Childcare
Nursery provides pre-school education and social skills prior to entering full-time schooling.
BU has a nursery based at our Talbot Campus called Talbot Woods Day Nursery. It provides separate facilities for babies and toddlers and is open all year round, with part-time and full-time places available for families living in the local community. There is a charge for this service.
There are other nurseries and childcare providers in the local area, including child minders and nannies. For advice and details about local child care visit the gov.uk website and the Bournemouth Council website.
There are also Children's Centres which families with children under 5 years old can go to. These groups are usually based in community centres or halls, and the cost to attend is usually low. They provide a range of services and activities including; information, advice and support to parents and carers, parents forums and family learning opportunities. This is a great way for you and your children to meet other parents and build friendships with families in the local area. Details of these groups are available on the Bournemouth SureStart Children's Centre webpages.
Schooling
If you have a child coming to the UK with you who is four years old or above, they should be entitled to free school education. It is very important that you start to investigate schools for your child(ren) as soon as possible. Schools allocate places according to the neighbourhood, known as a 'catchment area', so decisions about your accommodation should go alongside choosing a school. The Citizens Advice Bureau provides useful information you may wish to consider when choosing a School. For more information about schools and applying for a place please see the Bournemouth Council website.
Although there is no charge to send your child to school in the UK, there are costs involved, for example, uniform, sport kits, excursions etc.
The UK Government’s Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (known as Ofsted) is responsible for regulating and inspecting schools and other childcare providers. Ofsted produces inspection reports every few years, which are published on their website for the general public to view.
Private schools, also called ‘independent’ and ‘public’ schools are also available and charge an admissions fee. Many private schools are members of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) organisation, which represents private schools. You can find out more information, including finding a private school in your area on their website.
The School Year and Holidays
The school year begins in early September and finishes in late July. It is divided into six terms, each lasting for about six weeks. There is a break between each term. Further information on term dates and holidays can be found on the Dorset for you website.
If you need to find childcare for the holiday period you can find many local providers which offer ‘Out of School Clubs’. Clubs are usually based in or near schools. The clubs provide a fun, active, child-led environment and provide children with a variety of choices about how they spend their leisure time. SportBU run kids camps on campus for 8 to 14 year olds during the school holidays, with a 10% discount for staff. More information is available on the SportBU website.