High numbers of applications submitted for nursery places

Bridgend County Borough Council is warning that high numbers of applications for nursery places will mean that fewer part-time nursery places are going to be available in 2022.

While application numbers fluctuate from year to year, the council’s schools admissions team is also reporting an increase in the number of parents and carers who are applying for part-time nursery places.

In determining the number of part-time nursery places available for allocation in any school, the local authority will take into account the capacity of the accommodation used for nursery pupils, the published admission number and the number of full-time nursery pupils already on the roll at the school.

The council strongly recommends that all parents/carers include a second preference school in their application, due to the potential for a high demand on places at some schools.

Some parents and carers will apply to a school that is outside their catchment area, but closer to a place of work or the home of a relative, e.g. a grandparent. If applications for places at the school exceed the number of available places, it is the in-catchment applications that will be prioritised.

Among the primary schools currently experiencing high demand are Pencoed, Croesty, Coety, Coychurch, Litchard, Penybont, Tremains, Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cynwyd Sant. This is similar to the last admission round.

We are seeing a significant increase in the demand for part-time places in the latest round of nursery applications, and if this continues, it is inevitable that some applications will have to be turned down. Our school admissions staff will do everything that they can to support parents and carers, but please note that anyone who has not supplied a second choice on their forms will have to submit a new application in the event they are not successful with their first choice.

Any parent/carer whose application may be refused may wish to consider alternative arrangements to a part-time nursery place in a local authority maintained school for their child. For example, 10 hours of education can be accessed in a non-maintained childcare setting.

Any parent wishing to obtain information on such options, should contact the local authority’s Childcare team on telephone number 01656 642649 or at childcareteam@bridgend.gov.uk. As part of the Band B 21st Century Schools modernisation programme which will see a £68m investment into new schools and educational facilities across the county borough, the number of school places will be increasing.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration