children Can Garden Any Time in the Warmer Months

Late spring and the summer months in particular make things much easier for children to learn about gardening as there’s negligible chance of frost occurring. Warmer weather makes gardening easier and less complicated for them because, when it’s warm, there is no need to protect plants and seedlings from adverse weather conditions. What’s more, gardening results are much faster during the warmer months of the year, so even less patient children can remain engaged. That said, patience is something every child will have to learn, so a little waiting for results is a good lesson to learn.

Gardening Activities for Children

There are many fun gardening-related activities for children to do during the warmer months. Here are a few ideas to get children and families started.

Grow with Peter Rabbit Activities

This year (2024), National Children’s Gardening Week has teamed up with The World of Peter Rabbit and is encouraging children and their families to Grow With Peter Rabbit! Free activity booklets for the initiative can be downloaded here. The dozen or so pages in this year’s activity booklet include 9 gardening-related activity ideas for children to take part in. Activities include anything from growing a windowsill herb garden and creating leaf-print cards to more simple tasks like solving garden-related pictorial puzzles. Download the activity booklet using the bold link above.

Wildflower Growing Activity

A quick and easy outdoor activity for children is to sow and grow wildflowers (follow the bold link for much more information about this simple but worthwhile activity). Once growing and flowering, wildflowers will brighten up the garden and also attract important pollinators like bees and butterflies. What’s more, this activity is possible using just flower pots or grow bags on a patio or balcony if you don’t have access to a garden. You can also download our free butterfly reference poster for children here.

Make Simple Bird Feeders

Did you know, there are some incredibly easy ways for children to make home-made bird feeders? Follow our guide and you’ll soon see how children can make bird feeders from something as simple as a pine cone or even a recycled milk carton. Take a look via the link and get ready to welcome some lovely birds to your patch. Indeed, bird spotting is all part of the fun (download our free bird-spotting poster here).

Composting Activity

Composting is another hugely worthwhile activity for children to take part in, even right up into the Autumn. It’s easy and a great way to ecologically dispose of waste like egg shells, vegetable peelings, and garden waste like grass cuttings. What’s more, once complete, the household will have a ready supply of nutrient-rich compost that will enrich and feed flowers and plants in the garden or flower pots on the windowsill.

Minibeast Spotting

Compost heaps are also wonderful homes for minibeasts, which are also fun and educational for children to spot. Use our previously published free Minibeast Reference Poster to learn how to recognise some of the common minibeasts that might be hiding in gardens, under pots, and in compost heaps around Britain.

Wildlife-Friendly Gardening

Try to teach your children how to make gardens wildlife-friendly (whether in back gardens or smaller spaces like patios and balconies). Ensure children understand that wildlife like bees and other flora and fauna are under threat from nasty chemicals and habitat loss. So, making a wildlife-friendly garden or area is a very worthwhile activity for children to take part in — and is educational on so many levels. See our separate guide to wildlife-friendly gardening for kids, try some of the ideas above, or download this free wildlife-friendly activity pack.

Indoor ‘Gardening’ Activities for Kids

Children can do ‘gardening’ activities indoors too! Get them to try making egg cress heads, for example. It’s an easy, fun activity and children will love the results!

Did you know that children can also grow food from scratch indoors? They’ll love growing microgreens indoors and it can also be done on a windowsill. Not only will it be fun and educational for the children, but they’ll also be able to eat the results! Learn more about growing microgreens indoors here and learn more about the benefits of teaching children to grow food here.

More Gardening Ideas for Kids

More gardening-related activities for children can be found here. At the bottom of that page, you can also use the ‘older entries’ link to discover even more ideas.

Gardening is also a great way to introduce children to the concept of sustainability, ecological matters, and the need to protect both the environment and the planet as a whole. After all, we only have one planet and our children and grandchildren will eventually be in charge of its stewardship. Find out about some additional sustainable gardening activities that children can take part in here.

Why Gardening is Such a Worthwhile Activity for Children

The benefits of gardening for children are many and varied and that’s why it’s such a wonderful activity to get them involved in. It will teach children many new skills and new knowledge. It’ll teach them about the circle of life, how to care and be responsible for other living things, and about the importance of looking after the planet. It will also give them an insight into where some food types come from. It is also great fun, will give children a huge sense of achievement, and may even open their eyes to the possibility of careers in horticulture, land management, food production, farming, and the like. And, of course, gardening makes the world a better place in so many ways. Let’s also not forget that being around nature is hugely beneficial to children, but do remember to follow good safety precautions when children are outdoors.

Little Cedars Nursery: First-Class Childcare in Streatham

Looking for the best childcare in Streatham or near Tooting, Furzedown, or Balham?

Little Cedars Nursery also appreciates the importance of nature and outdoor play, so often engages children in such activities in our wonderful outdoor spaces. These include our own planting area where children can grow vegetables! The setting is a first-class nursery and preschool in Streatham and may also suit families nearby in Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. A full early years education is available here for babies and under-fives, who are given all the tools and guidance they need to thrive once they leave us to begin at school. Government-funded childcare schemes are supported and the nursery is rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’.

So, if you’d like to give your baby, toddler, or preschooler the best start in life in the Streatham region, please get in touch today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

30 May 2024/by Mark

Children, Early Years Education, Education, Learning & Development, Parenting, Preschoolers, Primary School, Reception, School, Under-5s

Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions

What is National Offer Day in the UK?

National Offer Day is the day that parents receive confirmation of which school their child has been offered for the next academic year. For those with preschoolers who require primary school places starting in the September term, over 92% (2023: 92.5%) will typically get an offer from their first choice and over 98% (2023: 98.6%) usually receive an offer from a school within their top 3 choices. Out of 568,600 primary school applications made last year for the academic year 2023/24, only 8,000 (1.4%) didn’t receive offers for one of their preferred primary schools (statistics are lower for secondary school places).

In today’s guide, we outline how and when parents of under-fives should apply for primary school places, how places are allocated, what to expect on National Offer Day (a.k.a. Primary School Offer Day for preschoolers), and what your options are if you do not receive an offer for your preferred school.

When Will Your Child Receive Their Primary School Offer?

National Offer Day for primary school places falls on the 16th of April (for secondary school places it is the 1st of March). On the ‘offers’ day, those who applied for places online will receive an email* from their local council to confirm the offer. There are lots for the council to send out, so the time of day the email arrives with you will vary from location to location. Also note that, in years when those dates coincide with a Bank Holiday or a weekend, the offers will instead be sent during the next working day.

* Some local authorities also allow parents to view offers through the council’s admissions portal/system.

When is Compulsory School Age?

Although most children begin school in the September following their fourth birthday, they have the option to start a little later if preferred. Compulsory School Age, which is the age they must be when they begin full-time education by law, is whichever comes first of the 31st of December, March or August following their fifth birthday. In practice, though, most children in the UK begin school at the age of four and reach five during their first year at school.

When to Apply for Your Child’s Primary School Place

For primary school places, you must apply in advance when your child is 3 or has just turned 4 at the time of application, even for those wishing to start school later.

Applications for September Reception year primary or infant school places should usually be made no later than 15 January that year but can be made as early as September of the previous year.

Example:

For a child starting primary school at the age of 4 in September 2024, apply any time from 1 September 2023 to 15 January 2024.

‘In-Year’ Applications:

For one reason or another, for example after moving house, some families may have to apply for a primary school place for their child after the school year has started. Such ‘in-year’ applications will obviously not follow the usual dates outlined above and, once an offer has been received, the child will usually begin at the agreed primary school at the start of the next full term.

What If Your Application is Late?

“Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.” (Gov.uk)

It’s worth noting that applications may not be processed until some time in May if they are received late. As May is long after the processing of all those that were received on time has occurred, the odds of getting a school place at your first choice are potentially reduced if you’re late. In other words, if you want to stand a better chance of getting your preferred school for your child, don’t be late with your application! Late applications may also require the use of a separate ‘late application’ form.

How & Where to Apply

Families should apply for school places for their children through their local council even if they are applying for a school in a different area. They should also still apply if they are applying for a school that’s linked directly to their child’s existing nursery/setting. When applying, you’ll be able to list your preferred schools in order and, subject to available places, this order will be taken into consideration when your application is being processed.

Applications for primary school places can be made online (start here) or via your council’s paper application form. Note, however, that those applying via a paper form may receive the outcome of their application a little later, probably via 2nd Class post, if they didn’t include an email address as part of their application.

Criteria for School Offers

As well as the timing criteria outlined above, other factors will influence how likely you are to receive an offer for your preferred primary school, although the exact factors vary from school to school. They may include how close your child lives to the preferred school, whether your child has a sibling there already, whether you as a parent have worked at the school for 2 or more years, whether it’s a faith school that matches your faith, plus other potential factors.

Accepting Offers for Primary School Places

Be warned that the offer you receive for your child’s primary school place will include a deadline and you will need to accept the offer by that deadline in order to secure your child’s place. If you do not accept it in time, the primary school place may instead be offered to another child.

What If Your Child Is Not Offered a Place at Your Preferred School?

For one reason or another, a small percentage of families (2023: 1.4%) will not receive an offer from a school within those they selected as ‘preferred’ during their application. If your local council is unable to offer your child a place at any of your preferred schools, the council will need to offer you a place at an alternative primary school. Usually, this will be the nearest primary school that has a place available.

Appealing Your Child’s Primary School Offer

If you do not receive an offer for one of your preferred schools for your child, you can appeal the decision if you so wish. The offer letter will give more details about how to do so. More information about the appeals process can be found here.

Note, however, that it may be wise to first accept the offer your child was originally given so that you have something to fall back on should your appeal be unsuccessful. Doing so does not, apparently, adversely affect your appeal. The same is true if you decide to ask to go on a waiting list for a preferred school, and we’ll come to that next.

Primary School Waiting Lists

In the unlikely event that no primary school place is available, or if you do not receive an offer at your preferred school for your child, you can apply for your child to be put on a waiting list. This would be done through your local council although you can also contact the school itself to enquire. Interestingly, you can also put your child’s name on a preferred school’s waiting list even if you have already received and accepted an offer elsewhere.

Good Luck!

We hope this guide has been useful and wish you good luck with your primary school applications. We hope that you receive the choices you hoped for once the primary school offers day arrives.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

A High-Quality Nursery & Preschool in Streatham, near Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury & Colliers Wood

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, SW16. Rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’ of early years childcare and education, children under our care receive a first-class start to life in our warm, loving, home-from-home environment. At Little Cedars, we bring out the best in every child to help them become school-ready by the time they leave us to begin school in their fifth year.

Get in touch today to learn more about a nursery place for your child at Little Cedars:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

15 March 2024/by Mark

Tag Archive for: UK

What & When is Children’s Mental Health Week?

The Theme for 2026

Resources for Families of Children — Including Under 5s

How Can Families Help Children?

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

A High-Quality Childcare Service for Southwest London

The New Performance Metrics

The 5-Point Assessment Scale

Key Areas of Assessment

For Early Years Settings

For Schools

For Further Education & Skills Providers

Safeguarding

More Details on the Ofsted Report Cards

Final Thoughts

Little Cedars Nursery – a Good Provider

Looking for a High-Quality Nursery/Preschool in Streatham?

* When Exactly is Summer?

Download Your Free ‘Summer Nature Hunt’ Reference Poster

“Look Don’t Touch!”

Have Fun Little Explorers — Nature is Good for You!

Other Nature-Themed Posters for Children

Opportunities to be Close to Nature at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

† Outdoor Safety

Here’s a snapshot:

Eligibility

To-Do List

Funded Nursery Places at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Why World Book Day is So Important to Children

How to Encourage Children to Love Books

Employ the ‘Read Your Way’ Approach to Reading

Books for World Book Day

Activity Ideas for Under-Fives

Visit a Library or Bookshop

Dressing Up for Story Time

Creating a Cosy Storytelling Nook

Interactive Storytelling

Sensory Play Inspired by Books

Book-Themed Arts & Crafts

Get Siblings Involved

Little Cedars Day Nursery, Streatham

All-Year-Round Childcare

38 Weeks of Childcare

42 Weeks of Childcare

Days when children don’t attend, common to all three options, are:

Check Out our Competitive Fees

High-Quality Weekday Childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

1. Be Prepared — Know Your Dates!

2. Decide on Comparison Criteria

3. Focus on Primary Schools Nearby

4. Research the Contenders

5. Don’t Assume an “Attached” Primary School is a Safe Bet

6. Visit the Schools

7. Make the Most of Your 3 Choices

8. Check if They’re Oversubscribed

9. Decide Whether Starting at 4 or 5 Works Best for Your Child

10. Include an Email Address in Your Application

11. Don’t be Late With Your Application!

12. Know Where to Apply!

13. Chances Increase if a Sibling Already Attends

14. Know What to Expect on School Offer Day in Mid-April

15. Accept Whichever School They Offer You

16. Accept Your Offer On Time!

Good Luck from the Team at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

What Is the Big Butterfly Count?

Why Butterflies?

When is 2024’s Big Butterfly Count Taking Place?

How Can Children & Families Get Involved?

What to Do

How to See Results of the Count

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

First-class Childcare for Families in Streatham, Tooting, Furzedown, & Balham

National Children’s Gardening Week

* Children Can Garden Any Time in the Warmer Months

Gardening Activities for Children

Grow with Peter Rabbit Activities

Wildflower Growing Activity

Make Simple Bird Feeders

^† Outdoor Safety