Children "starting school"?

[Jinglesplodge]

So I need to know if I ABU - this one is really petty but it's starting to annoy me...

AIBU to find it irritating when people talk about their children going to school when they're talking about 2 or 3 year olds and they mean nursery or preschool? I can't even put my finger on why it bothers me but I just think kids spend enough years in school without telling them that's what they're doing at 2. Twice this weekend I've been chatting to friends who have said something along the lines of "oh, we wanted to do swimming lessons but Quentin is in school" or "I can't believe Susan is starting school next week".

I think I'm just tired and grumpy but I'd love to hear I'm not the only one!

Tbh a uniform in pre-school makes life so much easier. No arguments about what to wear in the morning which saves so much time and stress. My DS would wear his uniform at weekends if we'd let him. He loves it!

Are all these "Nurseries" run by nursery nurses or qualified teachers?

YANBU

I think it depends on the childs prior experiences too as my daughter has just started school nursery and calls this 'school', she calls her day nursery, who do wrap around, 'nursery' so it helps her to distingush. I am a teacher and currently teach the nursery class, we are involved in whole school things such as concerts, enterprise days, trips etc and I have the same duties as when I was in KS2 so feels very much like school to me . Like another poster I cant get to worked up about it!

*too gah

YANBU I find it irritating too. It’s nursery.

Btw the uniform is optional. All of mine did a stint in nursery attached to school to get the free hours although the bulk of their time was with a childminder and no way in hell was I forking out for special clothes until I had to. I just think there seems to be this push to talk about them be doing something they're not like it's advanced or something. See also: pre school gets them "ready for school". No. They go to school when they're deemed to be ready. In this country, at five. No preparation necessary.

And I did use childcare from when they were babies, as I worked, but I called it what it was, as did they.

Totally agree @Harolds

Reminds me of when we did tumble tots when DS1 was younger, until we moved up to the 2+ group when it suddenly became more structured which he didn’t like. They said “oh it helps get them ready for school”. Um he doesn’t need to be ready for school, he is 2!!

It irritates me too. They say they started school at three when they mean nursery. However my daughter who went to private nursery from 18 mths did actually, technically start at three because our little rural school had 8 induction days before September and she was three when she went to these but four when she started in September.😁

Lots of parents say but they are at school when they mean the Nursery at the Primary School.
Yes all Nurseries are run by Nursery Nurses or teachers Professor Moody. You have to be Level 3 or above in order to run a Nursery whether school or private. I am a Nursery Nurse and have worked in both.

I know what you mean, but I call it school. As for calling it the school run, it is the school run if you’re also taking older children, you wouldn’t specify that you’re going to do the school and nursery run when they’re in the same building. I’m a fan of having the (admittedly casual) uniform to limit the amount of clothes we have, and nursery school doesn’t seem at all formal to me, definitely no sitting at desks as was mentioned upthread. As others have said, calling it school helps to differentiate it from the day nursery he previously attended.

My son goes to nursery as in a private nursery and also goes to school (nursery class) so yeh I say he's going to school tomorrow if it's a day he's at the school nursery wearing the same school uniform as his brothers, eating in the school canteen etc.

I’m withbyou. Annoying

Im really pleased we're nownin an area where school nursery year isnt that common. I purposely chose a preschool eoth high staff pupil ratio and preschool play focus than a school nursery which to all intents and purposes is school a year early!

Exactly, @cadburys. They're at the stage they're at. Kids are by the nature of how they are developing all the time. So they'll reach the next stage when they do. The idea of preparing a two year old for school makes me sad. This is partly why I used a childminder rather than nursery. I mean, don't get me wrong, I sent them for their free hours and all, but I'm not a fan of rigid structures for tiny kids in general.

Bowerbird - if a nursery class is taken by a qualified primary school teacher, it's not a "nursery". It's a class in a school.

The nursery class in my school is run by a qualified teacher, has a compulsory uniform and is an active class in the school, joining whole school activities, assemblies etc. It has exactly the same requirements as Reception to Year 6. The children eat in the same dinner hall, they do the same sports day, they are in the same building.

It's school.

ProfessorMoody

That is my point entirely. And why as a teacher I chose a preschool/playgroup and not school at 3!

I always think this too. It's confusing!. It's not school, it's nursery.

The nursery my children went to didn’t have rigid structures at all.

It bothers me too. People saying oh they're so grown up and starting nursery and all that shit. My child has been going since 12 months! I didn't make a song and dance about it

My dcs school ‘nursery’ also is a class within the school, a classroom setting (though with a large separate outdoor play area), taught by a qualified teacher, and they integrate with the school, do PE with external providers and wear uniform.

My dd2 currently goes to a nursery but will start at the school nursery next September. For her she’ll be starting school, but I’ll call it school nursery so I don’t confuse anyone into thinking she’s starting reception a year early. I’m sure she won’t tolerate me calling it nursery, as it’s quite clearly the place she knows as school!

And it certainly isn’t a playgroup, which is where toddlers play together with their parents (never heard a childcare setting called this? Though I think nursery for under 3s was called playgroup in the 80s! May be a regional thing.)

That is my point entirely. And why as a teacher I chose a preschool/playgroup and not school at 3

And that's fine but there is a difference.

My three year old started pre school this year and that's what we call it. He will do two years of pre school before school.

DD started school at 3. In the nursery class of her brother’s (private) school. 5 days a week, 8:40am - 3pm. With the mandatory eye watering school fees due each month. She very much started school.

And in fact had to be assessed to gain her place - which was a bit odd, granted.

In my area a lot of people call it school because the schools themselves refer to it as the nursery class at X Primary School.

The children attend full time 8.45am - 3pm from the September after they turn 3 & wear the same uniform (although usually logo polo shirt instead of shirt & tie).