Keeping toddler in private nursery

[MyCheekyBlueMentor]

If you had the choice would you keep your child in private nursery or send to school nursery?

As far as I know than have to apply for nursery and reception, so not sure you'll get either.

My nursery has two rooms - baby to 2 year old and 2 year plus. I just think he will be too old for private nursery.

I’m not I understand. Why will he be too old for private nursery?

Mine stayed at private nursery until they started reception. Got some funding and just paid the rest.

Working full time and I need the assurance I had 8-6 care if I needed it and no holidays except bank holidays

They were never there the full day.

The nursery put in place whatever curriculum they have at preschool nursery too.

The major perk of a school nursery is surely that it’s free…?

I think state nurseries attached to w primary school are usually quite explicit that it does not guarantee a reception place.

Private nurseries typically take children all the way through to reception.

If I didn't need childcare I'd use the school nursery (of the school I'd hope to get a reception place at).

If I needed childcare I'd stick at a private nursery because of the opening hours.

I’d go with school nursery if one of you is a SAHP or works TTO meaning you’ll have no issue with childcare over the holiday AND if looking at past admissions data you can be confident as you can be that you’ll get a reception place. Otherwise stay with the private nursery.

My two both stayed in private nursery until they started school, we needed more hours than 9-3 term time only which is all preschool would have been.

We had no problem getting a place at our preferred primary despite not having used the preschool- it makes no difference to your chances.

DC nursery had a third room though for age 3+, which I think is better than keeping the older kids in with the 2 year olds.

What are the hours of both and what hours do you need?
What are the costs?
What are the travel times?
Which has better adult:child ratios?
How much time do they spend outside?
Which staff do you like best?

School nursery may offer shorter hours than private, can you manage that?

Huge advantage to already know children starting reception at the same time.

Well the private nursery we use has about 6 different rooms, including 2 pre school rooms as do most that I have ever seen.

I would always choose private over school nursery as it's all year round, enough years of term time only to come once they are at school

Not always a huge advantage

Mine stayed at private nursery but they did have a pre school room (3/4) where it mirrored a school nursery. We did it simply because it was better for our working patterns.
in your circumstances I would be concerned that she’d be in a room with 2 year olds and not a preschool room.

If you're not sure you'll get a place at the school nursery, can you apply and see what happens? And keep him in the private nursery until you find out if you have a place.

As other posters have said, the school nursery is probably shorter hours and term time only. Is that a problem for you?

Mine stayed at private nursery the whole time. There is no guarantee that a school nursery place grants a reception place and the school was always very up front about that (didn’t stop people from trying). Private worked much better for us as we both worked and didn’t have to worry about short hours and term time only.

I would consider
-the hours your need (private nursery likely to be better for full day childcare)
-how many older children (i.e. 3/4 year olds the private nursery has). I would not want my child to be one of 2 or 3 older children with mostly 2 year olds
-logistics of getting yourself (and any other children) to wherever you need to be after drop offs (and reverse before picking up).
-number of children that go from school nursery to attached school. If it's a lot and this is the school that you are interested in, that would be a point in the school nursery's favour as it would mean they were likely to do more induction/familiarisation. However, this is only really an advantage for the first half term or so.

We've moved our children to a council run nursery school and I'd 100% recommend it. Our eldest was 3.
The main reason we changed was financial. But the difference in the educational approach has been amazing. We weren't convinced at all in the "teaching program" from the private nursery, it didn't matter that much at 3 but now that he's 4 and about to go to school next year we're so glad we made that choice. They have a proper curriculum that's aligned with expectations in reception. They have qualified teachers as well, it's a lot more thought through. I think the private nursery was just following their chain online program.
They have a lot more freedom and independence as well at the nursery school, the private nursery was constantly setting up "group activities" which my son hated. There the kids can just set up their own activities and ask for help if they need.

Obviously it depends on your private nursery, I wouldn't move just for the sake of it. We were very happy with ours in the baby and toddler rooms, it's only at the preschool stage that we had an issue.

We kept DC in a private nursery. They were offered a pre-school place at mainstream, but distance meant that it was unlikely they would have got in Reception. We didn’t want to move them from somewhere they were happy for one year and then have to move them again. It was the right decision.