INSIGHTS

Where demand for preschool places is highest

City-wide patterns from the Education Authority’s end-of-Stage-2 figures. Choose an intake to update every chart below.

103settings with records

4,197funded places

3,896target-age first choices

367first choices not placed there

19places left after Stage 2

336underage children placed

Settings by outcome

47 oversubscribed (46%)
46 filled (45%)
10 places left (10%)

84% of target-age applications to Belfast settings were first preferences. Relatively few applications named a Belfast setting as a second or later choice.

First choices per place by area

Across all of Belfast: 0.93 first choices per place.

Highest demand

Target-age first choices per funded place.

Springfield PS PG (Belfast) · 17 for 8

2.13
Brefne Integrated Nursery School (Belfast) · 48 for 26

1.85
Rosetta PS NU · 42 for 26

1.62
Cliftonville Integrated PS NU (Belfast) FT · 41 for 26

1.58
Christ the Redeemer PS NU (Dunmurry) · 76 for 52

1.46
St Teresa’s Nursery School (Belfast Bernagh Glen) · 76 for 52

1.46
Holy Cross Nursery School (Belfast) · 74 for 52

1.42
St Vincent de Paul PS NU · 37 for 26

1.42
Dundela PS NU (Belfast) · 72 for 52

1.38
Lough View Integrated PS NU (Belfast) · 72 for 52

1.38

Most places left

Places still unfilled at the end of Stage 2.

Malone Nursery School PG · South

5
Wishing Well Family Centre PG (Belfast) · North

3
Belvoir Park PS NU (Belfast) · South

1
Fane Street PS NU (Belfast) · South

1
Greenwood PS NU (Belfast) · East

1
Holy Cross Nursery School (Belfast) · North

1
Knocknagoney PS NU (Belfast) · East

1
Lowwood PS NU (Belfast) · North

1
Naiscoil Mhic Reachtain PG (Belfast) · North

1
Shaftesbury Nursery School (Belfast) · West

1

By area

Area	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Belfast South	24	951	948	1.0	16	9
Belfast North	28	976	928	0.95	12	6
Belfast West	32	1,418	1,266	0.89	11	2
Belfast East	18	826	734	0.89	8	2
Lagan Valley	1	26	20	0.77	0	0

By type of setting

Type	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Controlled	40	1,768	1,546	0.87	17	7
Catholic Maintained	31	1,560	1,473	0.94	14	2
Voluntary	12	285	254	0.89	5	4
Irish Medium	6	186	187	1.01	3	0
Private	6	152	142	0.93	3	5
Grant Maintained Integrated	3	134	152	1.13	3	0
Controlled Integrated	2	52	89	1.71	2	0
Voluntary Irish Medium	2	52	47	0.9	0	1
Voluntary Integrated Irish Medium	1	8	6	0.75	0	0

103settings with records

4,255funded places

3,785target-age first choices

314first choices not placed there

86places left after Stage 2

420underage children placed

Settings by outcome

40 oversubscribed (39%)
43 filled (42%)
20 places left (19%)

87% of target-age applications to Belfast settings were first preferences. Relatively few applications named a Belfast setting as a second or later choice.

First choices per place by area

Across all of Belfast: 0.89 first choices per place.

Highest demand

Target-age first choices per funded place.

St Anne's PS NU (Belfast) · 102 for 52

1.96
Springfield PS PG (Belfast) · 15 for 8

1.88
Brefne Integrated Nursery School (Belfast) · 41 for 26

1.58
Orangefield PS NU (Belfast) · 82 for 52

1.58
Knockbreda Nursery School (Belfast) · 72 for 52

1.38
Naiscoil an tSleibhe Dhuibh PS NU (Belfast) · 36 for 26

1.38
Early Learners Day Nursery PG (Belfast) · 47 for 34

1.38
Christ the Redeemer PS NU (Dunmurry) · 70 for 52

1.35
Dundela PS NU (Belfast) · 68 for 52

1.31
Gaelscoil Na Bhfal PS NU (Belfast) · 35 for 27

1.3

Most places left

Places still unfilled at the end of Stage 2.

Malone Nursery School PG · South

21
Forge Integrated PG (Belfast) · South

12
St Vincent de Paul Pre School PG (Belfast) · North

9
Cliftonville Integrated PS NU (Belfast) FT · North

5
St Vincent de Paul PS NU · North

5
Wee Care Day Nurseries PG (Kings Road) · East

5
Benmore PG (Belfast) · South

4
St Oliver Plunkett Pre School PG (Belfast) · West

4
Botanic PS NU (Belfast) · South

2
Greenwood PS NU (Belfast) · East

2

By area

Area	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Belfast South	24	966	927	0.96	12	41
Belfast East	18	830	766	0.92	11	8
Belfast West	32	1,422	1,226	0.86	11	12
Belfast North	28	1,011	848	0.84	6	25
Lagan Valley	1	26	18	0.69	0	0

By type of setting

Type	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Controlled	40	1,768	1,566	0.89	15	8
Catholic Maintained	31	1,561	1,357	0.87	10	10
Voluntary	12	293	242	0.83	4	31
Irish Medium	6	191	195	1.02	3	0
Private	6	162	136	0.84	2	29
Grant Maintained Integrated	3	134	150	1.12	3	0
Controlled Integrated	2	78	78	1.0	2	5
Voluntary Irish Medium	2	54	47	0.87	0	3
Voluntary Integrated Irish Medium	1	14	14	1.0	1	0

103settings with records

4,139funded places

3,446target-age first choices

203first choices not placed there

112places left after Stage 2

562underage children placed

Settings by outcome

31 oversubscribed (30%)
53 filled (51%)
19 places left (18%)

91% of target-age applications to Belfast settings were first preferences. Relatively few applications named a Belfast setting as a second or later choice.

First choices per place by area

Across all of Belfast: 0.83 first choices per place.

Highest demand

Target-age first choices per funded place.

Brefne Integrated Nursery School (Belfast) · 56 for 26

2.15
Springfield PS PG (Belfast) · 13 for 8

1.63
Holy Cross Nursery School (Belfast) · 78 for 52

1.5
Dundela PS NU (Belfast) · 72 for 52

1.38
Early Learners Day Nursery PG (Belfast) · 47 for 34

1.38
Kids First Daycare PG (Dunmurry) · 22 for 16

1.38
Christ the Redeemer PS NU (Dunmurry) · 67 for 52

1.29
St Vincent de Paul Pre School PG (Belfast) · 11 for 9

1.22
Glendhu Nursery School (Belfast) · 31 for 26

1.19
St Anne's PS NU (Belfast) · 62 for 52

1.19

Most places left

Places still unfilled at the end of Stage 2.

McArthur Nursery School (Belfast) · East

19
St Matthew's PS NU (Belfast) · East

16
Naiscoil Mhic Reachtain PG (Belfast) · North

12
St Paul's PS NU (Belfast) · West

12
Benmore PG (Belfast) · South

9
Kids at BT9 PG (Belfast) · South

7
St John's Pre-School PG (Belfast) · West

6
Belmont Playcare PG (Belfast) · East

5
St Oliver Plunkett Pre School PG (Belfast) · West

5
Wee Care Day Nurseries PG (Kings Road) · East

5

By area

Area	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Belfast South	24	930	840	0.9	11	22
Belfast East	18	804	673	0.84	7	46
Belfast North	28	996	815	0.82	5	17
Belfast West	32	1,383	1,105	0.8	8	27
Lagan Valley	1	26	13	0.5	0	0

By type of setting

Type	Settings	Places	First choices	Per place	Oversubscribed	Places left
Controlled	40	1,742	1,369	0.79	10	26
Catholic Maintained	31	1,534	1,284	0.84	9	31
Voluntary	12	245	200	0.82	4	30
Irish Medium	6	186	165	0.89	2	0
Private	6	148	148	1.0	3	12
Grant Maintained Integrated	3	133	133	1.0	2	0
Controlled Integrated	2	78	89	1.14	1	0
Voluntary Irish Medium	2	57	45	0.79	0	12
Voluntary Integrated Irish Medium	1	16	13	0.81	0	1

Trend across Belfast

Intake	Places	Target-age first choices	Per place	First choices not placed there	Oversubscribed settings	Places left
2024/25	4,197	3,896	0.93	367	47	19
2025/26	4,255	3,785	0.89	314	40	86
2026/27	4,139	3,446	0.83	203	31	112

Target-age first choices fell from 3,896 in 2024/25 to 3,446 in 2026/27, while places changed from 4,197 to 4,139.

Biggest rise in demand

Change in first choices per place, 2024/25 to 2026/27.

Our Lady Queen of Peace PS NU (Belfast) · 0.38 → 1.15

+0.77
St Vincent de Paul Pre School PG (Belfast) · 0.6 → 1.22

+0.62
Kids First Daycare PG (Dunmurry) · 0.81 → 1.38

+0.56
Braniel PS NU (Belfast) FT · 0.49 → 0.96

+0.47
Early Learners Day Nursery PG (Belfast) · 1.03 → 1.38

+0.35
Glendhu Nursery School (Belfast) · 0.88 → 1.19

+0.31
Brefne Integrated Nursery School (Belfast) · 1.85 → 2.15

+0.31
St Kieran's Nursery School · 0.52 → 0.77

+0.25

Biggest fall in demand

Change in first choices per place, 2024/25 to 2026/27.

St Vincent de Paul PS NU · 1.42 → 0.46

−0.96
Cliftonville Integrated PS NU (Belfast) FT · 1.58 → 0.63

−0.94
Rosetta PS NU · 1.62 → 0.92

−0.69
Benmore PG (Belfast) · 1.21 → 0.55

−0.66
Hope Nursery School (Belfast) · 1.23 → 0.71

−0.52
Sandbrook Nursery School (Belfast) · 1.1 → 0.6

−0.5
Springfield PS PG (Belfast) · 2.13 → 1.63

−0.5
Kids at BT9 PG (Belfast) · 1.04 → 0.57

−0.48

A demand ratio is a rough guide only. Settings’ criteria decide who is offered a place, and a high ratio can hide many children who qualified under higher criteria.