Right time to start nursery

[AllieAG]

Hi, wondered what peoples opinions are on starting nursery. In a bit of a puddle. My DB is 3. I have the opportunity to work from home and keep him at home. Yet he is now entitled to 15 hours free nursery care. Although he is outgoing and confident, I still feel like he is too young. He is involved in other activities, so does socialize. Is he better at Nursery or Home? Which will he benefit from more?

Honestly nursery.

The EPPE research project whichnis a uk longitudinal study found that children who access high quality pre school do better as they progress through primary school. The children are now in secondary school and they are still doing better.

The key is high quality and those settings led by teachers had the biggest positive impact. Look for a good school nursery class.

I find that by the age of 2.8yrs old most kids need to be with others. Send him to nursery/pre-school. It will be less of a shock when he starts proper school.

I wouldn't have a second thought to send a 3 yr old to a good nursery a few hrs a day.

I think worries I have are the quality and reputation of the nursery nearby. The high scoring (ofsted) nursery in our area does not start children till part time until just before they are 4. I spoke with the head and she said most are totally new to school when they start part time. Yet this schools children are doing way better than average by the time they are 7, ahead of the children at the school with the nursery starting at 3. Bit limited to choice in my area. I do not think I would have such doubts if I was confident about the nursery nearby. Thanks for replies :)

AllieAG, i think you should do what suits and your LO best, if he needs to wait until he is 4 to start the good nursery then that would be ok, still gives him a year before he goes to school to get used to that kind of environment

If you have doubts about the nursery nearby you should maybe go in and have a look, meet with the manager and get shown around and see what you think for yourself- you might be suprised or it might not be for you.

Hope it all works out for you

Yes do what suits you best. Have you taken him for a visit at the nursery to see how he reacts? I just recently went to visit a preschool with my 2.4 year old and he loved it (though only lasted 45 minutes! ) - I think he will easily be ready for it when he is 3, but other children might not be.

School intake doesn't rely on "feeder" nurseries any more anyway, so if you send him to the nursery from age 3 he won't necessarily go to that school.

But totally up to you - he will NOT be harmed by staying at home an extra year, I can promise you.

Yes, I would definitely send a 3yo to nursery. I kept DS at home for 3y, then nursery, doing same with DD.

The govt. gives the vouchers when they turn 3 because their studies show that it is beneficial to the child.

I kept mine home till three and a half and then sent them for two days a week. they seemed to really love it. but i also really liked the nursery. thought it would be good for them to mix with other kids etc. trusted the teachers. mine also had each other to play with - if i'd had a singleton perhaps i'd have started earlier. but if you're both happy not going, don't bother. mine like nursery, but they like being with me best of all.

Yes studies do show it's beneficial to the child, but as the lovely preschool leader said to me about my twins-it's great that we have them here, nbut some of these kids really need to come here. What she meant was I was meetiung all their needs with the life we had and preschool was just an extra. I worried that I should send them more than the 2 mornings that they did from 3 1/2 because everyone else did. I shouldn't have worried-they settled in fine to school.

If you're out and about meeting other kids and keeping busy then no need to push it if you don't feel he's ready. My brother demanded to go to nursery school because he was very social and my ds would have happily gone evry day to play, but dd wasn';that keen and 1 or 2 mornings was fine as it showed her how to be inb a group/line up/have lunch in a group but she knew it was never for very long.

Withnall due respect to your pre school leader that is her opinion and not supported by the evidence or research.

Regardless of their social background children benefit from high quality early years provision. Accessing early education Is not the same as getting out and about but is proven early years pedagogy based provision.

The quality of the home learning environment is a factor in later success however as eppe
shown the access to high quality provision is more significant than the home learning environment in ensuring that children succeed well as they progress through school.

I think that regardless of what would be beneficial for the children's academic future, I think it is only healthy for most of them to spend a few hrs in a place that it is not their home, with other children, other adults, other rules, other toys, etc etc (provided the nursery is good, of course)

Firstly, I do agree with you that some preschool experience is a good idea so that children don't find school a shock to the system. However, both dh and I had nothing of the sort,stayed at home with our Mums and still managed higher degrees. I do think cultural capital has something to do with that and,in dh's case, inate brightness.
Our catchement area has the top performing schools in the county and the dc's primary is, results wise, one of the best in the country. It was obvious that the twins were unsually academic from early on and they're flying at school. I really honestly don't think the 4 hrs of preschool a week that they had for 1 year has been the most significant factor in their measurable success at school. There seems to be a pressure to use the 15 hrs a week because it's free and your child will miss out, but I don't think you have to.

Their preschool was lovely, but didn't factor much in the lives iyswim? It was on a par with musical minis, walking Nana's dog and going swimming.

I do want to emphasise that I don't think academic progress is the most important thing in life, I just wanted to say that I don't think preschool is necessary.

Thanks for all the response. Defineme your reply was encouraging. I am more inclined to think that other matters affect academic ability not just preschool. My little boy is very happy and confident, he also enjoys lots of social activities, outdoors and in. I cannot imagine staying out of school for a little longer will disadvantage him. I keep thinking I will never have the oportunity again to spend time with him like this, why worry about school just yet. I know people will think I am stupid but I got a degree and never went to preschool, I learnt more from my Dad than I ever would have done in nursery. Leaning towards just two 3 hour sessions a week and not the full 15.
I have been speaking to a friend in Switziland and they have different ideas about school. They are far more relaxed, children do not start pre school till 5 or 6 and school starts at 7. :)

btw allieag - i put the girls up to three days a week in janaury because they seemed to be enjoying it - but i'm reducing it to two days again in a months time and cutting the hours. i don't think mine particuarly benefit from being parked in the nursery for longer. they have a great time while they are there, but we have a great time together as well. and there are many classes out there at this age where kids do their thing without parentsal involvement - i drop off at ballet and music each week, and sometimes they stay at friends on play dates alone. and like you, i love being with my children and feel this is precious time, which we won't get back. no other european country seems tobe this obsessed with early years education. it's your choice, you should do what feels right for you and your child. .

also, not everyone is lucky enough to have the choice to spend all this time with their children. and not everyone even wants to.

Thanks Kattyo, I do feel lucky I can spend time with my children, so many Mums miss out on it now. My husband said the same last night "its time you will never get back".

"no other european country seems tobe this obsessed with early years education."
Actually, this is not true. France and Italy for instance have free nursery schools for children aged 3-6. I can't speak about the French ones, as I don't know their system, but here in Italy, at least northern Italy, we think it is important for a child to go to nursery school, and virtually every child goes, every day of the week. It is free as it is part of the education system.

And on paper nursery schools are there to give every child, from every background, the same opportunities and the chance to develop and learn in a different environment from home, which is also important.