MyEDC

    Technical Notes 2025, Issue 109 - Early Years Admissions Policy – Family Analysis

    • Report by:

      Greg Bremner, Chief Education Officer

    • TN Number:

      109-25

    • Subject:

      Early Years Admissions Policy – Family Analysis

    • Responsible Officer:

      Louise A’Hara, Quality Improvement Manager

    • Publication:

      This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared out with the Council.

    • The purpose of this Technical Note is to provide Members with an update in relation to the number of families impacted by the changes to the Early Years Admissions Policy
    • Following Council meeting of 19 June 2025, the Chief Education Officer was asked for a breakdown of how many families will be impacted by the update of the Early Years Admission policy reverting to the statutory obligations of admission for children the term after their third birthday
    • Following Member agreement of the new policy, there are now three entry points of admission within the year as follows:
      • 1 March to 31 July – August start
      • 1 September to 31 December – January start
      • 1 January to 28(29) February – April start (after Easter holidays)
    • Officers have now reviewed all new admissions and the number of families affected by the policy are detailed below.  The change for the Academic session 2025-2026 details actual numbers of March to July applicants affected by change to policy. When the policy changes in 2026-2027 to all funding starting the term after, as set out in the Statutory guidance, the Early Years Admission policy will be updated to reflect this.  The number of applicants, therefore, noted below show the number of families that would be impacted for this academic year as new applications for 2026-2027 do not open until January 2026.
      • 1 March to 31 July – 217 families
      • 1 September to 31 December – 288 families (Based on 2025/2026 applications)
      • 1 January to 28(29) February – 97 families (Based on 2025.2026 applications)
    • The changes come into place for any child who turns 3 from 1 March 2026 to last day in July 2026, and then will be for all children from this date. For these children, funding will commence in August of the following academic session (in this case, August 2026). For all children who turn 3 from 1 August to 31 August, funding will commence in August of that academic session (in this case August 2026). Thereafter, children will access their funding the term after their third birthday with intake for those children who turn 3 from 1 September to 31 December intake (in this case being January 2027) and children who turn 3 from 1 January to last day in February, intake in April 2027.