To not want to accept this nursery place??

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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?

[marge2]

80 in every session sounds far too many. Factory like. I'd go with the other school! If your child is ony 3 then the legal ratio is 8:1 if they have any younger than 3 than the ratio goes down so 1 member of staff can only look after 4 kids if only 1 of them is under 3. . It sounds like they are breaking the law! Steer clear! Have they even mentioned key workers etc??

The other place sounds like they actually have an admissions policy and are therefore a bit more professionally run.

[mutznutz]

Well good luck. It might be an idea if you spend between now and then looking at the Ofsted reports for the possible nurseries he may be offered...so if you have a choice, it will be an informed one.

You'll find them online (incase you don't know)...just Google your local nurseries

[TheLadyEvenstar]

possibly Mutz!!

I am looking at other schools.

Also spoke to the LA and they have told me to call next Monday as then they will know which schools have vacancies for him.

[mutznutz]

The letters don't come from the school btw, they come from the LA so it's possible the LA told the school your child was accepted but forgot to send your letter out to you...or it got lost in the post.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

Thanks for that advice lenak.

Bram, I wish I had misheard the message but I repeated it back and wrote it down as the lady spoke to me.

Their policy is 1:13 children under 5.

It was something just didn't sit right with me.

I wish I could put my finger on it.

[lenak]

If you're not happy with it and there are no more places at any other LA nursery, call round some of the private nurseries and ask about sending him just for the time he would get free funding.

They may not allow it and say that they would like him to attend all the time which would mean you would have to pay during the holidays (which would at least mean a consistent routine), but you may find some are amenable to term-time only.

It would also give you the option of trusted childcare in the holidays if you needed it as well.

[Bramshott]

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!)

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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

[compo]

They do sound disorganised
have you an alternative preschool?

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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

[mutznutz]

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.

[Lulumaam]

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

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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.

[LIZS]

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.

[amberleaf]

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

[mutznutz]

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.

[MorticiaAddams]

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.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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.

[amberleaf]

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?

[choppychopster]

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

[marge2]

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?

[TheLadyEvenstar]

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.