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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to accept this nursery place??

31 replies

TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:27

I was offered a place in a local nursery for DS2.

I have my reservations about it and tbh am not sure if i abu.

1- there are 45 in his class with 4 members of staff.
2- they don't do home visits but a parent teacher meeting in the school which I was meant to have today but made an excuse not to go.
3- when I went there yesterday by appt they were not prepared, couldn't find paper work needed etc.
4- I never recieved a letter about the place being offered just a call to say he started on the 4th of January.

I have spent the holidays getting him ready for starting yesterday, when I got him there, there was not another child there and it emerged that there had been a mistake and atually he didn't have a start date. But they found him one which is the 24th January.

Now I don't think I want to send him there as they seem so disorganised plus I didn't feel comfortable with in there.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:29

that should say while in there not with

OP posts:
Sirzy · 05/01/2011 11:29

It's not legal to have a 45:4 ratio is it?

bubbleOseven · 05/01/2011 11:29

it is a bit of a shambles I agree, but it's an ADMIN shambles, not a CHILDCARE SHAMBLES.

I would accept the 24th as a starting date but look elsewhere in the meantime in case I found something I preferred.

NorwegianMoon · 05/01/2011 11:30

if you dont feel happy it is not the right nursery. 4 teachers among 40 kids is quite good, thats 1 teacher to 10 or 11 children. if they are taught in little groups this could work well. but its your feelings that matter here, follow your instincts they are always right

classydiva · 05/01/2011 11:31

Four staff for a 45 children is insufficient, are you sure that is not just nursery qualified staff plus helpers.

Itsapuppet · 05/01/2011 11:32

YANBU, you have to go with your instincts. However will this create a problem later, can you find alternatives, was this very much a one off especial as I guess they were just returning after the Christmas break? It may be worth talking through your concerns with them before making a final decision.

Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:33

There are 2 nursery classes in each session one class has 35 pupils in and the other - which DS2 would be in has 45.

I don't know why but I just didn't feel at all comfortable in there. It is a surestart nursery, I took him a few times to the playgroups they run and never felt comfortable at them either.

There is 2 other schools local and one I know for definate is full and has a waiting list.

Am about to call the other one now.

OP posts:
marge2 · 05/01/2011 11:35

Where I live 8:1 is the legal max for 3yo and overs in pre-school. It's 4:1 for 2-3 year olds. Once they hit primary it goes up . What age is your LO?

altinkum · 05/01/2011 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

choppychopster · 05/01/2011 11:36

Ratio in dd's nursery class which is part of a primary school is 52:4 (2 teachers, 2 TAs).

amberleaf · 05/01/2011 11:37

Maybe you would have been better off going to the planned parent teacher meeting?

They may have seemed disorganised at your appt as it wasnt an official parent teacher meeting?

Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:39

This was the first one I looked at tbh.

I was not going to send him to nursery but feel he needs it.

He is 3.4yrs old.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:40

Amber, when they gave me the appt for 11am today I was told

"come in about 9.30 you will be seen at 11"

makes no sense to me tbh.

OP posts:
MorticiaAddams · 05/01/2011 11:40

Our nursery also had a 8:1 ratio for 3-4 year olds.

I wouldn't worry about the admin side of things but rather the feel of the nursery and how happy the children and staff seem to be.

mutznutz · 05/01/2011 11:43

I agree it's an admin issue and not a childcare issue. There is nothing wrong with that ratio as they will no doubt be taught in small groups.

You've left it very late to sort a nursery place but if you've made your mind up you don't like this one...please contact them as soon as possible so another child can take your child's place.

amberleaf · 05/01/2011 11:44

Was it meant to be a session that you were mesant to stay at? one of mines first nursery session-i was expected to stay while he settled in just that first time.

I agree with Morticiaaddams, go with the general 'feel' rather than business sense

LIZS · 05/01/2011 11:48

I would think you were expected to come in after 9.30, play with and settle him so that you were ready to meet the manager/do paperwork at 11. Lack of a home visit is not a symptom of disorganisation , I'd cosndier that unusual at nursery level. Are all 45 children there at the same time or do they each attend pt so that there are in fact less.

Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:50

Mutz, I applied for the space last year. I only heard from them a few days before christmas.
I attended yesterday having been told that he would start then. to then be told he starts on the 24th.

Amber, yes thats what I had been told but as I said there was no other child there and I was given a different date.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:52

LIZS,

Each session has 80 children.

80 in the morning and 80 in the afternoon.

I was told he started yesterday, went in with him was then told it was a mistake, that he started on the 24th.

And given an appointment today for parent teacher meeting.

OP posts:
Lulumaam · 05/01/2011 11:54

it might have been a typo.. saying he started the 4th rather than the 24th

i'd give them a chance and if they carry on as lacksadasical and disorganised, i'd take him out... and look for alternative proviosn

mutznutz · 05/01/2011 11:55

Well I can only go on my son's Infant school. The nursery there brings the parent and child in together...so the child can meet the staff and wander round the nursery with parents. Then the parents sort the paper work with the office staff.

After that (because the paperwork has to be checked) the child is then given a start date usually 2 weeks later. This gives the nursery time to sort everyone.

Also, when the child is asked to come in with parents at say 9.30...the next child and parent will be asked in at 9.45 or 10am so there's a slow build up...this tends to be less scary for the child as they're not walking into a packed nursery class....and it's normally done over one week so there's only be around 5 or 6 kids and parents at any given time.

Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 11:55

Lulu, I never got a letter just a phone call.

OP posts:
compo · 05/01/2011 11:57

They do sound disorganised
have you an alternative preschool?

Original poster
TheLadyEvenstar · 05/01/2011 12:03

I have just phoned another school and they have a few vacancies.

I was told they will go first to siblings and then to children based on their locality

OP posts:
Bramshott · 05/01/2011 12:04

TBH, points 2 & 3 are just a bit disorganised, and wouldn't be something to worry about unless you have other reservations. Certainly not all nurseries do home visits.

Point 4 is bad and must have been very confusing for your DS. Is there any chance that you misheard the message?

On the numbers, if there are no assistants, then the numbers are too many. They should have 6 staff with 45 children.

But if your gut instinct is that it's not right for your DS, then look at other options. On the other hand, it could be that you're just feeling wobbly about DS starting nursery and looking for reasons to find fault (you know how it is - one thing worries you and then it becomes a negative downward spiral of "and this", "and they don't do this" etc!)