Admission to School - Information for Parents 2025-2026

At what age can children start school?

Early Years – 3 Year Old Provision

What is Early Years?

Early Years education is a non-statutory provision available to 3 year olds and an application for admission to provision within a school, i.e. for categories (i) and (ii) below, will have to be made to the Admissions Authority by the closing date - See Admission Application Timetable.

Where is part-time education available?

All 3 year olds are entitled to 10 hours per week free placement, at a registered setting, through the Early Entitlement Group from the term following their third birthday. Wherever practical the Authority allows non-maintained providers to use school premises.

There are various forms of provision:-

(i)Nursery School - Ammanford Nursery School is the only nursery school in the County.
(ii)Nursery/Early Years classes in Infant or Primary Schools (3-11 age schools)
(iii)Provision by the non-maintained sector who are partners in the Early Entitlement Group, such as Early Years Wales, Mudiad Meithrin (MM) and private providers. Find more information under the Carmarthenshire Family Information Service in this booklet.

When can a pupil start part-time education?

Children will normally be admitted to Early Years provision in schools where it is available on a part-time basis at the beginning of the term following their third birthday.

Child's 3rd Birthday  Admission Term
1 September - 31 December

Spring Term

1 January - 31 March

Summer Term

1 April - 31 August

Autumn Term

Parents do not have a right of appeal if a place is not offered at an early years setting of their choice.

There is no automatic right to continue into full time education if you have been offered a part-time education place. A formal application must be made to the correct admissions authority – see admissions time table.

Should there be more applications than places available then the Authority will prioritise applications in accordance with its over-subscription criteria detailed in this document.

 

Full time Education – 4 & 5 Year Olds

Where there is no early years provision in a maintained setting, children are, following approval of application, admitted on a full-time basis at the following times:-

Child's 4th Birthday  Admission Term
1 September - 31 December

Spring Term

1 January - 31 March

Summer Term

1 April - 31 August

Autumn Term

Applications should be submitted to the Admission Authority by the closing date – see admissions application timetable. A parent may defer the admission of a child to school until the beginning of the term following the child’s fifth birthday as long as that date is in the same school year for which they applied.

By law parents must arrange for their children to receive full-time education at the beginning of the following terms:-

Child's 5th Birthday  Must start school by Law
1 September - 31 December

Spring Term

1 January - 31 March

Summer Term

1 April - 31 August

Autumn Term

Applications received after the application closing deadline will not be considered until those received before the deadline have been awarded.