dd is at a private nursery ? she goes 2 days a week, and we have a nanny who looks after her the other day that I work (our nanny also looks after our 1 year old on the days dd is at nursery). She?ll be starting school in Sep 09 ? locally, we have a very good state primary and a very bad state primary (really, truly, dreadful ? massive staff and pupil turnover, dreadful recent Ofsted report, head has just resigned). There is a limited chance she?ll get a place at the good state primary but the catchment area is small and getting smaller each year (new housing going up nearby, people moving to be closer to the school).
Her name is down at a few independent schools in our area ? they are all oversubscribed, reflecting the fact that the state options round our way are very patchy. A couple are selective, so we won?t know until later this year whether she has a place there, and with the rest we will have to wait and see if she gets in.
However, this morning we went to look round one of the non-selective ones and it was lovely. Really really lovely. The head was fantastic, the kids were polite and looked like they were having a lovely time, it ticks all the boxes. They take children at 4 into the reception class or at 3 into the pre-reception. They are always oversubscribed for entry at 4, so it would be a case of crossing our fingers, BUT they do currently have a place for starting at 3 in September as a couple of people have just pulled out.
So, the dilemma is do we take her out of her nursery (which we?re pretty happy with, generally) and move her to the pre-reception class where she would do 5 mornings during term time, or do we leave her at her nursery (2 full days a week through the year), and move her next year? The problem is that IF she gets a place at the good local state school (we?ll find out next March) we would send her there in preference to anywhere else, so potentially she?d have 2 changes of environment to cope with in 12 months?but on the other hand we would have a guaranteed place for her at 4 in a school we are happy with. The change of hours isn?t a big problem, as the nanny would be able to pick her up and drop her off on the days I work?
My preference would be for state education, for all sorts of reasons, but we?re not prepared to send her to the dreadful school. I do feel vaguely guilty about this as I know it will only improve if local people commit to their local school and are prepared to help it improve, but I can?t bring myself to do it.
I?m not sure I?m expecting any answers here, just helpful to write it down?