Delhi nursery admission 2027–28

Where things stand

The Directorate of Education has not put out the 2027–28 schedule yet. Its circulars page had nothing on it on 2 November 2026. Last year the schedule came out on 22 November and forms opened on 4 December, so expect it in the second half of November. We will put the dates on this page the day the circular is out.

What is already fixed are the ages. A DoE circular of 24 October 2025 sets them for 2027–28, and they change more than in any year so far.

Which class, by age

Age on 31 March 2027, for private schools under the Directorate of Education:

The head of school can relax the age by up to one month either way. The circular does not say whether schools will take fresh admissions to Class 1 in 2027–28. Check the schedule circular when it comes out.

How it works

• Each school sets its own points. Before forms open, every school uploads its criteria and points to the DoE and puts them on its own website. The DoE publishes all of them on edudel. Last year distance from home carried the most points in most schools, followed by sibling, alumni and staff-child points.
• Some criteria are banned. The DoE banned 62 criteria in 2016. The Delhi High Court stayed the ban for 11 of them, so schools may still use things like first-born child, the child’s gender, or a parent’s awards. The other 51 stay banned, and schools can’t make up new ones.
• Lists come out with points shown. The first list carries a waiting list and the points each child got. You get about ten days to question your child’s points. Then come a second list and, if seats are left, a later one.
• Ties are drawn by lot in front of parents, on video, with at least two days’ notice.
• Management quota of up to 20% still exists while the court case on it continues.

These are the open seats. A quarter of entry-level seats in private schools go to EWS, DG and CWSN children through a separate government draw. See EWS and DG admission in Delhi.

Papers to keep ready

• Proof of address, any one: ration card with the child’s name, domicile certificate, a parent’s voter ID, an electricity, MTNL or water bill, a passport of the parent or child, or a parent’s Aadhaar.
• Birth certificate. The circular leaves the list for date of birth to schools, but every school asks for one.
• Proof for each point you claim: the sibling’s ID card, the alumni certificate, and so on.
• Recent photos of the child and both parents, and scanned copies of everything. Many schools take forms online.

What it costs

• The registration fee is capped at Rs 25, and it is not refundable.
• Buying the prospectus is optional. Schools can’t charge a processing fee.
• No capitation fee or donation. The penalty is up to ten times the amount taken.

Watch out for

• Work out the class from the birth date first. With Lower and Upper KG new this year, many children who would have gone into KG now fit a different class.
• Read each school’s distance bands before you apply. Every school sets its own, so the same address can score differently at two schools a kilometre apart.
• A school that hasn’t uploaded its criteria can have its admissions put on hold. If a school is missing from the edudel list, ask the district office.
• News sites got last year’s dates wrong more than once. Go by the DoE circular.

Last year’s dates

For 2026–27, from the DoE circular of 22 November 2025. Use them to plan, not to apply.

If something goes wrong

Complain to the district monitoring cell under the Deputy Director of Education, or online on the DoE’s grievance system for private schools at doepvt.delhi.gov.in.

Official links

• DoE circulars, where the schedule will appear
• Age circular of 24 October 2025
• Last year’s schedule circular (22 November 2025)
• Last year’s criteria, school by school