Nursery admissions

Nursery Admissions Round 2024-25

The admissions round for Nursery 2025 has now closed.

Please complete a late application here

Only applications received by the published closing date, with relevant supporting evidence for the receipt of application forms, will be considered in the initial round of allocations of pupils. Forms received after this date, or incomplete forms, may result in a child being refused a place at their chosen nursery school.

Important dates for you as a parent to note can be viewed here: Important dates poster 2025

Going to Nursery

All children living in Blaenau Gwent are entitled to a free part-time education place at the start of the term following their 3rd birthday (e.g. if your child is 3 years of age on the 16th December 2024, they would be entitled to a nursery place from January 2025). This is commonly referred to as a ‘Rising 3’ place. Admission to nursery settings is usually on a part-time/ half-day basis for five days per week.

If your child is 3 years old between 1 September 2024 and 31 December 2024 they will be eligible for a Rising 3 place in the spring term, January 2025.
If your child is 3 years old between 1 January 2025 and 27 April 2025 they will be eligible for a Rising 3 place in the summer term, April 2025.
If your child is 3 years old between 28 April 2025 and 31 August 2025 they will be eligible for a Rising 3 place in the autumn term, September 2025.

If you wish for your child to attend a nursery setting at any of the schools outlined within the ‘Starting Schools Booklet’ you will need to apply for a nursery place before the closing date of the 18^th October 2024.

Applications to take up Foundation Phase Nursery entitlement at non-maintained childcare settings (Tiggys Day Care, Acorns Playgroup, Cylch Meithrin Brynithel) need to be made directly to the setting required. The Starting School booklet contains contact details for these settings.

In the case of Welsh Medium Education, the admission authority (Blaenau Gwent Council) is responsible for placing pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg. These pupils are then allocated a place at either the Blaina or Tredegar Campus by Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg Leadership team and Governing Body.

News: Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg has now opened its seedling provision Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar, at its temporary location Bedwellty House, Morgan Street, Tredegar for Nursery and Reception Pupils. For the Academic year 2024/25 Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar will then be situated in its new school building on Chartist Way, Sirhowy, Tredegar.

If you are still unsure about which school to choose for your child, please see our starting schools booklet: Parent / Carer School Information Booklet - Applying for a School Place for 2025 / 2026

For more information on the School Admissions Process please refer to the Blaenau Gwent School Admissions Policy for Nursery and Statutory Education 2025/26.

For further information on the admissions process or to request a copy of the Starting Schools Booklet, please email: schooladmissions@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk

Special Diets

To request a special diet, please complete the special diet request form and return it to the address at the bottom of the form.

Once the Catering Department and Dietitian have received the form, you will either receive a special diet menu for your child by post/email or they will contact you to discuss your child’s requirements in more detail before sending a menu out to you. Please allow up to 3 weeks for your menu to arrive.

To protect the health of your child, the Catering Department request that you provide your child with a packed lunch from home until you have received a confirmed start date.

Universal Primary Free School Meals

All primary school children in Wales are entitled to free school meals. This commitment is in response to the rising cost-of-living pressures on families and our shared ambitions of tackling child poverty and ensuring no child goes hungry in school. The Welsh Government is committed to implementing the scheme as quickly as possible. There are also wider benefits of free school meals, including promoting healthy eating across the school, increasing the variety of food learners can eat, improving social skills at mealtimes, as well as improving behaviour and attainment. The policy is part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, which will see free school meals extended to all primary school pupils over the next three years.

There is no registration needed, your child will just need to state whether they require a school meal in registration at the start of the school day. Also if your child has an allergy or intolerance you will need to complete and return the Special Diet Application Form.

Contact Information

Telephone Number: (01495) 369502 / (01495) 369524. Please note, a member of the team will be available to answer any calls between the hours of 9am to 12 noon Mon to Fri, if you need to speak to someone outside of these hours please email schooladmissions@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk, to request a call back and a member of the team will get back to you.

Address: The General Offices, Steelworks Rd, Ebbw Vale. Blaenau Gwent. NP23 6DN

Nursery admissions