DAY NURSERIES

Day nurseries are available for babies from 6 weeks until school age. Their opening hours vary but can be as long as 07:00 - 19:00. Children can attend on a full time or part time basis. 

PRE-SCHOOLS

Pre-school tends to start from age 2 or 2.5 depending on the provider. Sessions are usually around three hours in the morning although some offer afternoons. Pre-school is usually term time only. The number of sessions your child can attend is flexible to suit your needs (subject to availability) although some providers will set a minimum. 

FREE EARLY YEAR EDUCATION FOR 2, 3 AND 4 YEAR OLDS

From the term after a child turns 2, families in receipt of benefits may be entitled to 15 hours free early years education.

From the term after they turn 3 all children are entitled 15 hours of free early years education and some families may be entitled to up to 30 hours.  Funded places are provided during term-time until they start full-time school. This entitlement can be taken up at a nursery school, day nursery, playgroup, pre-school or childminder.  

See our listings for local providers but please note that some don’t offer this free entitlement and set their own fees, so it’s important to check this out before making any arrangements.  Those who are in the free-entitlement scheme are allowed to charge for additional goods and services, such as lunch or trips. You can find a useful guide to the 30 hours free childcare here.  You can check your eligibility and apply for funding via the Government's Childcare Choices website. If you can’t find free places it is important that Hertfordshire County Council know this; your children’s centre can help you pass on this information.

NURSERY SCHOOLS

Children rising 4 (i.e. in the school year that they turn 4) can apply for a place at a state-run nursery school/class.  Many local nursery schools run either morning or afternoon sessions, five days a week during term-time. Applications are made directly to each individual school, usually in the Spring term prior to the starting date. You can apply for a place at any school but places are allocated by based on each school's admissions criteria, which will be published on their website. Some local private pre-schools and nurseries (also listed in our Pre-school and Nursery Schools sections) also cater for children in this age group and can offer more flexible sessions. Most of the schools are now offering up to 30 hours of childcare in some form and this will be free for those eligible for the Government's 30 hours free childcare scheme. The format of the offering and number of places available varies by school and each has its own eligibility criteria so you should discuss this option with each school. 

PRIMARY SCHOOLS / INFANT AND JUNIOR SCHOOLS

Children rising 5 (i.e. in the school year that they turn 5) can start Primary School, but statutory school age is from the term after their fifth birthday. Primary Schools in Hertfordshire take children up to the age of 11 (Year 6).

Some of the Primary Schools locally are split into separate Infant and Junior Schools - infant taking children from age 4-7, and Junior from age 7-11.  In addition to state-run Primary Schools, a number of Independent Schools are available in the area. 

Reception: Age 4 turning 5
Year 1: Age 5 turning 6
Year 2: Age 6 turning 7
Year 3: Age 7 turning 8
Year 4: Age 8 turning 9
Year 5: Age 9 turning 10
Year 6: Age 10 turning 11

SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

From Year 7 onwards (the school year that the child turns 12) until the end of Year 11 (the school year that the child turns 16), they attend Secondary School. As well as state-run Secondary Schools there are also a number of Independent Schools locally.  All the local Secondary Schools offer an optional Sixth Form for two years following the completion of Year 11.  Alternatively there are several local Colleges offering learning opportunities from age 16+. 

Year 7: Age 11 turning 12
Year 8: Age 12 turning 13
Year 9: Age 13 turning 14
Year 10: Age 14 turning 15
Year 11: Age 15 turning 16
Year 12: Age 16 turning 17
Year 13: Age 17 turning 18

APPLYING FOR STATE-RUN SCHOOLS

Applications for state-run Primary Schools and Secondary Schools should be made through Hertfordshire County Council the school year before your child is due to start.  More details on the school application process can also be found in our School Admissions and Appeals section or on the Hertfordshire County Council Website.

Applications to Nursery Schools are made directly through the school.

HELP WITH THE COST OF CHILDCARE

There is a range of assistance available to help with the cost of childcare. See the Herts County Council site for more details. You can also find more information on the The Family & Childcare Trust website.

TELL OFSTED WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL
   
Parent View gives parents the chance to tell Ofsted what you think about your child’s school – whether it’s doing a great job, or if you have any concerns. Parent View also lets you see what other parents think of any school in England - a useful source of information to make an informed choice about the best school for your child.

Parents can access Parent View on the Ofsted website at any time of the year, not just when a school is being inspected.