Sending toddler to private nursery as long as possible?

[babysnark123]

My toddler can go to free nursery next September (2027) or stay in current nursery and go to reception 2028.

I see no reason to keep them at private nursery. They would be in a room with children just turned 2 and I just think they will have outgrown the nursey. There are 31 children in the nursey room, but not all attend every day etc. They also cater for sen children, and that's included in the 31 children.

Private nursery than care is just at one place and 51 weeks a year. Wrap around care is provided term time at the nursey attached to the school and I would use holiday club/annual leave the rest of the year

Aibu in thinking that a 4 year old is too old for private nursery?

Thanks.

So I think the big private nursery get split in the afternoon. But I don't know if there is any formal teaching or structure. I'm sure there is but would the school nursery be better?

I can't see my little one not getting a place at the reception (same school). Religious and we are close by

Do you work? if yes, double and triple check holiday clubs!
Many holiday clubs only take kids from reception onwards. The ones who take younger kids often only have a handful of places, and often super short hours (10 to 2 or similar) and/or very high prices. plus not all 3 year olds deal well with having different people looking after them every day .
our local school nursery has a holiday clubs on paper - in reality it runs 4 days per week from 10 to 2, for 5-6 kids, and you can prebook a maximum of 2 days.

Op, in my experience people who CAN do school nursery so as it is term time only. So SAHM or parents who are in the teaching profession. Those in private nursery choose that due to the 51 week care they can offer.
was that what you were looking to hear? You first post was not very clear?

It would be heaps easier to have him stay in nursery but I just have a feeling he will be old 18 months and needs a changed. He's already progressed so much.

What's the staffing like at school nursery?

Also check wrap around provision specifically for nursery. They will be limited by ratios so will probably only be able to take a few nursery aged children.

Mine went to private nursery until they started school, there was no option as I needed the full time hours. There were many pre school children there.

Oh thank you.

They do offer wrap around but I would double check before losing the nursey place.

Double and triple check! i know more than one person who had to hire a nanny or quit their job due to “nursery wrap around care” being so limited that it was basically nonexistent (but heavily advertised as available…)

Private nursery was a big room from
age 2 to starting school so a big age range. Though they did take the preschoolers off into groups for some activities. School nursery they were all a similar age and moved into reception together. My daughter settled much better into reception than my son.

I kept mine in private nursery until they started school. DDs were in a room with 2-5 year olds but it was a small nursery (about 9 in 0-2s and 20 in 2-5s) so they could tailor activities to each age group which is harder with more children.
DS was also in private nursery until school age but that was because of his Sen which I think a school nursery would have struggled to cope with.
The nursery you use doesn't sound brilliant if 60 kids are just running round so I'd move on that basis.

They have to follow the same curriculum.

You will get funder hours too at the private one.

Go for the one that is most convenient, assuming you are working too and can afford it.

Reception is soon enough to be juggling holidays. Its hard if you both work.

We did because we both worked full time and the school pre-school didn’t offer the hours we needed.
There’s no right or wrong answer. It’s what ever suits your particular circumstances.

Have you been to see the school nursery you want to send your child to?

Same curriculum. Same ratio. Lots of evidence over decades showing children actually develop more with a mixed age range (this is what the whole "foundation stage" as opposed to reception/year one was based on.)

you get the same funding either way. Go for the one that's most convenient.

It's not so much "private nursery vs school nursery", it's more "your private nursery vs school nursery".

DD stayed in a private nursery until she started school but they had a pre-school room so she was with her peers and doing everything she would in a school setting.

Their ofsted inspection even described it as "a pre-school education in a private nursery setting"

It was an excellent nursery and we were confident in our choice.

I can see being less certain on staying in nursery if she was going to be with much younger children.

You need to be confident of wraparound and school holidays though if you're both working. None of the holiday clubs round here would take kids below Reception age.

The private nursery I used was literally next door to my work and open year round and for longer hours . I would have been mad to move my DC before they started school. But then they had a preschool as part of the nursery and I could use whatever the free hours were then - I think it was 15. And in the school holidays they could stay in the same place with the same people so the continuity was good. If I had moved them to school nursery I would have had to rely on a bit of a patchwork of childcare as my working hours weren't really compatible with school nursery hours. Obviously I had the same kind of issues when they did start school but at least they were a year older.
There's no right or wrong answer. It really depends on your personal circumstances. I would check the wrap around care arrangements carefully though. My DC's former school has a breakfast club and after school club but I don't think the nursery children can attend. Also, be sure that you have robust arrangements for the holidays. I think school nurseries usually work brilliantly for children who have a SAHP or extended family members who can provide childcare outside odf school terms but not so much for families where the parents who work outside the home and also rely on paid childcare. I think it can be very disruptive for a child that young to be cared for in multiple settings, even if they are all good. I'm sure there are advantages to going to nursery at the school they'll be attending but you have to weigh that against the benefits of having one consistent setting. Obviously depends a lot on your individual situation though.

Oh thank you!

This could be a deciding factor

Yeah but would the age be 2 to whatever age your child is? Or mixed like siblings and older children?

My son was one of many 4 year olds in private nursery. About 30 of them.
He then started school the September before he turned 5. The only issue was lots of others went to pre school together and all knew each other. It took him a while to settle in but he got there in the end.

Mine will be staying at private nursery. Just makes the most sense to us, they are happy and settled and it is more convenient.

What's pre school? I know nursey and than reception, and after year 1?

Really bizarre that they would put just turned 2 year olds with 3 & 4 year olds. That sounds quite unlikely. Why don’t they have a preschool class?

There is no right or wrong answer.

Dc1 stayed in daycare nursery until reception as I was working full time and I needed that level of childcare. He transferred to school with no problem at all.

Dc2 stopped daycare nursery and went for 1/2 day a week to school nursery for the final year before school as I was on maternity leave and she would have found the school transition harder otherwise. It was the cheapest option and still meant we had time together for half the day.

DC3 went to school nursery for the year before school as I had a nanny as my main childcare by then and she benefited from socialising with other children.

So I'm lying?

Weird

I’m planning to stick to price nursery part time so that I can keep my days off with my child as long as possible we have such adventures and it’s great when things are quieter compared with school hols. I also need the longer hours of care on my working days. If I had an older child at school I’d move to school nursery to save money though.