Bowerham Primary and Nursery School in Lancaster, Lancashire, is unusually offering available nursery places for children aged two to four as the national rollout of free childcare reaches its final stage. The school currently has availability in its nursery classes despite high demand across the region following recent changes to government funding.
Since September 2025, eligible working families have been able to claim 30 hours of funded childcare starting the term after a child turns nine months old. According to Lancashire County Council, this support is now available to eligible working families for children from nine months up until they start school. The policy was introduced to help parents manage the costs of returning to work.
The school’s admissions materials note the school is proud to serve local families by offering these spaces for the current term and the upcoming summer term, which in Lancashire begins in mid‑April 2026 (the standard local authority term 5 start date is Monday 13 April 2026). While many local providers are full, Bowerham currently has room for more toddlers. The school has expanded its early years provision and has a Baby Unit to accommodate younger infants.
Parents who want to check if they qualify for the 30 hours of funding can consult the Department for Education guidance (the DfE Education Hub and GOV.UK/Childcare/Childcare Choices eligibility checker). Once families have an eligibility code, they should follow the provider’s application process: for nursery places at Bowerham, the school asks families to complete its nursery application form and return it to the school office or email [email protected]; for Reception and other school-place applications, families must apply via Lancashire County Council’s Pupil Access team as detailed on the school’s admissions page.
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