How to Choose Between Term-Time and All-Year Nursery Care in Northamptonshire
Term-time nursery care follows the school calendar, roughly 38 weeks a year, with the setting closed during school holidays. All-year care runs for around 51 weeks, closing only for Christmas week and bank holidays. At Pop-Up Nurseries, Wellingborough currently offers both patterns, while Irchester runs all-year care until April 2026, after which it moves to term-time only. The right choice depends on your work pattern, whether you need holiday childcare, and how you want to use any funded hours.
Choosing between term-time and all-year nursery care is one of the first practical decisions many Northamptonshire parents face, and it is easy to assume the two options are more or less interchangeable. They are not. The pattern you choose affects your weekly routine, your childcare costs across the year, and what happens during the school holidays, so it is worth understanding clearly before you book a place.
What is the difference between term-time and all-year nursery care?
Term-time nursery care runs during school term dates only, typically around 38 weeks a year, following the local authority's school calendar. The setting closes for the same holidays as local schools.
All-year nursery care runs for most of the calendar year, typically around 51 weeks, closing only for Christmas week and bank holidays. Parents pay for and use childcare consistently across the year, including school holiday periods.
Neither pattern is better in general. The right one depends on your working pattern, your wider childcare support, and whether you have older children already on the school calendar.
How term-time and all-year care work at Pop-Up Nurseries
Because this is one of the few things that genuinely differs between our two settings, here is exactly how it works at each one.
Wellingborough
Our Wellingborough nursery, at 178 Finedon Road, offers both patterns for children aged 6 months to 5 years:
All-year care, open 51 weeks a year, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:00pm
A term-time-only option, following North Northamptonshire term dates
Term-time-only places for 2026 are currently full. The waiting list is open for term-time places starting in August 2027. All-year places remain available and can be checked directly with the nursery team.
Irchester
Our Irchester nursery, based at Irchester Village Hall, currently offers all-year care, open 51 weeks a year and closed only for Christmas week and bank holidays, for children aged 9 months to 5 years.
From April 2026, Irchester will move to a term-time-only pattern, following North Northamptonshire school term dates, with core hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm and a choice of start and finish times to suit different family schedules.
If your family needs all-year childcare at Irchester, it is worth speaking to the team about timing your place before the April 2026 change, or discussing what support may be available afterwards.
| Feature | Wellingborough | Irchester |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | 6 months to 5 years | 9 months to 5 years |
| All-year care (51 weeks) | Available now | Available now, until April 2026 |
| Term-time care (38 weeks) | Available, 2026 intake currently full, waiting list open for August 2027 | Becomes the only pattern from April 2026 |
| Core hours | 7:30am to 6:00pm | 8:00am to 4:00pm, with flexible start and finish times |
| Closures | Christmas week and bank holidays (all-year option) | Christmas week and bank holidays until April 2026, then school holidays |
What to consider when choosing between the two patterns
A few honest questions can help you work out which pattern actually suits your family, rather than which one sounds more flexible on paper.
Does your work pattern allow you to arrange or take leave during school holidays, or do you need consistent childcare all year round?
Do you already have an older child on the school calendar, and would it help for your younger child's nursery routine to match theirs?
Are grandparents, other family members, or a childminder able to cover school holiday weeks if you choose term-time care?
How settled does your child feel with routine and consistency, particularly if they are under 2?
Would you prefer to spread the cost of funded hours evenly across the year, or use them more intensively during term time?
There is no universally right answer. Many families choose all-year care for the consistency, while others prefer term-time care because it mirrors school holidays they are already planning around.
How funded hours work across term-time and all-year care
Funded hours, such as the 15 or 30 hours entitlements, are calculated across 38 weeks of the year by default. At a setting offering all-year care, those same funded hours can usually be "stretched" across 51 weeks instead, which spreads the entitlement more thinly each week but keeps a consistent place running through the holidays.
At a term-time-only setting, funded hours are used within the 38-week term calendar, and the nursery closes during school holiday weeks, so funded hours are not available then.
Funding rules and current entitlements can change, so eligibility depends on your circumstances. Our guide on how funded nursery hours work at Wellingborough and Irchester explains this in more detail, and our Fees & Funding page has current rates and charges. For the latest official guidance, check GOV.UK's childcare funding information.
What happens during school holidays if you choose term-time care?
If you choose a term-time-only place, the nursery is closed during school holiday weeks, in the same way a school is. Families who need childcare during these weeks will need to arrange alternative cover, whether that is family support, a holiday club, or annual leave.
Parents interested in holiday cover at Irchester specifically may want to read about our Holiday Club for 5 to 11 year olds, though this is aimed at school-age children rather than nursery-age siblings.
Looking for the right nursery pattern for your family? Book a nursery visit and our team can talk you through what is currently available at each setting.
Not sure which pattern suits your family?
Visit our Wellingborough or Irchester setting, meet the team, and ask about current term-time and all-year availability.
Book a visitMaking your decision: a quick checklist
If you need consistent, year-round childcare: all-year care at Wellingborough is currently available, and Irchester offers it until April 2026.
If your family's routine already follows the school calendar: term-time care may suit you better, though Wellingborough's 2026 term-time places are currently full, with a waiting list for August 2027.
If you are choosing Irchester for the longer term: from April 2026, term-time care will be the only pattern available there, so plan holiday cover accordingly.
If funded hours are a priority: ask the team whether stretching hours across the year or using them within term time works out better for your budget and routine.
Visiting Wellingborough or Irchester to talk it through
Every family's circumstances are different, and the right pattern often becomes clearer after a conversation with the nursery team, who can confirm current availability, talk through funded hours, and show you around the setting.
At Wellingborough, the team can confirm current availability across both all-year and term-time places, along with the August 2027 term-time waiting list. At Irchester, the team can talk you through the April 2026 change and what it means for your family's routine.
Choosing between term-time and all-year nursery care comes down to your own working pattern, your wider support network, and how your child settles into routine. Both patterns offer the same warm, play-based approach to early years care, just structured differently across the year. Speaking to the team directly is the quickest way to understand what is genuinely available for your child right now.
Visit Our Wellingborough Nursery
Flexible childcare for children aged 6 months to 5 years, with both all-year and term-time options, open 51 weeks a year for our all-year places.
Book a visit Join our waiting listTerm-time care runs during school term dates, around 38 weeks a year, and closes for school holidays. All-year care runs for around 51 weeks, closing only for Christmas week and bank holidays. The right choice depends on your work pattern and childcare needs.
Yes, Wellingborough offers both all-year and term-time places. Term-time places for 2026 are currently full, with a waiting list open for places starting in August 2027. All-year availability can be checked with the nursery team.
Irchester currently offers all-year care, open 51 weeks a year. From April 2026, Irchester will move to a term-time-only pattern, following North Northamptonshire school term dates.
Yes. Funded hours are based on 38 weeks a year but can usually be stretched across 51 weeks at settings offering all-year care. Eligibility depends on your circumstances, so it is worth checking current GOV.UK guidance and speaking to the nursery team.
The nursery closes during school holiday weeks, similar to a school. Families needing childcare during these weeks will need to arrange alternative cover, such as family support or a holiday club.
The clearest way is to contact the nursery team directly or book a visit, as availability for both all-year and term-time places can change.
