3 - 5 Year Old Places

THREE AND FOUR YEAR

Four year olds

If your child’s date of birth is on or between 1 March 2019 and the 28 February 2020 he/she will be eligible for a funded early learning and childcare place from August 2022.

Three year olds

If your child’s date of birth is on or between 1 March 2020 and the 28 February 2021 he/she will be eligible for a funded place as set out below.

ADMISSION INTAKE TIMELINE
Birthday Dates	Intake – first available Monday in the month
1^st March – 31^st August (must be 3 years before they can start)	August / September
1^st September – 30^th September	October
1^st October – 31^st October	November
1^st November – 30^th November	December
1^st December – 31^st December	January
1^st January – 31^st January	February
1^st February – last day February	March

Places are available from the first Monday of the month after the third birthday (Tuesday if there is a public holiday). However, staggered entry dates may be required due to the number of eligible children in any given month. Where this applies, early years providers will admit all eligible children as quickly as possible.

DEFERRED ENTRY

From August 2023, a change in Scottish Government legislation means that parents have the legal right to defer a child's entry to primary school.

Children who have their 5th birthday between 1 March 2023 - 18 August 2023 must start school and are not eligible for a deferred year to primary school.

To defer a child's entry to primary school in session 2023-2024, their 5th birthday must fall on or between 19 August 2023 and 29 February 2024 (this will be children who are born between (19 August 2018 - 28 February 2019) after the Defer Entry Application has been completed and processed, a deferred year to school will automatically be granted.

For the deferred year, the current Early Learning and Childcare provider and model will continue. If you wish to change provider or model, you will need to contact your current Early Learning and Childcare provider, to complete a transfer form and this must be submitted by last day in February. Notification of any changes will be confirmed in May.

APPLYING FOR A 3 - 5 YEARS ELC PLACE

The application period for 3-5 years opens in the January each year. An application form must be completed and submitted to your first choice establishment along with proof of your residing address (in the form of council tax invoice) and proof of your child’s date of birth in the form of your child's birth certificate. ELC establishments will not accept your application form if you do not produce the proof at the time of submission.

Forms must be submitted by the last day in February each year to be presented at the Annual Admissions Panel which sit around April / May. Any forms received after the last day in February will be classed as a late application and will be presented at the Post Admissions Panel in August.

EARLY LEARNING & CHILDCARE GAELIC PROVISION

Whinhill is the only provider of Gaelic Medium education in Inverclyde. Therefore, your child may attend the nursery and then go into P1 Gaelic regardless of which catchment area you live in. It is not necessary for parents to be Gaelic speakers for their child to go into a Gaelic medium nursery. Children learn through the immersion process, and parents are supported every step of the way.

Learning Gaelic contributes to children’s wider education and life experiences. Language lies at the centre of our thinking and learning. The interconnected nature of language learning lies at the heart of the Gaelic experiences and outcomes in Curriculum for Excellence.

If you wish to discuss Gaelic medium please telephone the school and make an appointment with the Head Teacher.

DELIVERY MODELS FOR EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE

LOCAL AUTHORITY ESTABLISHMENTS ONLY

In Inverclyde Council, local authority establishment have 5 delivery models.

All models of delivery include the option to have a combination of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) between two centres or a blended model with a participating childminder who meet the National Standard.

Meals and snacks are provided with all models as part of a child’s entitlement.

EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE - LOCAL AUTHOPRITY MODEL TIMES SESSION 2023 – 2024
	DAYS	TIMES	OVER ACADEMIC YEAR
MODEL 1	5 days Monday – Friday	6 hours per day	38 WKS (TERM TIME)
MODEL 2	2 ½ days Monday & Tuesday full day Wednesday half day	Monday & Tuesday 8:10am – 17:45pm Wednesday 8:10am – 13:10pm	Extended year – with fixed end date
MODEL 3	2 ½ days Wednesday half day Thursday & Friday full day	Wednesday 13:25pm – 17:45pm Thursday & Friday 8:10am – 17:45pm	Extended year – with fixed end date
MODEL 4	5 x am Monday – Friday	8:10 am – 12:55pm	Extended year – with fixed end date
MODEL 5	5 x pm Monday – Friday	13:00 pm – 17:45pm	Extended year – with fixed end date

EACH YEAR THE MODEL DELIVERY TIMES ARE RECALCULATED AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Parents/carers can also access their child’s funded hours as a shared placement between an early year’s establishment and a funded provider (split placement) which includes childminders (blended model).

CHILDMINDERS

There are two options if you chose to take your child’s funded hours with a childminder.

Full time ELC or Blended Childcare

Full time ELC

This can only be with an approved funded provider (Childminder). You would contact the childminder directly to confirm if they are participating in this model.

When applying, you need to submit an application to the approved childminder. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the approved childminder has availability to meet their preference.

BLENDED CHILDCARE – (childminders)

A blended model of ELC is an option – this offers a combination of ELC with an approved registered childminder and either an early childhood centre or a funded provider. You would contact the childminder directly to confirm if they are participating in this model.

When applying for a blended model with a childminder, you need to submit an application to the approved childminder and also to your first choice establishment. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the approved childminder has availability to meet their preference.

This is where you can access your ELC hours split between a childminder and another funded provider setting. A blended care place will be delivered as term time and will be 15 hours at each providers only. PVI and Local Authority establishments will deliver 15 hours of ELC as 2 ½ days or 5 half sessions this will be individual to each establishment.

Example1: Blended 1 - 9am - 3pm Mon & Tues & 9am - 12pm / Wed

Example 2: Blended 3 – 9am - 12pm / Mon - Fri

PARTNERSHIP NURSERIES - PRIVATE / VOLUNATARY / INDEPENDENT NURSERIES – MODELS AVAILABLE

The partnership nurseries will all operate differently and set their own service. You will need to contact the establishment directly to find out their operational hours and how they will deliver their early learning and childcare hours. Some funded providers will have their own application process. It would be up to you to contact them directly and find out this information before applying

Split placement between two centres

If you wish to apply for a split placement between two centres you will need to make an application to each setting.

Please be aware that although every effort will be made to meet your needs, there is no guarantee that it will be possible to offer split funded places in every case.

The allocation of split places will be dependent on both settings being able to offer the hours requested.

Deciding priorities for admission

We will always aim to ensure preferred choices are allocated, however, there is no guarantee of this. Applicants may find that the preferred establishment / operating model is full. In this situation, in ensuring the authority meets its statutory duty, an alternative place will be offered that is not stated on the application form submitted. Every attempt will be made to offer a suitable place within the Early Learning and Childcare defined area however this is not guaranteed

All places for children aged 3 - 5 years are allocated through a central process and in line with Inverclyde Council's early learning and childcare admissions policy.

If a provider is oversubscribed, a ballot will take place to allocate places and/or models of hours.

Early Years use defined areas when allocating places based on the current residing address. Childcare arrangement that are in place cannot be considered as a residing address.

Please note: If your child is allocated a place in an Early Years establishment where there is an associated primary school,

There is no higher priority for an ELC application for having a sibling who attends a Primary School that has a nursery class attached.
There is no automatic right to a place in the primary school.

Ballot

A ballot may be necessary in the following circumstances:

Oversubscription of applications for four year olds
Oversubscription of applications for eligible three year olds
Oversubscription for particular models of delivery
Each establishment is registered with the Care Inspectorate for a maximum number of places, therefore it is not possible to satisfy all requested models of attendance.

Offer / allocation letter release dates

Date of Birth	Month due to start (First available Monday in the month of)	ELC allocation email release date
1 March – 31 August (cannot start before 3^rd birthday	AUGUST / SEPTEMBER	MAY
1 September – 30 September	OCTOBER
1 October – 31 October	NOVEMBER
1 November – 30 November	DECEMBER
1 December – 31 December	JANUARY
1 January – 31 January	FEBRUARY
1 February – last day February	MARCH
Applications forms that are submitted from 1 March will be classed as a late application and will be presented at the Post Admissions Panel which is held in late August. You will not receive notification of your child’s allocated ELC place until late September / Early October.

Late applications received will receive their allocation as soon as possible after the Post Admissions Panel is concluded.

If you require any further information, or to find out if your child is eligible for a funded Early Learning and Childcare Place please contact Inverclyde Council's Early Years Service on 01475 712850, select option 3.

Page last updated: 9 January 2023