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What is a school-based nursery?
A school-based nursery is a childcare setting located on the premises of a school. It may be operated independently or managed directly by the school itself.
Some settings provide care for children aged three and four, while others also offer childcare and early years education for younger children.
This varies by setting, as different age groups are subject to different regulatory requirements within schools.
How is a school-based nursery different from a school nursery?
The difference mainly comes down to how they are run and structured, even though both are located on a school site.
School-based nursery
- A school based nursery is the term for any nursery provision located on a school site
- May be run by the school or by a private/independent provider
- Can have different hours, fees, and admission processes depending on who runs it
- Sometimes operates more like a typical childcare setting (e.g. longer hours, wraparound care)
- Can be led by a qualified teacher or a nursery manager
School nursery (maintained nursery class)
- Run directly by the school as part of its provision
- Usually follows the school day and term times
- Places are often allocated through the school or local authority
- Typically focused on early education (often for ages 3–4)
- Led by a qualified teacher
School-based nurseries rollout
The government is creating over 3,000 school-based nurseries in England costing nearly £370 million.
England already has 381 maintained nursery schools also known as state-funded nursery schools. In addition it has around 7,500 primary schools which have early years classes. These are led by teachers and are part of the school.
In order to create these 3,000 settings, the government asked primary schools to apply for funding to run nurseries in their schools for early education.
Schools have already bid for a share of the first wave of capital funding. They will be able to use the money to convert their empty classrooms rooms into an environment suitable for children under 5.
The money for these new early years settings is being generated by ending tax breaks for private schools.
When will the new settings open?
Around 300 school-based nurseries have opened or are in the process of opening across England, marking the first step towards a planned total of 3,000 nationwide.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
Our school-based nurseries are already helping fill the gaps in communities where childcare is hardest to find, giving children the strong start they deserve and helping parents access childcare close to home.
By expanding these nurseries further and targeting them at the areas that need them most, we are making sure more families can benefit from quality early education while putting practical support in place to help with the cost of living.
Eligible working parents of children from nine months have been able to claim 30 hours free childcare since September 2025. The hope is that these nurseries will boost the number of childcare places on offer to accommodate the extra demand.
The Department for Education (DfE) said half of local areas needed to boost their childcare provision by between 10% and 20% to meet the increased demand in September 2025. Some areas need an uplift of more than 20%. These are areas with traditionally lower household incomes such as Northumberland, Plymouth and Rotherham.
Where will they be?
Most school-based nurseries launched in Phase 1 are located in the North of England and the Midlands, with around one in ten in the North East.
For phase 2, the focus is on increasing capacity in high-need areas, in ‘childcare deserts’, where there is currently a shortage of early years provision.
Schools that already have nurseries attached to them will be able to expand. They will be able to bid for more funding to help them do this. These will be part of the first 300 childcare settings attached to a school.
The third phase of the programme will build on the progress made in phases 1 and 2. The government is inviting local authorities to submit multi-year funding proposals to support the delivery of new and expanded school-based nurseries between 2027 and 2030.
Who will run the new settings?
The school will run the nursery or a private or voluntary provider or a childminder will be asked to run it.
How many state-funded nursery schools are there currently?
There are currently 381 maintained nursery schools also known as state-funded nursery schools in England. They are situated in some of the most deprived areas in England.
In 2023, the 381 maintained nursery schools provided 44,500 funded entitlement places for two, three and four-year-olds for the 15 and 30 hours, according to the British Association for Early Childhood Education.
Maintained nursery schools have decades of experience in working with multiple agencies and different professional teams so they can meet children’s needs in terms of health, housing, social care and poverty.
They have the highest proportion of children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). In 2023, 29% of children in these settings had SEND. This compares to 12% of all other providers and 6% of childminders.
Pros and cons
- Being located in the school will make the transition from nursery to school a lot easier and smoother for children as they will remain in familiar surroundings.
- Parents could find drop offs and pick ups easier if they have other children at the school.
- Children will also be able to benefit from the resources, facilities and staff from the primary school.
- On the downside, school-based nurseries may follow the term-times of primary schools and only offer childcare and early years education during the school term.
FAQs
What is a school-based nursery?
A school-based nursery is a childcare setting located on a school site. It can be run either by the school itself or by an independent provider. These nurseries will offer places for children aged three and four, and in some cases younger children, depending on the setting and regulatory requirements.
When and where are new school-based nurseries opening?
School-based nurseries are being rolled out across England in phases. Most early sites are in the North and Midlands, particularly in areas with the greatest need for childcare. Further expansion is planned through to 2030, with a focus on disadvantaged areas and ‘childcare deserts’.
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