Applications are open until Thursday 15 January for parents to submit on-time applications for their child’s reception school place or transfer from infant to junior or primary school.

Parents can apply now if their child turns five between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026, or they have a child in year 2 in an infant school. Applications for September 2026 places are now open for children living in Nottinghamshire.

Nottinghamshire County Council is encouraging parents to research their preferred schools, and whether their child would have a good chance of being offered a place at one of their preferred schools, before submitting their applications.

Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council have unveiled their joint proposal for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), setting out a bold plan to create two new unitary authorities for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. 

This once-in-a-generation reform aims to deliver better outcomes for residents, stronger local leadership, and a modern, joined-up approach to deliver safer and simpler public services in their Greater Nottinghamshire vision.

The proposal, built on robust evidence and extensive local engagement, recommends the creation of two council authorities:

• Nottingham Council, representing the core city and surrounding communities of Broxtowe and Gedling.
• Nottinghamshire Council - serving towns, villages, and rural communities across Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood, and Rushcliffe.

Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City councils are launching a campaign to recruit more Shared Lives carers so that more people with additional needs who find it harder to live on their own, can live as safely and independently as possible in their community. 

Shared Lives is a scheme in which carers share their homes with adults who have support and care needs and provides an alternative to residential care or supported living. 

Unlike traditional care settings, Shared Lives carers open their own homes to the people they support. Individuals become part of a family, enjoying everyday life, building relationships, and doing what matters most to them.

Nottinghamshire’s up-and-coming athletes and those aspiring to compete at the highest level can now apply for funding to help cover the costs of training and equipment.

The Local Communities Fund: Talented Athletes is a dedicated fund of £50,000 to help up-and-coming athletes recognise their potential in their chosen sport – and those competing in disability/parasports who may require expensive adapted equipment, clothing, or have higher transport costs.

Nottinghamshire County Council has opened the latest round of funding, with grants up to £1,000 available for aspiring sports stars and athletes. They can find out if they are eligible to apply by visiting the Talented Athletes website.

Nottinghamshire County Council is working hard with partners to ensure that all children have the best start in life.  

A good start helps children and families to stay healthy and thrive, as well as reducing inequalities, and creates a solid foundation for young children to successfully develop.

The council works with parents, communities and local services to create the right conditions for children and families to grow and develop interpersonal skills. The family hubs are central to the approach, and offer a wide range of sessions, groups and activities designed to support families and those expecting a baby. 

Nottinghamshire County Council has released a report on its latest highways review and some key recommendations, following the Cabinet’s decision in June 2025 to reassess the management of the county’s road network.

The review comes at a time where the maintenance of highways is high on the agenda. Nationally, there is a £17 billion backlog in road repairs, with public concern over maintenance throughout the UK.

The challenges facing Nottinghamshire are no exception, with maintenance funding spread across the 2,760-mile highway network, including 96,000 streetlights, 369 bridges, 141,000 drainage assets, and over 45,000 highway trees.