Admissions
All parents/carers wishing their child to attend Dundonald nursery or main school will need to contact Merton Council Admissions.
London Borough of Merton, School Admissions Team, Civic Centre, Morden, SM4 5DX. Or email them at admissions@merton.gov.uk or call them on 020 8274 4096.
Please visit the Merton Council's admission page ‘Apply for a school or nursery place’ for all information and guidance.
For general questions please contact the school office via email at school@dundonald.merton.sch.uk. If you would like a tour of the school please click on the booking form link to book your place. Places on tours must be pre-booked. The next tour, for September 2027 admissions, will be in May 2026.
The deadline for applications for admission to Reception in September 2026 has been extended to Thursday 29th January 2026 .
Nursery Admission
Children are eligible for a nursery place in the school term after their third birthday.
Dundonald Primary School offers full time (8.30am - 3.15pm) and part time places (two and a half days per week).
Part time nursery
From September 2026 we will run two 15 hour nursery classes per week, each comprising two and a half days, term-time only. We will take a maximum of 24 pupils per class. You can choose between the following:
- Monarch Butterflies class runs on Monday (8.30am - 3.15pm), Tuesday (8.30am - 3.15pm) and Wednesday mornings including lunchtime (8.30am - 12.15pm).
- Peacock Butterflies class runs on Wednesday afternoons including lunchtime (11.30am - 3.15pm), Thursday (8.30am - 3.15pm) and Friday (8.30am - 3.15pm).
These two classes each make up the free 15 hour entitlement for nursery-age children. For the academic year 2026/2027 there is a fee of £8 for the last 45 minutes of the school day which is not covered by Government Funding. If you do not require this extra time, you are able to collect Monarch Butterflies at 2.30pm (Mon, Tues) and 11.30am on Wednesday and Peacock Butterflies at 2.30pm (Weds - Fri), and the £8 does not apply. Please let us know if this is the case so that we do not invoice you.
Children are required to bring their own healthy, nut-free packed lunch.
Full time nursery
Full time places are from 8.30am to 3.15pm Monday to Friday, term time only. They are an extension of the universal entitlement of 15 hours per week and the extra 15 hours for full time can be self-funded or government funded. To find out whether you may be eligible for 30 hours' free childcare per week and to register for funding please visit www.gov.uk/30hours-free-childcare.
The costs for the additional hours for full time Nursery for the academic year 2026/27 are as follows:
- Self funded £35 per day for the extra 15 hours per week
- Government funded £8 per day (extra 45 minutes not covered by 30 hour government funding)
Full time places are paid for termly in advance and are nonrefundable.
Children are required to bring their own healthy nut-free packed lunch, Monday to Friday.
Tax-free childcare
Parents can get up to £2000 per child, per year, towards their childcare costs or up to £4000 per child with a disability. Parents can apply for both 30 hours free childcare and tax-free childcare at the same time here: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Application process
Applications for all nursery places should be made online to the London Borough of Merton.
Please note that attendance in the nursery does not give priority for a place in the reception class, a separate application must be made for entry into Reception Class; please note the Dundonald Admission Priority Area to avoid disappointment (see below).
Guidance on how to apply through Merton Council can be found here.
Applications for a Nursery place should be made online here. If this is not possible Merton provide an admissions form which can be completed and returned to Merton Council.
The deadline for applications for admission in September 2026 was 30th November 2025.
Reception Admission
Children start in Reception in the September after they turn 4 years old.
Dundonald Primary School is a two-form entry school with up to 30 children in each class.
The Reception places are offered by Merton following Dundonald Primary School admissions criteria.
You can find out about Dundonald’s Admission Priority Area (APA) on Merton Council’s website.
Merton's Guide to starting primary school in September 2026 can be found here.
Information on how to apply for Reception can be found here.
Applications for a Reception place should be made online here. If this is not possible Merton provide an admissions form which can be completed and returned to Merton Council.
The deadline for applications for admission in September 2026 is 15th January 2026.
For information about Merton's appeals process please click here.
In-Year Admissions
If you are looking for a place mid-year for any class you will need to contact the London Borough of Merton (LBM)’s admissions department. LBM hold all information regarding waiting lists and school vacancies.Please click here for information on how & when to apply (link to Merton website).
