Children can access their pre-school education in a variety of settings either a childminder, private nursery, maintained nursery school or a school-based nursery.

To find out what childcare and early years educational settings we have in Wolverhampton please view Childcare - Wolverhampton Information Network. For a list of the maintained nursery schools as well as primary schools who offer pre-school education please view Schools list - City Of Wolverhampton Council. You can also find out about your local settings by calling or emailing the Information for Families service on 01902 554242 or iff@wolverhampton.gov.uk .

Each early years provider has its own admission arrangements so you need to contact each provider to understand what their admission arrangements are and whether you will need to put your name down on a waiting list.  Children are eligible to start their pre-school education the term after they turn 3 or if you are in receipt of certain benefits the term after they turn 2.

What does this mean?

The school year is split into three terms - autumn, spring and summer.

• End of autumn term is 31st December
• End of spring term is 31st March
• End of summer term is 31st August.

If you are not sure about when your child is eligible for free pre-school education, visit: Childcare & Early Years Education: Best Start in Life website.

Starting pre-school education is a big step in your child's life so each setting will have their own transition arrangements which may include home visits, settling in sessions, inductions and sharing information between parents and the setting.

Important information for parents to share with the setting might include:

• Does your child have a health conditions?
• What are your child's eating habits?
• Does your child have a consistent sleep routine?
• What works for your child when they are upset?
• What support does your child need with toileting?
• Are you or your child receiving support from other professionals (such as health visitor, GP)
• How does your child communicate? What language is spoken at home?
• Has your child had experience of mixing with other children?
• What experience has your child had from being away from yourself?

Early years practitioners understand the importance of transition and will want to work together in partnership with parents/carers, any previous early years providers as well as other professionals to ensure this is positive for the child.

Where parents/carers feel that their child would benefit from more support than what is offered for all children, we encourage you to discuss your views with the provider.  The provider should arrange a meeting with the child, parents/carers as well as any relevant professionals such as a health visitor or strengthening families advisor.

Where a child is being supported by an EHCP or by a team of professionals (such as a speech and language therapist (SALT), the Special Needs Early Years (SNEYS) service, a paediatrician, consultant or social worker) a specialist transition will be needed to best support the child and their family.

A multi-agency meeting would need to be arranged so that parents/carers and all supporting professionals are clear about what support the child will need to make a smooth transition into the setting.

If parents/carers are not sure whether their child would need a specialist transition, please talk to the early years provider or any of the professionals that support the child and they will be able to advise.

The local authority and health services support many children and their families. If the child is being supported by the Special Needs Early Years (SNEYS) service, the key worker would support a multi-agency transition meeting at your child's early years setting.

If your child is being supported by a child in need plan (CIN) or a child protection plan (CP) or is a child or young person in care (CYPIC), the allocated social worker would support a multi-agency transition meeting at the child’s early years provider.

These multi-agency transition meetings should aim to include all professionals supporting the child. The multi-agency meeting could be delivered through a MAP process. (Add link to MAP video from EPS website) or through a Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting.

In the meeting, it will be important to discuss the support the child will need and the preparations required for a smooth transition.

An action plan would be created which could include: staff training needs, resources/adaptations to meet the child's needs and a transition period.