More than 90% of children allocated first‑preference preschool places, EA says

More than 90% of children were allocated a place in their first-preference school for September 2026, the Education Authority (EA) has said.

The body have further said that figure is expected to rise once the second and final stage of the admissions process concludes next month.

The EA released a fact file to “address concerns and to correct inaccurate claims” about the allocation of school places.

They say that first preference places cannot be guaranteed for every applicant but “no child will be left without a reasonable local option”.

The authority claims the process “ensures there are alternative funded places available within a maximum of five miles of the family home (two miles in the cities of Belfast and Derry/Londonderry)”.

Admissions criteria are set by individual pre-school settings, not by the EA and while distance may be included, non-statutory settings are allowed to prioritise other criteria, such as whether a child held a paid place in the previous year.

Statutory nursery schools and nursery units have fixed admissions numbers set by the department of education and must admit children up to that limit.

Private and voluntary pre-schools are allocated funded places by the EA, initially based on previous October uptake.

Throughout the admissions process, EA reviews current application data, local demand, demographic trends and accessibility considerations, and adjusts provision where evidence shows pressure on places.

The EA have stressed that allocations “require careful planning to ensure sustainable provision across each area” and that making “ad hoc increases to individual providers where places already exist nearby can have unintended consequences – including destabilising other settings and increasing the risk of closure” which would ultimately reduce parental choice.

The authority maintains there is currently sufficient funded provision overall.