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!

My daughter goes to a nursery class at a school. They are fully part of the school. She has a teacher and has to wear a uniform. Sooooo YABU.

Yes, I've read the thread. I'm also aware of the different types of early years settings, seeing as I'm a teacher, thanks. Some children are in nursery classes, in schools, particularly in Wales, where KS1 is from 3-7. It is most definitely school.

You don't have the final arbitration ProfessorMoody. My opinion differs from yours. If my 3 year old was in the nursery class of a primary school and someone asked me if my child had started school yet I would say "No. They are in nursery"

Are you in Wales then, Heater?

My two both started school at the age of 3 - very small private school (England, not Wales) that takes 3 year olds into the Reception class. DD2 is young in the year so was only just 3 when she started. Full uniform, proper school day. Most definitely school.

Annoys me a tiny bit too. My daughter goes to a nursery on a school site. Nursery! It's not play group either. The staff are amazing and she learns so much.

Bugs me a little too. My son is 2 and corrects people if they've asked if he's been too school, he'll say no I've been nursery!

I find that annoying too for some reason. Say what you mean!

To be specific I do say ‘school nursery class’ but if I’m chatting to someone I might say ‘got to go, need to pick DD up from school’, since physically that’s where she is! There is a difference between “Starting School” and being at school if you see what I mean. Although if we get pedantic then actually reception shouldn’t count since they aren’t CSA..?

Why do some posters find it difficult to understand that some children go to school from age 3? It’s not as if they are sitting doing history essays or algebra practice. It’s play based, lots of fun with the opportunity to be with their friends learning without realising.

Indeed. DD was in the same classroom, with the same teachers, as the reception children. Occasionally the reception kids would split off to do a bit of reading or writing or maths for 10-15 minutes, and then they would go back and join the rest of the Early Years pupils.

Why do some posters find it difficult to understand that some children go to school from age 3 Well exactly. Especially when it's been explained numerous times.

My daughter is 3 used to go to private nursery and now goes to school nursery where her sister attends school. I call it hook to differentiate between there and her old nursery. I tell her she's in the nursery class. She fully understands this. I really don't know what your issue is.

*school, not hook

My son attends the schools nursery. The nursery children are mixed with the reception children so I say school, as it’s a school classroom and half the children are in school and the other half are in nursery but are mixed together. If it was a separate nursery not part of the school I would call it a nursery.

If I was asked by someone I didn’t know if he had started school yet I’d answer, “no not yet he goes half day and starts full time next year (in the same class).

My son went to pre school. We sometimes called it school just because it felt like school for him. We had to be there at the same time every day, teachers were Mrs xxx however it was all play based. I would never have called it nursery though as in my mind nursery is childcare for babies up to school age and all day while parents work. Which feels very different from pre school.

I've read so much of this thread it's suddenly occurred to be what a weird word "school" is. SCHOOL. It looks so weird!

As you were.

We're in Scotland where children are generally older when they start school.

I don't think I've ever heard of people referring to nursery, pre-school or playgroup as "school" even when the preschool is located in a Primary School building. Most parents refer to the name of the setting - "need to drop my child at North Church" or "Sophie has a morning place at Sunny Acres".

I'd say nursery. Mine went to a nursery not attached to a school, but even if they'd been to one attached to a school, I'd say nursery. I don't know the term preschool - not in use where I live. A playgroup is something entirely different again. But if you have more than one child, and one is at the school proper and the other is at the nursery attached to the school, I can see why you'd refer to both as school in an everyday setting - "Let's get along to school."