Applying for a Place
The nursery’s catchment area includes families living in the Queen Edith, Ridgefield and Morley School areas.
Cubs Room
At Queen Emma Nursery we follow the below admission policy for entry into the Cubs room (Rising Three’s).
We accept applications from children over one year of age for the Cubs room. To be eligible for a place in the Cubs room children must be two years old on the date that they start attending. Parents are required to provide proof of their child’s date of birth and home address as part of their application.
Places will be allocated in accordance with the following over-subscription criteria:
- Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that live in our catchment area
- Children in our catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
- Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that do not live in our catchment area
- Children out of catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
A set number of places (for fifteen hours only) will be held for Funded Two children and children with Special Educational Needs. These places will be allocated in accordance to the following over-subscription criteria:
Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that live in our catchment area
- Children in our catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
- Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that do not live in our catchment area
- Children out of catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
If the child does not get a place they will be put onto a waiting list in the above criteria NOT according to the date of application. When a place becomes available the next eligible family on our waiting list will be contacted to establish whether the vacancy will suit their needs.
If we decide our waiting list is too long, we reserve the right to close it at any time. Letters to families, either offering or refusing places for their children will be sent out as follows:
| Term applied for | Letter will be issued no later than: |
|---|---|
| Autumn Term 2025 | End of June 2025 |
| Spring Term 2026 | End of November 2025 |
| Summer Term 2026 | End of February 2026 |
| Autumn Term 2026 | End of June 2026 |
Foxes Room
At Queen Emma Nursery we follow the Cambridgeshire Admissions Policy for all Nursery aged children wishing to attend our setting. For the complete policy please consult: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/info/20059/schools_and_learning/363/apply_for_a_school_place/3
We accept applications from children over 2 years of age for the Foxes room. Parents are required to provide proof of their child’s date of birth and home address as part of their application.
For applications received for a child seeking admission in the term after their third birthday, where more applications are received than places are available, places will be allocated in accordance with the following over-subscription criteria:
Children who have a statement of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care plan that names the school will be admitted (for fifteen hours only) before the over-subscription criteria are applied. Those children with a statement of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plan that does not name the school will be referred to Student Assessment to determine an appropriate place.
- Children in Care, also known as Looked After Children (LAC), and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by reason of adoption, a resident order or special guardianship order;
- Children with a high level of need who have been referred by a Social Worker, Health professional, Pre-School Specialist Support Teacher, Special Needs Officer or the Traveller Referral Team;
- Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that live in our catchment area
- Children in our catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
- Children with a sibling at Queen Emma School that do not live in our catchment area
- Children out of catchment area (in age order. Oldest first)
If the child does not get a place they will be put onto a waiting list in the above criteria NOT according to the date of application. When a place becomes available the next eligible family on our waiting list will be contacted to establish whether the vacancy will suit their needs. The closing dates for applications are:
Information and application forms are available from the Nursery, the County Council website and from the LA Admissions Team.
Letters to families, either offering or refusing places for their children will be sent out as follows:
| Term applied for | Letter will be issued no later than: |
|---|---|
| Autumn Term 2025 | End of June 2025 |
| Spring Term 2026 | End of November 2025 |
| Summer Term 2026 | End of February 2026 |
| Autumn Term 2026 | End of June 2026 |
The offer made by the Nursery will be for 15 funded hours. Any additional hours requested we will endeavour to meet or offer any additional hours requested but this will be dependent on demand and staffing.
Early Years Funding
Queen Emma Nursery is registered with the Cambridgeshire local authority to provide early years funding to eligible children of all ages.
Funded 2 year olds
Children in families with a low income or in receipt of certain benefits are entitled to 15 funded hours of childcare or early years education. You can apply online by clicking here.
Working parent entitlement
If you are eligible for extended/expanded entitlement as a working parent, you will be directed to the HMRC webpage to apply and will be issued with an 11-digit eligibility code which you should give to nursery.
The eligibility code will allow you to access the entitlement, and the application deadline dates are as follows:
• Autumn funding period (1 Sep – 31 Dec) – application deadline 31 August
• Spring funding period (1 Jan – 31 Mar) – application deadline 31 December
• Summer funding period (1 Apr – 31 Aug) – application deadline 31 March
Please apply in good time ahead of the deadlines.
For the Queen Emma Nursery admission application form please see below.