Where do i get information about what age and what term my ds would start pre-school?

[juicychops]

as i have no idea where to look. He will be 3 in Jan and dont know when he is due to start or if he will be able to stay at the nursery he is already at

and how much is it and what would does he get for free?

you are entitled to vouchers worth 2.5 hours x 5 per week for around 33 weeks of a year from the term after their 3rd birthday (so after easter for your ds). Not all nurseries/pre-schools accept them though. What king of nursery is he at now - daycare or pre-school whichever you should go and ask them on their policy for early years vouchers.

Contact your local authority and ask them to put you through to the relevant dept.

He doesn't haver to go to preschool and he can stay where he is until it is time he goes to school, although I am assuming that the nusery take children up to school age ?

If so they will be able to tell you about the nursery grant which starts the term after they are 3 .

If not have a look at your local eduaction authoroity website .

This guide from Sure Start should help

It's a bit long winded though!

he will be entitled to 5 2.5 hour sessions a week free, starting from the term after he is 5 - so this would be after Easter. It is likely that the nursery he is at (is it daycare?) will be able to accept the vouchers (they claim for them) as part payment towards your nursery bill. Or, if you want, you could invstigate and see if there is a nursery attached to the school he would go to - but you would need ot get hios name down quickly - and if you are working you will need wrap around care as well.

The nursery he is at i think do the vouchers as i remember the woman saying something when i first went to view it although didn't take it in as it wasn't relevent at the time.

Ive got his name down for a pre-school just 2 mins from my house but he is settled at the nursery he is at plus i work mon and tues all day so would need to find extra childcare which would be a pain in the arse!

on monday then il speak to the nursery manager about it.

you may be able to use 4 of the vouchers at the nursery in the 2 days that he is there it depends on how they work it.

It is up to you to find a preschool and their admissions policy will vary, it isn't like primary school where you are written to and asked to apply. From the term after he is 3 (so Summer term in your case) he is eligible for up to 5 2 1/2 sessions free/subsidised but the setting must be approved by Ofsetd/LEA and meet certain criteria. He may then get some to count towards his current nursery fees (they will know if you ask) or you could look at a different preschool / nursery school / playgroup / childminder.

You don't have to take your DS out of nursery if it is difficult and you can send him to playgroup on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday if you want to but you don't need to. Plenty of children don't go to playgroup because they are already at a day nursery. There is no need - I don't expect they do anything different to a day nursery.

Be careful though. Our LEA and the one we lived under in Essex don't ask us to apply to infant school You have to find out about it yourself and apply at the right time, next year in your DS's case.