Nurseries in Barnet

Barnet Council's latest assessment says there is no immediate borough wide sufficiency concern and no evidence that the September 2025 expansion to 30 funded hours has created an overall shortage.

The council records 422 childcare providers and continues to monitor capacity because housing growth and staff shortages can affect how many places are actually available.

This means parents still need to check availability for the exact days they need rather than assuming every registered place is vacant.

Yes. Eligible working parents can receive up to 30 funded hours a week from the term after their child reaches 9 months until school age.

Your 11 digit childcare code must be obtained by:

31 March for an April start

31 August for a September start

31 December for a January start

Barnet also requires working families to reconfirm their eligibility with HMRC every 3 months.

Yes. Barnet allows funded childcare to be stretched beyond the standard 38 term time weeks.

The council states that the entitlement can be used across up to 51 or 52 weeks by taking fewer funded hours each week. Your chosen provider must offer a stretched attendance pattern for you to use it this way.

This is particularly important for parents who work during school holidays.

Yes. Barnet's funded childcare rules allow the entitlement to be shared between providers.

The council sets a maximum of 2 childcare sites in a single day, a maximum funded session of 10 hours in one day, and funded provision cannot be delivered before 6am or after 8pm.

This makes it possible to combine a school nursery with a childminder when one setting does not cover the full working day.

Check the timetable carefully. Barnet Council states that school nurseries typically provide 3 hour sessions, or around 6 hours for children using 30 funded hours, and normally operate during school terms.

Parents who need childcare before school, after the nursery session or during holidays need additional provision, such as a childminder or longer day nursery.

Barnet currently has 62 schools with nursery provision, including its 4 maintained nursery schools.

No. Barnet Council explicitly states that attending the nursery attached to a school does not automatically give the child a place at that school.

Parents still need to submit a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions process.

This matters if you are choosing a nursery mainly because you want your child to attend the same primary school.

No. Barnet states that meals, nappies, extra activities and additional childcare hours are outside the funded entitlement, but these charges must not be mandatory or a condition of receiving the funded place.

You can decline optional extras and still access the funded childcare hours.

Ask for an itemised fee schedule before accepting a place so the funded hours and optional charges are clearly separated.

Start with the nursery's SENCO. Barnet's SEND Local Offer states that parents concerned about special educational needs should speak to the SENCO at their child's nursery or school.

Barnet also operates an Early Years SEN Inclusion Fund for funded early years settings supporting children with complex SEND who need provision beyond the support ordinarily available within the setting.

Barnet's current Best Start in Life plan specifically identifies increasing specialist SEND capacity as one of its early years priorities.

Barnet divides Family Hub support into 3 localities based on postcode.

East and Central covers EN4, EN5, N2, N11, N12 and parts of N3, N10 and N14. Its main hub is Newstead Children's Centre, 1 Fallows Close, Finchley, N2 8LG.

West covers HA8 and parts of NW7 and NW9. Its main hub is at Barnet and Southgate College, 7 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, NW9 4BR.

South covers parts of NW2, NW3, NW4, NW9, NW11 and N3. Its main hub is Parkfield Children's Centre, 44 Park Road, Hendon, NW4 3PS.

Families in the Barnet EN5 area also have Underhill Children's Centre on Mays Lane, EN5 2LZ within the East and Central network.

Barnet Children's Centres provide more than play sessions. The council specifically lists funded childcare eligibility checks and help finding a suitable early years setting, alongside baby groups, breastfeeding support, baby self weighing, parenting programmes, child health checks and specialist speech, occupational therapy and physiotherapy support.

This gives parents a council backed route for help when funding eligibility or finding suitable local childcare becomes difficult.