Buy Extra Nursery Hours
We introduced a couple of years ago the ability to buy extra hours in some nurseries, this is only in nurseries that has sufficient spare spaces after allocations nursery applications.
The nurseries where there is sufficient spaces will change from year to year, this means a nursery which had Buy Extra Nursery hours sessions and short session extension sessions available to purchase this year, may only have the short session extension option for the following year as nursery application demand has increased.
We are looking into changing the system we use to manage the Buy Extra Nursery hours as the current system does not allow parents or carers to see the sessions that are available to purchase. While this is implemented Buy Extra Nursery hours remains a pilot and we continue to thank you for your patience.
2025/2026 - Due to an increase in nursery application demand for Armadale, Kirknewton & Longridge we know that they will only have the short session extension option for 2025/2026. Decisions are still to be made for other nurseries, and this page will be updated by the end of June 2025 - once we know where it is possible to release sessions for purchase. We will also confirm when bookings will open and how you request this.
Buy Extra Nursery hours is available at all nurseries running the 50 week model, although some of these will only offer the extend the short session option.
Guidance on how to pay and prices can be seen in 'Prices' section.
This will be available at all nurseries running the 50 week model of statutory attendance, whether any other sessions have been released to purchase at that nursery or not.
This option allows children allocated the 2 full day attendance pattern, to extend the short session part of the statutory allocation. The short session in the afternoon between Monday to Thursday is where a child attends from 12:45-16:05 on the day allocated, and can be extended so the child would attend from 12:30-18:14 at a cost of £12. Or if the short session is allocated on a Friday morning so the child can attend from 08:00-11:20, this can be extended so the child would attend from 08:00-11:54 at a cost of £5. [Unfortunately we are unable to extend from a short session to a full day.]
Buy Extra Nursery Hours - where we were able to release limited sessions in either the mornings, afternoons or full days is indicated below:
Addiewell Primary School - mornings, afternoons
Armadale Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Bankton Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Bonnytoun Nursery - mornings, afternoons and full days
Broxburn Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Carmondean Primary School - afternoons and full days only on Mondays and Thursdays
Eastertoun Nursery School - afternoons
Fauldhouse Nursery Class - full days
Greenrigg Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Howden St Andrew's Primary School - afternoons
Kirknewton Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Linlithgow Bridge - mornings, afternoons and full days
Linlithgow Primary - mornings, afternoons and full days
Longridge Primary School - mornings
Stoneyburn Primary School - afternoons
Simpson Primary School - full days
Southdale Primary School - full days on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, Morning & afternoon on Wednesday
Uphall Primary School - mornings, afternoons and full days
Windyknowe Primary School - afternoons
Woodlands Nursery School - afternoons
Please note :- Sessions for purchase are booked on a first come first served basis.
Application Process
- You can book sessions in advance for the whole year (August - July) however these can be paid for monthly.
- All applications/requests to buy extra nursery hours must be made using the online application form. If you have any issues with the application form please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
Next Steps
You can pay for sessions using a -
- Debit/credit card
- Government Tax-Free Childcare (opens new window) account
- Some employee childcare vouchers schemes
- West Lothian College students who receive help from the West Lothian College Childcare Fund (opens new window) can arrange for the childcare payments to be made directly to West Lothian Council.
Please see below for further information
Debit/Credit card
You can pay for your session using a debit/credit card using West Lothian's "pay for it" facility. A link for this will be sent with your confirmation email. If you choose this option we will receive information of your payment and your account will be updated with details of the payment automatically.
Tax Free Childcare Account
If you have a tax free childcare account and would like to pay for extra sessions using the account, please email buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk each time you make a payment to let us know the amount you have paid, the date of payment and your child's tax free childcare number. After we have checked that we have received your payment we will update your account
Childcare Vouchers
If you would like to use childcare vouchers please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk to see if we are able to accept these as payment.
West Lothian College
If you are studying with West Lothian College, and are eligible to receive help with childcare, then we can arrange for some or all of your extra hours to be paid for by the college. Please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk for further information. Once we have confirmation from the college we will let you know if there is a balance to pay for any hours purchased.
All payments, except those made directly from West Lothian College, should be made 4 weeks in advance. Reminder emails will be sent the day before a booking if we haven't received any payment. We may cancel future bookings If payments are not made on time.
If you have paid for sessions more than four weeks in advance we can arrange a refund or apply the payment to a future booking.
- Mornings (AM) £34 per session - Sessions are Monday to Thursday 07:47-12:30 or Friday 08:00-11:54
- Afternoon (PM) £34 per session - Sessions are Monday to Thursday 12:30-18:14
- Extension to Afternoon Short Session £12 per extension - Available if child is attending 2 full days and a short session. This option allows you to extend a short session from 12:45-16:05 to 12:30-18:14. (There is no option to extend to a full day)
- Short Session Friday - £5 per session - Available if child is attending 2 full days and a short session. This option allows you to extend a short session from 08:00-11:20 to 08:-11:57. (There is no option to extend to a full day)
- Full Day £60 per session - Sessions are Monday to Thursday 08:00-18:00
You are not expected to pay for the full year up front. However, each booked session must be paid for in full, 48 hours prior to the date your child is to attend a booked session.
You should always include your reference with any payment made, if you do not know your child's unique Ref number, then please use 'BENH' and your child's forename and surname, e.g. BENHJoeBloggs. This is to allow us to match payments received to the correct child's record.
To make a payment using a debit /credit card please go to West Lothian Council | Online Payments (opens new window)
We also accept payments from Tax free childcare accounts. Please login to your account to make payment. If you can't see your nursery listed please contact us for further information.
We may be able to accept childcare vouchers from employer schemes - please contact us to discuss.
If you are studying at West Lothian College you may be eligible for help with childcare costs please contact us for further information.
Any questions can be sent to buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk.
Additional morning, afternoon or full day sessions are available at the nurseries below - please note that availability may be limited. For bookings up until the 18 April 2025 please use the Make a Booking (opens new window). For enquiries and bookings for dates after the 18 April 2025 onwards please e -mail buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk .
Short session extension - available in all nurseries for children who have a two full day and short session placement. Afternoon short sessions can be extended to 12:30-18:14. Friday morning short sessions can be extended to 08:00-11:57. You can book short session extensions up until August 2025 using the Make a Booking (opens new window).
For the Booking form, you will need to -
1. Enter your ID Number (if this is unknown, please e-mail buy extra nursery hours to request), select the nursery your child has been allocated and how you intend to pay for the extra hours.
2. Choose the session you would like to book. State the number of weeks you wish to book this session for (the system will automatically discount any dates the nursery is closed).
3. Once you click the submit button at the end of the form, you will receive an automatic email within 24 hours to let you know whether the sessions/dates are available or not.
4. When you get the e-mail confirming the availability, you must click on the 'Yes' button in the e-mail within 24 hours of receipt to complete the booking. If you don't complete this step the sessions will be released again for other people to book.
- Please e-mail buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk stating your child's unique ref and request a View My Bookings report and we will provide this manually.
- To cancel a booking please email buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
- Please note that 4 weeks notice is required for cancellations and for requests to change any bookings within the next four weeks. Refunds will not be give for cancellations or changes with less than 4 weeks notice
The information you provide on this form will be used to administer your request to buy extra nursery hours. We will check the information we hold on our school information management system to confirm that your child attends the nursery you wish to book extra nursery hours with. The nursery will be informed of the times you have booked once you have paid for the hours.
We hold the information about your application and booking securely.
Our nurseries will keep a record of attendance in line with legal requirements.
Your Rights Under data protection law, you have rights including:
Your right of access:
You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure:
You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing:
You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances. You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights.
If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. To make a request please contact us at Education Customer Services, West Lothian Council, West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6FF.
Providing accurate information It is important the information we hold is correct. If you need to make any changes, please e-mail or call your child's school. You can view school contact information from the main council website.
Further information If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact us at the address above.
You can also contact the Data Protection Officer:
West Lothian Council
West Lothian Civic Centre
Howden South Road
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 6FF
email: DataProtectionOfficer@westlothian.gov.uk (opens new window)
More information about data protection and how it applies to you, including how to 4 make a complaint, is available from the Information Commissioner's Office (opens new window).
The ICO's address:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113.
- Places available to buy through the "Buy Extra Nursery Hours" pilot can only be offered where there is spare capacity within the nursery.
- We cannot guarantee that where places are made available at a nursery for one session they will be available the following year.
- A new application for recurring weekly slots must be made each year (August - July) using our online application form. The number of extra hours available to buy may vary from year to year.
- You can only buy extra nursery hours in the setting in which your child has a nursery place and during the days the setting is open.
- Places will be granted on a first come, first served basis.
- The session fees are reviewed annually.
- No discounts or concessions are available in relation to session fees.
- We reserve the right to cancel sessions in exceptional circumstances such as severe weather and a refund will be processed.
- 4 weeks notice is required for cancellations If you would like to cancel or change your booking please send your request to buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
- No refunds will be given for non-attendance (for example through sickness or holidays).
- Payment must be made in advance of using the session.
Modification of Terms & Conditions
West Lothian Council reserves the right to amend the Terms & Conditions for example to comply with revised fiscal, legislative or operating requirements. Changes will be notified in writing to parents/carers, and will replace all previous Terms & Conditions.
If you have any issues or questions, please contact your nursery, or contact us at buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
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