In 1816, Robert Owen, a philosopher and pedagogue, opened the first British and probably globally the first infant school in New Lanark, Scotland. In conjunction with his venture for cooperative mills Owen wanted the children to be given a good moral education so that they would be fit for work.

Nursery kindergarten (children's garden), is a name given by Friedrich Fröbel, who created the Nurseru in Germany, in 1837. Other common names are pre-school, playschool and playgroup. The German word Kindergarten is also used in many non-English-speaking countries to denote a form of pre-school education.

Nursery schools are aimed at pre-school children aged three and four years old. Children start to attend a nursery school or nursery class in the September after their third birthday. A nursery school is a separate school that is only used by children under five years old.