In some areas of the UK, nurseries are experiencing a high demand for places. The pandemic already put a lot of pressure on nurseries. Now the expansion of government-funded early education in England, while fantastic for the families that can get a place, is making it a lot more competitive.
Nursery waiting lists allow families to register their interest in a place at the nursery and be at the front of the queue when places become available. Nurseries will often require a deposit for a place on a waiting list. The average cost of going on a waiting list is £71.
If you are looking to put your child into nursery soon, not having a start date set in stone can be extremely stressful, particularly if you need childcare so you can work.
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How long are nursery waiting lists?
How long nursery waiting lists are varies widely. They can range from no waiting time necessary to over two years. It largely depends on the area you live in and the popularity of the nursery you are interested in.
Another factor that increases waiting lists is the demand – parents understandably sign up to more than one, and do so early, as is advised, but that makes the lists longer. A long list doesn’t mean that everyone on it will use that nursery though.
It also depends on how old your child will be when they start as to how many other families are going for those places. Data from the 2024 Education Provision found that the most popular age to start nursery in the UK is 3-4 years old.
This may be because until September 2024 this was the age at which all children in England were eligible for funded hours, so the average start age may get lower in light of the changes. In Scotland all parents can get 30 hours of free childcare for three and four year olds.
Fewer families are going for places for children aged under a year, but it can still be challenging to get a space for this age as not every nursery offers childcare for babies.
Can I be on more than one nursery waiting list?
You can join numerous nursery waiting lists and it can be advisable to do so to keep your options open.
However, this can mean waiting lists end up being longer, but faster moving if lots of parents on those lists end up not needing the places.
Also, many nurseries charge a deposit to be on the list which you would then lose if you don’t end up sending your child there.
Do I have to pay a deposit to be on a nursery waiting list?
Some nurseries charge deposits to be on their waiting list and some don’t. How much deposit nurseries charge is again variable.
According to research by Direct Line, the average is £71, with some as low as £5 and some as high as £199.
Below is a table of their costs in order of lowest to highest average deposit.
| Belfast | £30 |
| Newcastle | £36 |
| Manchester | £47 |
| Birmingham | £50 |
| Bristol | £50 |
| Cambridge | £50 |
| Cardiff | £50 |
| Edinburgh | £50 |
| Exeter | £50 |
| Oxford and surrounding areas | £67 |
| Leeds | £85 |
| London | £103 |
Can I avoid nursery waiting lists?
You might be able to avoid nursery waiting lists, depending on where you live, when you need a place and the age of your child.
The most important thing is to enquire. Your nurseries of interest can tell you exactly what their situation is and support you to go from there.
It’s also always worth starting early, even if you’re not certain exactly when you’ll need the place.
How one mum secured a place
Chloe Ramsbottom managed to get her daughter into a very popular local nursery by being strategic with the options she had.
She explained: “I was very worried about getting a place at nursery because I’d heard from other parents that it can be competitive, and that was before the new childcare hours were rolled out. I started looking when I was pregnant and got on the waiting list for the nursery I wanted, thinking I’d got it all sussed. But when my daughter was born, I contacted them about a start date, and they said there was nothing yet and they’d look again next month, then the next month.
‘My baby was two weeks old when we went for a visit’
“I really didn’t have the luxury of being able to wait and see, so I immediately got in touch with another nursery, a bit closer to home but that I’d avoided because I knew it was popular and thought there was no chance of getting a place. They were able to offer me a start date during the show-around. My baby was two weeks old when we went for the visit.
“I put my daughter in two days a week, which I could do because I was still on maternity leave. She was younger than I would’ve ideally liked (six months old) and went on the only days they could do at the time. I used those early days to do all my keep-in-touch days at work though, so it worked out financially.
“Ultimately, it was a foot in the door. Now it’s paid off because she’s able to go on exactly the days I want and is very settled. I have a couple of friends who had babies at the same time and are struggling to find places, but their circumstances are a bit different so it’s not like what I did would work for everyone.”
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