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  5. Apply for a Nursery place
  6. Apply for a Nursery place for a 3 or 4 year old child in a Council establishment or for funding to attend a partner establishment

Apply for a Nursery place for a 3 or 4 year old child in a Council establishment or for funding to attend a partner establishment

We send letters to the parents/carers of all the children we know of in West Lothian, who have just reached 2 years of age, with information on our admissions system.  You do not need to have received a letter to complete an application form, applications are accepted from a child's 2nd birthday.

The Council's School Placement Panel has responsibility for deciding these applications.

Before starting to complete an application form please read the Pre School Admission - Policy and ​​​​​​​Procedure (PDF, 413 KB)(opens new window) document carefully. The Early Learning and Childcare (nursery & childminder) 3 and 4 Year Olds - Guidance Notes (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window) provides a list of West Lothian Council and partner ELC establishments with contact details as well as links to other sources of useful information on ELC placement applications.

What will I need to apply?

  • If you've moved home recently, please provide some proof of your new address, such as a recent Council Tax bill, a recent utility bill or a copy of a Child Benefit award letter sent recently to you at your new address.
  • If your child has not previously attended a West Lothian Council or partner nursery, please provide a copy of your child's birth certificate.

How do I Apply?

Applications for 2026/2027 have been paused we will update this page when available again.  Applications for 2027/2028 are not open yet, we will update this page when open.

We have a new system, Admit.  If you have already created an account on this system then DO NOT create another account you only need Sign In, here is guidance on sign in and general navigation of the portal - Admit Application Portal - Already have an account guidance on how to sign-in/navigate portal (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window) .

If you have not already created an account - The first step is to SIGN UP to the Admit portal, here is Guidance Admit Application Portal - Sign Up as don't have an account (PDF, 685 KB)(opens new window)

The next step is to SIGN IN, set up Multi Factor Authentication (please choose authenticator App or e-mail) and then add your child, here is guidance Admit Application Portal - Complete/submit an application (PDF, 846 KB)(opens new window)

The next step is to ACCESS and submit an application, here is guidance Admit Application Portal - Complete/submit an application (PDF, 846 KB)(opens new window)

Please NOTE: New application process will ask you which year you are applying for, it is important that you select the correct year, Nursery years run from mid-August to mid-August

If your child's 3rd birthday falls on or between :

  • 01 March and the 31 August, then the year you wish to apply for starts in the August in the year they turn 3 years old. Please note they are eligible to start from the start of term in the August of that nursery year.
  • 01 September and the 31 December, then the year you wish to apply for starts in the August in the year they turn 3 years old. Please note they are not eligible to start until the start of term in the January of that nursery year.
  • 01 January and the last day of February, then the year you wish to apply for starts in the August in the year before the year they turn 3 years old.  Please note they are not eligible to start until the start of term in the April of that nursery year.

If we have already passed when your child turned eligible to attend from, then choose the nursery year that the start date you would like your child to attend from falls within.

Apply here - Admit Application Portal (opens new window)

If you have any issues please e-mail pupilplacement@westlothian.gov.uk  (in any communications please state your name, your child's name & DOB, and the nature of your issue/enquiry).

What happens to my application?

As parents have access to their application through the portal, we no longer issue acknowledgments, unless received in another manner.  Parents can sign in and check/update their application up to the closing date.  

For August and January placements (children born between 1 March and 31 December), letters will be issued by the end of June.  For April placements (children born between 1 January and 28 or 29 February), letters will be issued by the end of February.

2. Early Learning & Childcare (ELC) 3 and 4 year old provision Application Form
You can apply here for an ELC placement for your child.