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nursery, preschool and reception

13 replies

MrsNuthouse · 01/12/2015 16:39

Hi all

Could someone please explain these to me? My daughter is 2 years old and she's entitled to 15 hours a week when she turns 3 years old but I'm completely lost with these terms! Am I right thinking she's starting preschool at 3, then reception year at 4 and then school at 5? I live in England.
Thanks!

OP posts:

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dementedpixie · 01/12/2015 16:51

Nursery and preschool are often interchangeable terms for the same thing. Your Dd will be eligible for free hours the term after she is 3. Depending on her birthday she could start school just after she is 4 or she could be closer to age 5. Reception is the first year of primary school.

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FishWithABicycle · 01/12/2015 17:00

Depending on your exact location you may need to get on a waiting list right now to get those 15 free hours - the government will pay for them but has no obligation to provide a place. Some childminders are able to offer the 15 free hours and pretty much all nurseries. However, the amount the government pays the service providers for the 15 free hours is a pittance so places are often very limited if you just want the 15 hours and nothing else. Most supply the 15 hours as an inflexible 3hrs per day over 5 days either 9-12 or 13-16 (exact hours may vary) with any more being charga

Most schools have reception year integrated

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FishWithABicycle · 01/12/2015 17:23

Oops never meant to press post there, I'm on a crowded train... hang on, I'll continue below...

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FishWithABicycle · 01/12/2015 18:16

I shouldn't try to write MN posts while crossing the Pennines - long post lost due to signal failure.

Nursery - extras chargeable at exorbitant rates is normal as the only way they can make ends meet.

Schools - starting reception and starting school aren't different but children have to start school (or non school HE) by the term after they turn 5 and CAN start school from the September after they turn 4 - so reception is made up of some children who must be there and some who technically don't have to be so it's often more relaxed but year 1 the children are all of legal school age. You need to apply for a reception place the December before they will start and competition for places can be very fierce in some parts of the country so you may not have much choice.

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strawberrybubblegum · 01/12/2015 20:09

If you'd like her to go to a nursery linked to a school, then you may need to apply well in advance. In our area, it's the January before the school year in which they will attend - e.g. for a baby born in February 2014, you would have to apply within the next month - but she would only be accepted into the school nursery from Easter 2017. (Yes - more than a year later. That's not a typo)

If you'd like her to have her free hours at a private nursery or pre-school, it's usually more flexible - but will depend on their availability (so you may still need to get her name down well before you would like her to attend)

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Bonkerz · 01/12/2015 20:11

You can also access the free funding with childminders too. They offer the same curriculum and pre school education as nurseries and play schools.

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BackforGood · 03/12/2015 23:17

Agree with you needing to speak to the option near you, as the terms are interchangeable.
There are 'stand alone' Nursery schools, nursery classes attached to Primary schools, daycare nurseries with pre-schools, community groups, etc.

The terms pre-school, nursery, playgroup and daycare are interchangeable and used differently by different settings, but all will provide the 15 hours education funding - as indeed will CMs, but that's a different issue.

when I say 'all', not every setting does, but settings with all the different names will.

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Coldand · 03/12/2015 23:22

Do you have to apply to the nursery of the school you wish your child to go to? DC is at a very caring nursery and took a while to settle so I wouldn't want to move her until reception age.