Parents who call it a "Private Nursery"

[BeepyBoo]

Something I've noticed that is mildly amusing - I don't understand why some parents feel the need to mention that their kid goes to a "Private Nursery".

I understand that some nurseries may be more council funded and have lower fees perhaps, but, around here Mums use the term "Private Nursery" to point out that their kid goes to the Montessori Nursery in the village, rather than the (also full fee paying) alternative nursery in the village that just has slightly shorter hours but considered not as posh. The latter has no special council funding, and the usual funded hours can be used at both.

I'm guessing this is just a snobby, show-off thing that make is sound posh (a bit like using the term "the Private School") rather than using the actual name of the nursery. Usually "The Private Nursery" is said in a rather smug way too. I don't really get what a Private Nursery is?? Aren't they all if you are paying the usual high fees? Fees all similar for nurseries round here.

Funnily enough it’s the reverse where I live. There’s one private school which goes from nursery through sixth form. It’s called (for example) Gotham School. All the people that have kids there call it Gotham or Gotham School (there’s also a state school called Gotham Academy). But all the state parents call it Gotham Private. No idea why, as everyone knows it’s a fee paying school.

I would assume it meant a day nursery instead of a term time pre school.

@BeepyBoo

OK, the other nursery is not run by the council or a school! So I don't get what the difference is? The prices are very similar.

The other nursery was originally set up by parents, 40 years ago. It then developed into an independent business. It was the only nursery in the village. Then a Montessouri company (chain) bought a nursery next to it, and it seemed a bit posher and nicer, so people started calling that "The Private Nursery". But in reality, they are both the same kind of thing. The other nursery is not school or council funded.

It may be voluntary- a charity run by a committee

So yes I suppose to agree with you OP it seems odd if people are trying to distinguish it as private if they both technically are, I don't know why they would do that.

The only time I mention my son’s nursery being private is when people think it’s part of the school as it’s next door to it and has the same name. It’s not some sort of humblebrag is a just a fact. I couldn’t care less if it was private or council run.

100% same as other posters, used to distinguish from a school nursery. Definitely not snobbish (round these parts at least)

Maybe the are overexcited about the new nursery or something?

Private nursery doesn’t mean posh, it just means both parents work and need a nursery place when their child is younger than school nursery age.

A private nursery is opened 10hours a day usually. You pay for that as an extra so you are being unreasonable

*open

Agree with others - “private nursery” implies a childcare setting for kids 0-5 (as opposed to the nursery year at a school, which is for kids who are 3, turning 4 in the academic year - ie the year before reception). Odd that there’d be any snobbery around that; if anything, I found it was the other way round and that people were keen to point out that nursery = school.

I'm glad you've admitted you were expressing rather sneering views out of your own ignorance.

PVIs are different from maintained Nurseries.
PVI qualify for different support from maintained Nurseries. They are managed differently. The ratios are different. It is nothing to do with snobbery.
In my LA the overwhelming majority of dc who attend Nursery, attend PVIs, many of them are in areas of high deprivation. It is nothing to do with snobbery.

It's probably the kids from 2 years rather than taking babies. Perhaps it was originally a "pre school" only taking the year before reception and has grown down a bit. So in some people's eyes, it's still a pre school.

Private nursery here is just anything not attached to a school.

I've never understood it either, it's just nursery.

My aunt used to live in the same area as where I live now and always refers to my daughter's primary school as "the county primary". No, it's still [name of town] primary school. Yes, her kids went to private school.

They take kids from 2 years old. So, that's another difference.

That’ll be the difference then, it’s less a nursery and more a ‘pre-school’. From age 2 there are funded places for some children as well, and then age 3 funded for all (either 15 or 30 hours) so probably not seen as fee-paying the way the other nursery is.

Round here, there are loads of all different sorts of nurseries. I usually just say my DSs go to nursery, but if it's relevant to the conversation (e.g. explaining why it didn't close in second lockdown) I call it a private day nursery.

The parents whose kids are at the Montessori one definitely try to name drop that at any opportunity

I'd say a private nursery is one of the ones with extended hours/flexibility and not one with two sessions a day. (although both are private in that they are privately run, I guess)

Just reminded me that I did work experience in a "naice" extended hours nursery when I was 16 and one worker was just vile about children with free nursery hours "stealing" a place from a child who would otherwise pay for the whole day...

Just to confuse matters further OP, the majority of parents using the state term-time only 9-3 option are wealthier people with either nannies or very flexible work - those who are more tied to conventional working hours have kids in the private nurseries that are open 51 weeks a year.

(Near me, that is)

Round here it just means that they went to a nursery before they were 3 and entitled to free place, so the parents had to pay, doesn't mean actual Private Nursery, like Private school.

Where I am private nursery is the name we give a nursery which is not attached to a school. Funding is available for both. It’s certainly not a showy thing. School nurseries are 9-3ish and term time time only which doesn’t work for some peoples work schedules hence why some people choose private instead.

Not so bothered about that. Loathe with a passion the phrase ‘indie schools’ 🤢

I think it just gets called that in conversation because they are run as private companies rather than council owned.
My DC went to both and I would refer to the one they went to as babies as a private nursery, just because it wasn't a 3yrs+ facility. Not to boast as I'd rather not have been paying the fees!
It also came up in conversation if another parent would ask if your DC was looking forward to starting nursery (preschool.) I'd usually answer that they'd already been in private nursery for a few years. Just a turn if phrase I think.

@2tired2bewitty

Are they just distinguishing it from a school nursery?

Totally this. School nursery or private nursery. Nothing else round my way apart from one or the other. So morning or afternoon at school nursery then onto private for many.

@BackforGood

I'm glad you've admitted you were expressing rather sneering views out of your own ignorance.

PVIs are different from maintained Nurseries.
PVI qualify for different support from maintained Nurseries. They are managed differently. The ratios are different. It is nothing to do with snobbery.
In my LA the overwhelming majority of dc who attend Nursery, attend PVIs, many of them are in areas of high deprivation. It is nothing to do with snobbery.

Thats not quite right

A setting with a qualified teacher, Early Years Professional Status, Early Years Teacher Status or another suitable level 6 qualification working directly with the children has a 1:13 ratio for 3 and 4 year olds

A setting without the above has a 1: 8 ratio

Schools can have a QTS led setting or a non QTS led setting.
A day nursery (private) could have a QTS led setting.