Delhi is the one place in India where getting a three-year-old into school resembles a competitive exam, except the exam is for the parents' paperwork. Here is the map.
Two different games
- Standalone preschools (Kidzee, Mother's Pride outlets, independents): rolling admissions all year, no points system. If you only need playgroup or nursery care, this route is stress-free.
- Nursery in a private K-12 school (DPS, Springdales, Modern, Bal Bharati and peers): a formal, Directorate of Education (DoE) regulated process for entry-level classes (nursery, KG, Class 1). This is the famous "nursery admissions" battle, because a seat here usually means a seat till Class 12.
The DoE cycle (dates follow a standard pattern each year)
- Late November: DoE notification; schools publish criteria and forms open.
- December: forms submitted, typically online plus a Rs 25 registration fee (capped by DoE).
- January: schools publish points lists; first admission list out mid-to-late January, second list in February.
- March: process closes before the April session.
Age for nursery: 3+ as of 31 March of the admission year (with upper-age limits also notified).
The points system (100 points, school-defined weights)
Most schools weight:
- Distance/neighbourhood: the big one, often 50 to 70 points, banded (0-3 km, 3-6 km, etc.).
- Sibling already in the school: 20 to 30 points.
- Alumni parent: 10 to 20 points.
- Some schools add girl child, single parent, or first-born points.
Interviews and child "interactions" are banned for general seats. 25 percent of entry-level seats are reserved for EWS/DG categories via a separate DoE computerised draw, with income criteria per the current notification.
Strategy that actually works
- Apply wide: 8 to 12 schools is normal; each form is cheap, and cut-offs vary yearly.
- Lead with distance: shortlist schools where you score in the top distance band; that outweighs everything else.
- Paperwork early: address proof in a parent's name (Aadhaar, utility bills, rent agreement) dated well before December, birth certificate, photos.
- Keep a standalone preschool as the parallel track: your child attends playgroup or nursery there while you play the K-12 lottery for KG or Class 1 entry the following year, both classes also admit under the same DoE process.
Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad schools run similar January cycles but under their own state rules, generally with more school discretion and less DoE-style regulation.