Admissions and Funding
We know that choosing an Early Years setting and understanding the different funding arrangements can sometimes feel confusing. We want to make the process of joining East Dene as simple and welcoming as possible.
Our Early Years provision includes part time nursery places in F1 for three and four year olds, and full time places for four and five year olds F2. The admissions process is slightly different for each stage.
F1 (Nursery)
All three and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of funded early education each week for 38 weeks of the year, beginning from the term after their third birthday.
Our F1 children attend five morning sessions, Monday to Friday, 8:30am–11:30am.
Some families may also be eligible for additional funded childcare through the government’s offer for working parents. The wider entitlement can provide eligible working families with up to 30 funded hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. However, our school Nursery provision is currently offered as 15-hour places, so families wishing to use additional funded hours would need to make separate childcare arrangements for those hours.
Find out about funded childcare for working parents
To enquire about an F1 place, please contact the school office on 01709 828988 or enquiries@eastdene.org. Nursery admissions are managed by school and are separate from the F2 admissions process.
F2 (Reception) Admissions
Children usually begin F2 in the September following their fourth birthday.
Applications for Reception places are made through the local authority where you live, rather than directly to the school. For families living in Rotherham, applications are managed by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
For children starting Reception in September 2027, the closing date for applications is 15 January 2027, with school places offered on 16 April 2027.
Apply for a Reception place through Rotherham Council
If you live outside Rotherham, you should apply through your own local authority, even if you would like your child to attend East Dene.
Moving from F1 to F2
Attending F1 at East Dene does not automatically guarantee a place in F2. Families must still apply for a Reception place through the normal local authority admissions process.
We encourage families to make their application by the published deadline and to read the current admissions information carefully.
Come and Meet Us
Choosing where your child begins their education is an important decision, and we would love to welcome you to East Dene.
Visiting us gives you an opportunity to meet our Early Years team, see our learning environments and find out more about what life in our Early Years is like. Please contact the school office if you would like to arrange a visit.