Admissions

We believe that high-quality early years education and care are essential to children’s wellbeing and development. It is a primary and universal right, regardless of ability, needs, race, religion, creed, colour or gender. We welcome children from all corners of our community and the Little Jungle admissions policy is designed to reflect our democratic values.

As a leading school of early childhood, we continue to experience high demand for spaces and use a waiting list system. It is difficult to predict how long your child will be on our waiting list, but often this can exceed 18 months from the date of registration.

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How to apply to Little Jungle

Once on our waiting list system, our admissions process is as follows:

When we have identified a space in a particular room, our waiting list will be filtered by the following parameters:

  • Date of entry – with priority given to existing parents, siblings of attending children, children with Special Rights
  • Age – to match the children joining the given room
  • Attendance days – according to the number required by the prospective children


Open days will be arranged, by invitation only, for parents who are towards the top of the list. 

Once parents have been contacted and offered a space, the position must be secured by providing us with a fully completed and signed copy of our registration agreement and by paying the first month’s fee in advance. We do not require a deposit. 

1. The Little Jungle admissions policy demands that places are offered on a two-day, three-day or five-day basis only. We do not offer one- or four-day places.

2. Our waiting list system operates on a first come, first served basis. However, a child’s position on the waiting list may move up and down, depending on their age and the prioritisation mentioned above.

3. Having a child on our waiting list does not guarantee a space at Little Jungle, even if their sibling already attends. 

4. Sibling priority is only applicable if the older sibling is still in attendance at the time a place becomes available for the younger child.

5. Children will automatically drop off the list if they have reached primary school age, and therefore cannot be replaced by a younger sibling after that time.

6. Automated updates on a child’s position on the waiting list will be sent out every three months, but parents will be able to check on their child’s status at any time, through the self-service function.

7. Not driving to, or parking at, Little Jungle is a condition to being offered a space. We have added this condition to our admissions policy to reduce congestion on our local roads, free-up parking spaces for our neighbours and – most importantly – to improve the quality of the air that children breathe in our local area.

8. All children who attend Little Jungle, and who are eligible, will receive the universal funding provided by Southwark. We have a limited number spaces allocated throughout the year for funded children attending one day (maximum 10 hours) per week which are completely free of charge, and with no conditions to purchase additional hours. Please get in touch with our Admissions team to discuss availability of these.

Little Jungle Key Dates 2022

Staff Training Day (no children) | Tuesday 4th January 2022

January 2022 Re-opening to Children | Wednesday 5th January 2022

Summer Closure Week | Week commencing Monday 25th July 2022

Re-opening (to children) | Monday 1st August 2022

Christmas Holiday Closure | Closed from Friday 23rd December 2022 (last day is Thursday 22nd December 2022)

Please note we are also closed on Public Bank Holidays, this year this includes the Spring Bank Holiday on Thursday 2nd June, and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday on the 3rd June

Little Jungle Key Dates 2023

Staff Training Day (no children) | Tuesday 4th January 2022

January 2022 Re-opening to Children | Wednesday 5th January 2022

Summer Closure Week | Week commencing Monday 25th July 2022

Re-opening (to children) | Monday 1st August 2022

Christmas Holiday Closure | Closed from Friday 23rd December 2022 (last day is Thursday 22nd December 2022)

Please note we are also closed on Public Bank Holidays, this year this includes the Spring Bank Holiday on Thursday 2nd June, and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday on the 3rd June

Little Jungle Key Dates 2024

Staff Training Day (no children) | Tuesday 4th January 2022

January 2022 Re-opening to Children | Wednesday 5th January 2022

Summer Closure Week | Week commencing Monday 25th July 2022

Re-opening (to children) | Monday 1st August 2022

Christmas Holiday Closure | Closed from Friday 23rd December 2022 (last day is Thursday 22nd December 2022)

Please note we are also closed on Public Bank Holidays, this year this includes the Spring Bank Holiday on Thursday 2nd June, and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday on the 3rd June