Starting school is a huge milestone for families. If you’re a parent or guardian of a child who will soon reach the age of 3 in the UK, you’ll need to make an application for your child’s primary school very soon. Today’s guide is designed to help you understand just about everything you need to know about the process of obtaining a school place for your child and what to expect on National Offer Day — specifically for primary school places.
Primary School Offers Day: 16 April*
There are two key ‘school offers’ days each year. The first arrives usually on the 1st of March* and is for secondary school places. The second, which we’ll focus on in today’s guide, usually arrives on the 16th of April* each year and pertains to offers for primary school places in the UK.
* The exact date may be slightly later if the usual ‘offer’ date coincides with a public holiday or weekend. In such cases, the offer date will be delayed until the next working day. Note, too, that applying late, by post, or ‘in-year’ (for a start date other than in the September term) is likely to result in offers being received at a later date.
Apply for a Primary School Place at the Right Time
Whether you want your under-five child to start school at 4 or 5 (see below), you should make the application for a school place when they are 3 or, at the very latest, when they have just turned 4.
Should Children Start School at 4 or 5?
Starting Primary School at Age 4
Most children in the UK start in ‘Reception’ year at primary/infant school at the age of 4. This is before the age required by law and usually starts in the September term. For these children, families will need to have applied for their place between September of the previous year and the 15th of January in the year they begin.
Deferring until Age 5
However, children born between the 1st of April and the 31st of August can legally begin school a little later if their parent/guardian/carer so chooses. This could be, for example, if the child’s parents believe the child is not yet ready for the challenges associated with school.
What Does the Law Say About Starting School?
The law requires that children begin school in the UK no later than the 31st of either December, March or August following their fifth birthday (whichever arrives soonest). This is known as Compulsory School Age. It’s worth noting, however, that schools and admission authorities have the right to decide whether children starting at five (rather than four) will begin in Reception year one year later than most other children of their age, or skip Reception completely and go straight into Year One with their matching age group. The child’s best interests will affect the decision, including factors like their individual needs and abilities. More information about deferring until five is available here.
Applying for a Primary School Place
You can register an interest directly with your primary school of choice and indeed they can usually give you information about how to apply. However, registering an interest does not guarantee your child a place even if the school is attached to the nursery/preschool your child already attends. Ultimately you normally need to make the formal application through your local authority and this is usually best done online, as outlined below.
To start an application for primary school for your child, go to this Gov.uk address, enter your postcode, and click the green ‘Find’ button. The site will then match you with your local authority. For example, for those near our nursery in Hindley Green near Wigan, it resulted in a button linked to Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council’s ‘Primary School Admissions’ page. This, as per its equivalents for other areas, gives lots of information about applying for a primary school place together with all the appropriate hyperlinks for applications, appeals, further information, and suchlike.
As part of your application, you will have the opportunity to confirm, in order, your topmost preferred primary schools. Subject to there being available spaces, the order of your preferences will be taken into consideration when places are allocated. However, other factors outlined later in this guide are also likely to affect your child’s offer.
Applying Late
If you miss the 15th of January deadline for standard primary school places with a September term start, the local authority’s site will give you access to a ‘late application form’. Note, however, that applying after the 15th of January means your application will be processed after those received on time. The effect this will have on your application is that you will have a lower chance of getting a place at your preferred school — as many places are likely to have been allocated before the local authority came to process your (late) application.
Changing Your Mind
For anyone who changes their mind about their preferred school choice(s), your local authority website will also give you options and guidance. This may include online options but some may also require the use of a late application form which, if used after the 15th of January, may also give you a lower chance of receiving an offer for your child’s preferred school.
Criteria Affecting Primary School Offers
Local authorities will first process applications made on time, so those stand the best chance of success. Late applications will be processed after all the ‘on time’ applications have been allocated places.
Either way, the criteria affecting whether a child receives a primary school place at their preferred school may also include factors like the following:
- Their home’s proximity to the selected primary school;
- Whether your child has a sibling already at the school;
- Whether you, the parent, have worked at the school (2+ years);
- Whether it’s a faith school matching your child’s religion;
- Whether the child is eligible for the Pupil Premium or Service Pupil Premium.
- … and other potential factors.
If, for any reason, your child is not offered a place at any of your preferred primary schools, your local authority will have to offer you a place at an alternative school. This will usually be the closest available school to your child’s home. However, it’s worth noting that such a scenario is quite rare, with only 1.4% of applicants not receiving offers from one of their ‘preferred’ schools in 2023.
Primary School Offers & National Offer Day
The majority of applicants, particularly those who applied on time, will receive primary school offers on National Offer Day, which arrives on 16 April or soon afterwards if that falls on a weekend or public holiday. Those who included an email address as part of their application will receive offers during that day while those who are informed via post may receive offers via 2nd Class post a couple of days or so later. However, some local authorities also allow parents to log into a portal to view primary school offers.
Accepting, Rejecting or Appealing a Primary School Offer
Primary school offer confirmations will include a deadline by which the offer must be accepted if that’s the parent’s intention. Failure to accept an offer by that date may mean that the primary school place is instead offered to someone else, for example, a child on a waiting list for that school (we’ll come to waiting lists shortly).
If you are one of the small proportion of families who did not receive an offer from a preferred primary school, you can appeal the decision and offer confirmations will include details about the appeals process. Learn more about appeals here. However, it’s usually wise to first accept any offer provided so that, if your appeal is rejected, your child has a school place to fall back on. Doing so should not affect the outcome of your appeal.
Waiting Lists
Waiting lists are an option for those families who:
- don’t receive an offer for a preferred primary school, or;
- receive no school offer at all (rare), or;
- decide they simply want to switch to a different primary school for one reason or another.
To apply to be put on a school’s waiting list, contact your local authority and perhaps also register your interest directly with the school itself, so they are aware. Having an existing school offer/place does not preclude you from going on an alternative school’s waiting list, by the way.
Good Luck from Little Acorns Nursery School, Hindley Green, Wigan
We hope you receive the ideal primary school place for your child when the offer day finally arrives.
The staff at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green wish all families with children starting primary/infant school the best of luck on primary school offers day. We do hope everyone receives an offer for their preferred school.
We’re convinced that all preschoolers leaving Little Acorns to begin school will have the very best start, having become as ‘school-ready’ as possible during their time with us. This preparation will help them to really hit the ground running from the moment they arrive at school. For tips on how best to prepare your child for starting school, don’t miss our guide Tips for a Smooth Transition to Reception.
Meanwhile, if you have a baby, toddler or preschooler that requires high-quality childcare and a good ‘early years’ education near Hindley Green, Wigan, get in touch:
As well as offering a high-quality childcare service in Hindley Green, Wigan, WN2, we are also conveniently located for families in Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, and Bolton.
In the journey of childhood development, there is a simple yet powerful tool that supercharges learning, imagination and even life outcomes: reading with your child. While a magical connection with books is a cherished tradition in many families, it is also a proven way to optimise a child’s cognitive and emotional development — and even to give some a social boost. With that in mind, we explore today the incredible benefits of reading with children in the early years and learn how study after study has proven how transformational it is to their lives.
One of the most notable benefits of early reading is the rapid expansion of a child’s vocabulary. Indeed, research suggests that children who are exposed to a diverse range of words in books tend to perform better in language assessments, spelling, and overall literacy development. With reading to children opening up whole new worlds of information and vocabulary to them, this positive outcome makes total sense.
Reading with children also contributes to the development of enhanced empathy and emotional intelligence. Stories often feature characters experiencing a variety of emotions, and by engaging with these stories, children learn to empathise and connect with the feelings of others. That’s because exposure to complex characters and their emotional experiences in books helps children better understand and relate to the emotions of people in their real lives.
Reading is not just about the words on the page; it’s also about the quality time you spend together. The connection you build during reading sessions is priceless, fostering stronger bonds between you and your child.
Autumn’s arrival means that Halloween is just around the corner, coming on the 31st of October each year. The run-up to that date is a great time to start preparing for some fun Halloween activities for children to take part in. Whether dressing up for Halloween-themed parties, putting carved pumpkin lanterns and spooky decorations out at night, or playing Trick or treat locally, children of all ages will find Halloween a time of unique fun! It’s also a great opportunity for children to strengthen bonds with friends and for families to start getting creative! With that in mind, here are our top picks for spooktacular Halloween activities for kids!
Dressing up in Halloween costumes is hugely popular amongst children. While purchasing costumes from stores is quick and easy, encouraging children to make their own Halloween costumes (with adult supervision) is likely to be not only cheaper but also much more fun. They’ll also be able to get creative and learn new skills in the process.
Kids will also love dressing up as spiders. All they need is some black tights — or a pair of skinny trousers — and a black top that’s belted at the waist and then stuffed to make the ‘spider body’ fat. Extra spider legs can be made by stuffing more black tights and attaching them to the belt.
Your children can take this a step further and add Halloween-themed food into the mix, so there’s something to nibble too!
The Halloween tradition of ‘tick or treating’ has its roots in Medieval times. It is a playful remnant of the practice of “souling,” where the poor would go door-to-door during what was then known as ‘Allhallowtide’ (around All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day) asking for food in exchange for prayers for the deceased. Over the years, this evolved into what we now know as Trick or treat. Children, usually in full Halloween fancy dress, knock on neighbourhood doors and say Trick or treat? Then, homeowners typically give them sweets or other treats — or become the target of a playful trick from the children! It’s great fun for little ones, especially if one or more neighbourhood parents can organise the evening in advance. By doing so, the neighbours are warned and can opt out if they prefer. In this way, lots of fun, laughter and treats will ensue and nobody gets a trick that they weren’t expecting!
Many towns and villages will have ‘pumpkin patches’ during October. These are typically found on local farms and similar that set a field aside, chock-full of pumpkins. Families can come along and children will be able to scour the field and pick their favourite pumpkin. They can take it home in exchange, usually, for an affordable fee. Such pumpkin patches often also have wonderful photo opportunities where children can pose amongst pumpkin displays. In this way, children enjoy a morning or afternoon activity at the farm and end up with a hand-picked pumpkin too.
Hollowing out and carving spooky and creative faces into pumpkins is a classic Halloween activity enjoyed by thousands of families each year. For safety purposes, supervising adults will need to do any carving, though, as it’ll likely involve the use of a sharp knife. They can also loosen the seeds and flesh and then, if able, children can help to scoop it out. Once hollowed out and eyes, nose and mouth have been carved, children can have great fun decorating the outside and turning the pumpkin into a lantern using tea lights (again, under adult supervision or using LED lights for safety purposes). Nothing quite says ‘Halloween’ like a pumpkin face that glows in the garden at night. Children will naturally love the whole experience, end result, and feeling of accomplishment associated with this activity.
Families can combine all or just some of these Halloween activities into one event by hosting their very own Halloween party for friends, relatives and neighbours. With spooky fancy dress costumes, Halloween-themed decorations, flickering pumpkin lanterns, and themed food and drinks, it’s sure to be huge fun and a spooktacular evening for everyone! Ghostly music and ghoulish games can be added to the event too, perhaps along with a period where children and adults can tell spooky stories and ghost tales. What’s not to love?
Today’s ‘Discover Minibeasts’ post is the third in our series of nature-based activities for children. And, as with the 
Today, in a follow-up to the 
We’re delighted to announce that Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green, has passed its first Ofsted Inspection — and with flying colours! The Ofsted Report was published recently following the Ofsted inspection in late April this year. It is our first since we took over the nursery from Kate’s Kindergarten in 2022. So, it’s now official — Little Acorns Nursery is a ‘Good Provider’ of childcare and early-years education. Let’s take a look at the Inspector’s findings and some of her lovely comments. We’ll see why the nursery/preschool achieved such consistent, positive feedback and good ratings in every area. Doing so is incredibly important to the children under our care and, of course, to their parents and caregivers.
Opening comments in the Ofsted Report are particularly positive. Not only are the findings welcomed by nursery staff, who work so hard and so professionally — as evidenced in the report — but they’ll also be welcomed by parents/caregivers of children attending the setting. After all, it’s good to know children are in good hands and that their choice of childcare provider was a good one.
As you can see from the comment above, staff are methodical and strategic in their approach to activities organised for the children. Activities are tailored to each child’s individual interests, making playing, development of skills and learning of new knowledge all come naturally.
Ofsted also recognised that leaders and staff plan improvements for the future. In their report, they describe how leaders “plan how they can make the quality of education even better […] working closely with staff to design building improvements that will have the most benefit for the children”.
Today’s exciting blog post encourages families to explore the wonders of nature and embark on a delightful butterfly-spotting adventure! Butterflies are simply beautiful creatures and their amazing colours and patterns are sure to appeal to little ones. With that in mind, we have prepared a visually appealing and informative A3 poster featuring 36 British butterflies, which you can download for free and print out. So, why not get the family ready to step outside, immerse yourselves in nature, and create cherished memories as you observe these enchanting creatures in their natural habitat? The poster gives visual reference and also ensures you have a lasting memento of this unique experience. Over time, this poster and nature-based activity will help you and your little one learn to identify these diverse and important little pollinators. As we reported before, 
As parents, we all want the best for our children. We strive to provide them with a nurturing and stimulating environment that supports their growth and development. However, in today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of nature in our children’s lives.
Make time for outdoor play — set aside regular time for outdoor play and exploration. This can include visits to local parks, nature reserves, or your own back garden.
With free tutorials available on YouTube and inexpensive instruments available in charity shops, phone apps and online marketplaces, there has never been a better time for children to start learning a musical instrument. It’s something for every parent to consider because such a pastime will benefit their child in an incredible variety of ways. Not only will they learn a new skill that will stay with them for life, but their lives will be enriched in many additional ways too. So, today, we take a look at the often profound benefits of learning a musical instrument, especially for young children. We’ll start with the three most obvious benefits before coming to many others that may surprise you.
Playing all these notes in a certain order, sometimes in isolation and at other times as chords and progressions, will do wonders for a child’s coordination and fine motor skills. Although perhaps tricky at first, with practice and ‘muscle memory’, children’s ability to master the playing of musical sequences, chords, melodies and rhythms will gradually become easier and easier. Before long, it’ll become second nature to them.
In a similar way, children who learn a musical instrument will usually, of course, also be learning to read printed music. While this comes in different forms, it all encourages children to concentrate on the reading process. Specifically, they’re learning to read from left to right, to analyse the printed music detail and to make sense of it. It’s another great workout for the brain, and we’ll say more about that next.
Playing a musical instrument often goes hand-in-hand with collaboration. Whether it’s forming a band, taking part in a school orchestra, writing songs with friends or simply jamming out together, children of all ages will naturally play together given the opportunity. As such, it’s a natural socialiser and one that brings children of different ages together, with new friendships being formed through a common interest. That is a very healthy thing. It also teaches children a wide variety of social skills including communication (e.g. speaking and listening at appropriate times), collaboration, being mindful of the needs of others, waiting your turn and so on.
Music itself is also a great antidote to stress and other emotions. Giving children the tools to appreciate music — and even involve themselves in it — will help with their mental well-being as it can calm them when they’re stressed, relax them when they’re tired or even give them an energy boost when they need to get active. Ask any runner! All they need is the right piece of music and half the mental battle is already complete.
With all these benefits, it’s highly worthwhile for children to start learning a musical instrument as young as possible. It’s easy to start them, for example with simple instruments like drums, triangles, and tambourines initially. With these simple instruments, very young children can learn to keep time to music or a beat a rhythm demonstrated by adults. They can then progress to more advanced instruments such as recorders, keyboards, and stringed instruments. They have to start somewhere, though, but it’s never too early to start! Mozart was just 3 when he began to learn piano playing. By 5 he had composed a whole concerto! Who knows; perhaps your child could be a star in the making!
First of all, a Key Person will be allocated to your child on Day 1 when they start at the nursery. The Key Person is a childcare professional that will look out for the child’s wellbeing in all manner of different ways. One of the most important is in the monitoring of the little one’s progress in terms of learning and development. From the day they help to settle the child into the nursery to the day they leave for school, the child’s Key Person will be there to ensure that all the child’s individual needs are being met and that they are fulfilling their fullest potential in every area. Part of that will be the oversight of the bespoke early years education programme, which we’ll come to next.
At Little Acorns Nursery, a bespoke early years learning and development programme will be designed and implemented to suit the strengths and any challenges for each individual child. This is orchestrated by the child’s Key Person and nursery staff and, where needed, through cooperation with any external professionals, e.g. for children that have any special educational or developmental needs. The learning and development programme is tailored to them and them only. Using this approach bolsters the child’s stronger areas, so they can be further strengthened, and addresses any weaker areas that may require extra focus. It is also adapted as time goes by, as progress is made by the child. In this way, every child gets to achieve personal bests and optimal outcomes in every area of their learning and development.
All of this nurturing, education and facilitation of their personal development does one other crucial thing too; it sets them up well for when they leave us around the age of five to start at primary school. By giving them the skills and tools they will need in every area, they are in a better position to absolutely thrive once they start school, right from day one. Indeed, many studies have shown that children who receive a good early years education go on to be higher achievers both at school and in their working lives. That’s gold dust, right there. Let’s take a closer look …
One of the exciting things we have planned for Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is the introduction soon of our own Forest School. Once up and running, it’ll give our nursery and pre-school children unparalleled access to nature and the natural world. They’ll be able to learn and benefit from nature in an incredible array of ways (and that’s important). So, watch this space for more details in due course.
‘Hygge’, pronounced ‘Hue-gah’, is another exciting initiative happening at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green. If you’ve not heard of it, rest assured that it’s something that children will absolutely love and will benefit them in many ways. It’s also something that we’ll be pioneering in the area, so you may not find it in other nurseries and pre-schools around Wigan right now.
Everything at Little Acorns Nursery is there for a reason. It’s all been carefully brainstormed, pre-planned and implemented with utmost care. Whether it’s the introduction of Hygge, the opening of our Forest School, the addition of a new piece of equipment or the purchasing of a specific toy or learning device, everything at Little Acorns has a purpose and is there to benefit the children.
Parents of children at Little Acorns Nursery also give us great feedback about the wonderful childcare provision at the setting. Browse the site for full examples of parent feedback received (it’s scattered around the site) but, to give you a taster, comments include, “My girls absolutely adore this nursery but most of all they adore the staff”, “thank-you for the bottom of my heart for what you have done for my girls”, “I couldn’t recommend this nursery enough, they care and love the children like their own and I couldn’t of ever felt more comfortable leaving my children with a nicer set of girls.”, “I would not hesitate to recommend this nursery to anyone!”, “You should all be very proud of the work you do. It really means so much to us every time we see those small steps forward and we appreciate it.”, and “If I ever had any more children, without a doubt they will be coming to this nursery even if I moved 500 miles away!”. 
