Nursery, kindergarten & daycare in Uganda

In Uganda the three terms overlap. Daycare typically covers under-3s (crèche). Nursery and kindergarten both refer to pre-primary classes, Baby class (age 3), Middle class (age 4) and Top class (age 5), leading into P1 at age 6. Most schools that offer "nursery" run the full Baby–Top sequence.

Baby class admits children from age three; Middle class from age four; Top class from age five. A few schools run dedicated daycare for under-3s. Schools generally expect a child to be toilet-trained before Baby class, though daycare programmes accommodate younger children.

A nursery attached to a primary school usually guarantees automatic progression to P1 at the same school, which removes the P1 admissions scramble at age 6. Standalone nurseries can offer a more focused early-years pedagogy and a wider menu of P1 destinations, but you'll need to apply for P1 places separately.

Fees vary widely. Government-aided pre-primaries (where they exist) can be very low cost. Mid-tier private nurseries run roughly UGX 300K–1.5M per term. Premium Kampala nurseries (Scoris International, Kabira International, Ambrosoli) can reach UGX 2–6M per term once meals, uniforms and transport are added.