The Framework Law of Pre-School Education (Law no. 5/97, 10^th February) defines pre-primary education as the first step of the Portuguese Education System in a lifelong learning process, and as a complement of parent’s role in their children's education, with whom the school should establish a close relationship, favouring child development, in order to assure their full integration in society as an autonomous, free and supportive human being.

Pre-primary education is an optional cycle for children from 3 to 5 year-olds. In 2009, the Government established the universality of pre-primary education for children over 5 years old (Law no. 85/2009, 27 ^th August). From the school year of 2016/17 on the universality of pre-primary education will be extended to 4 years old children (Law no. 65/2015, 3^rd July), and the government has declared the intention of extending its universality to all the 3 years old children until the end of 2019.

In Portugal, the pre-school education covers children from 3 years up to the age of entry to compulsory schooling. There is a public and a private network of pre-primary education institutions, which are complementary.

The Public network is composed of education institutions under the Ministry of Education (ME) and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS). The private network is composed of for-profit and non-profit education institutions. Those are private and cooperative education institutions, in the first case, and private institutions for social solidarity (IPSS), in the second case.

Pedagogical tutelage is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Thus, the Ministry of Education is responsible for ensuring the pedagogical quality of teaching in pre-primary education institutions network.

The main pedagogical objectives of pre-primary education are:

• To promote children’s personal and social development;
• to foster children’s integration into diverse social groups;
• to contribute to equal opportunities;
• to stimulate children's global development;
• to promote expression and communication development;
• to enhance curiosity and critical thinking;
• to provide children with situations of well-being and security;
• to identify maladjustments, disabilities or giftedness and to encourage families to participate in the educative process.

Pre-primary education is guaranteed nationally and must be administered in recognised pre-primary educational establishments (Law nº5/97, 10^th February) or in other words, nursery schools.

Educational provision geared towards children under three is made up of:

• Child-minders certified by the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security; 
• family crèches (a group of between 12 and 20 child-minders that live in same geographical area and are supported by Social Security, the Misericórdias or by a private institutions for social solidarity (IPSS).

In Portugal, the network is organized into school clusters that consist of: pre-primary; first, second and third cycle schools; as well as secondary schools.

The constitution of school clusters aims to optimize human and material resources and the equipment existing in schools of Basic and Secondary education. Children are allowed to use, for instance, the school library, gym, playing fields, sciences lab and school canteen.

In these school clusters a common curricular plan is designed for all education levels.