FUNDED PRESCHOOL · BELFAST
Plan your child’s funded preschool place in Belfast
See how places were allocated at all 103 Belfast settings over three intakes, check your child’s age group and build a shortlist before Stage 1 applications open on 6 January 2027.
Find a setting
Search by name or start with your area. Every setting page explains how its places were filled.
Which age group is my child in?
Target-age children are placed first. Underage children are only offered places that remain.
Independent guide. Applications are made only through the Education Authority . How we read the figures
SEPTEMBER 2027 ENTRY
Key dates for the next application round
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9 December 2026
Criteria published
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6 January 2027
Stage 1 opens
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20 January 2027, noon
Stage 1 closes
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Spring 2027
Offers and Stage 2
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Late spring 2027
End of Stage 2 figures
STEP BY STEP, TOGETHER
A calmer start for the whole family.
Find settings near you
Filter by area, type and how full each setting was. Open any setting for three years of figures in plain English.
Browse settings → 02 / PLANBuild your shortlist
Rank up to eight settings, keep notes and a checklist, and get practical warnings about your list.
Open my planner → 03 / PREPAREUnderstand the process
Age groups, criteria, Stage 1 and Stage 2, and what to do if your child is not placed.
Read the guide →BELFAST AT A GLANCE · 2026/27
How full were Belfast settings?
- 31 oversubscribed (30%)
- 53 filled (51%)
- 19 places left (18%)
What do the labels mean?
- Oversubscribed Some target-age children who listed this setting first were not offered a place here.
- Filled Every target-age child who listed it first was placed, but no places were left at the end of Stage 2.
- Places left Places were still unfilled at the end of Stage 2.
Labels describe target-age children at the end of Stage 2 in the selected intake. They are not a forecast for your child.
Most first-choice applicants per place
A value above 1 means more children chose it first than it had places.
CLOSE TO HOME
Settings by area
GOOD TO KNOW
Before you start
Is my child target age or underage?
For September 2027 entry, children born between 2 July 2023 and 1 July 2024 are target age. Children born between 2 July 2024 and 1 July 2025 are underage and can only be offered a place if one remains after target-age children have been placed. Use the age group checker for other dates.
Can this site tell me my child’s chances?
No. Offers depend on each setting’s criteria, such as siblings, distance or circumstances. The published figures do not show where applicants ranked under those criteria. Past demand helps you judge how competitive a setting has been, but it is not a prediction.
How many settings should I list?
There is no single right number. List the settings you would genuinely accept, in your real order of preference. If your first choice was oversubscribed in recent years, also include settings that had places left. Check each setting’s criteria, because a few give extra priority to children who list them first.
Is my shortlist private?
Yes. Your shortlist, notes and any date of birth you enter are stored only in this browser on this device. There is no account. A share link contains only the setting reference numbers in your list.