pre-school - how important is it to go to one attached to a primary school?

[deaconblue]

ds (3) is happy at his nursery. We're hoping he will go to an infant school in the next village. None of the children from his nursery class will go there. So should I move him to the village pre-school now or leave him where he's happy and assume he'll cope fine when he starts school in Sept next year?

He'll be fine. You will probably find that loads of children at the pre-school will be going to different primary schools (maybe they arn't in the catchment or whatever) and loads will go to the school who are at other nurseries (working parents etc)

Can you mix and match? - a few sessions at the new nursery and some at the one he is familiar with?

There wasn't a pre-school in my village, and dd went to one that was attached to a school that she didn't eventually attend. I was a bit anxious about the (relatively few) things that the pre-school did with the school, but by the time we got to 6 - 9 months before she started Primary school, I'd just made sure that every time we went past the school she was going to attend, I said, look, that's your new school. She totally got it.

I think there were four out of an intake of 20 that went with her in the end, but she didn't really know the other three at all. She was fine.

In your position, however, I'd probably mix and match - for my own peace of mind, more than anything, and to establish links with the mums.

It's not a problem ... very few of the children in my ds's class came from their nursery as many lived outside the catchment for reception. At that age they make friends quite easily and they will all be in the same boat and new to 'big school'

No not a problem - there are no nurseries attached to primary schools around here at all and it hasn't stopped my DSs from settling well at school. DS2 even went to a pre-school which was on the other side of town and knew only one boy from nursery who went to the same school as him.

They are very adaptable at 4 or 5 yrs. Lots of children will be in the same boat as your DS and the teachers are prepared for it and help the children settle in and make friends where they can.

My dd went to a private nursery half way between school and work so it wasn't practical for us to use the school attached pre-school/nursery. I did try to talk her into an afternoon session at the school pre-school, but she was having none of it and being the guilt stricken, part time working mum, I went with my gut and didn't force her into the extra sessions.

She's now 8, loves school and always has. Kids either settle easily into school or they don't. I don't really think that the specific pre-school you choose has too much to do with it. The fact your little one goes to nursery will equip him with any number of skills which will help with the commencement of his school life. When you consider some kids never go to playgroups, let alone pre-school or nursery, they all still manage to get integrated into school life eventually.

You'll probably find it's a good mix of people who have been to the attached pre-school and those who haven't, so don't worry too much about it.

Just realised the other point you were making. The fact that your little one won't know anyone won't be an issue, I'm sure.

My dd knew one girl in her class from the same nursery she attended, but she never really played with her much once school kicked in. A girl she'd never known before saw her at the open day taster session, decided she was going to be her best friend and that was that! 4 years later and they're still BFFs...we'll see how long that one lasts!

They're so young when they start school that they haven't necessarily started making strong bonds with other kids, unless they've been neighbours at birth or something.

Starting school is such an anxious time for kids and parents, but ime the parents are usually far more concerned than the kids could ever be bothered to be!

Dd didn't go to the her school's pre-school as I needed a full time day nursery. Even though the majority of her class did in fact attend the pre-school this has made not one bit of difference so I would say it is not an issue.

None of mine have gone to the pre-school attached to their primary school but it has been fine. DS1 only knew one child in his class but the school ask which preschool they go to to try and match the children up that way.