Leaving childminder, starting school nursery

[ChristinaB1203]

Looking for some advice. My DS has been going to the same childminder (I use this lightly, she has 4 members of staff and is more like a nursery settling) since he was 10 months old. He absolutely loves it and is happy there.
There has been some issues since he has been there- she disagreed with us potty training him and put him in pull up despite me telling her not to.
She raised concerns about his development and told us were weren't doing enough as parents to help him- this isn't the case now he has met all his milestones.

He recently qualified for the 30 hours which she is still charging us £2 on top of the free hours.

We recently went to look around the local school nursery which was lovely and we got a good vibe from so have decided he will be starting there after Easter. This is free so won't cost us anything.

I have given notice to our childminder (after alot of guilt and tears to my DH) but she has made me feel terrible, asked if I was making the right choice for my DS and had I thought about it properly?!
She has also removed me from the mum chat that all the other children mum are in and we organise parties etc in.

He isn't due to leave until Easter but I questioning all my choices.
Am I making the right decision?

My son has been going to a childminder since he was 9 months old. He got his 30 hours in January and hopefully (fingers crossed he gets a place!) will be starting pre-school in September and she's so excited for him. That's the way it should be.

It's a bit odd that she's not pleased he's going to be with more children his own age and getting used to a school environment.

Whatever the merits of the two settings, her reaction is unpleasant and unprofessional. I’d move him in that basis alone.

It's up to you where he goes. He sounds quite settled though.

Have you got the holidays covered though? And school nursery is a shorter day.

I work in school so have all the holidays off. She charges full price in the holidays whether he goes or not.

Agree that her reaction isn’t great and seems somewhat unprofessional- especially since her setting is quite large anyway so it’s not like he’s going from a group of 3 little ones to a massive school setting. You got a great vibe from the place and you know he’ll be fine.

The additional charge is pretty standard for all settings other than school ones because the funding rate is so low....school nurseries in my area also get a higher rate than other settings.
I wouldn't question a parents decision to try a school nursery but of those who have 4 of the 5 removed their children and asked to return to me...the children regressed because the abilities of the other children meant staff automatically treated all the same not expecting children to self care , write own names, use scissors etc so children stopped doing it.

She sounds hard work!

I would probably have waited until September to move him, but no harm in doing an extra term at nursery.

The way she has responded is quite unpleasant imo.

Quite normal to move on. She sounds a bit odd tbh (top up is pretty standard though)

As you haven’t left ask to be re-added to the group chat until you leave. Then you can say goodbye.

Quite right to move him. She is very unpleasant and I think acting unprofessionally to remove you from a chat group when he has not left yet. Spiteful