Dilemma

[foxy123]

My DD 3.5 is currently in a private nursery doing the gov funded 15 hours. I have just been offered her a place in a school nursery... my dilemma is this:

My DD is a fussy eater and the private nursery feed her breakfast and lunch. Since she has been going there her eating has improved incredibly. However the school nursery will do learning activities to prepare her for school. Her current nursery just do free play in the mornings when she is there.

Not happy that I'm having to make this decision at all really, I wish there was a nursery that just did both but there doesn't seem to be. So what is it to be? Eating or learning? Please help!

Is she ready for structured learning do you think? Not all children benefit from moving on from free play at that age.

Could you do both? Private for two days and school for two or something like that so she can have a mix?

Hi GinPalace thanks so much for responding! I don't have a clue about all this stuff and you have brought up some very important points. I really like your idea of mixing, do you know if you are allowed to do that with the government funding?

I would keep her where she is. She is settled, happy and feeding.
Children learn lots through play she won't be missing much learning when at the big school.
IMO not worth making the change.

Hi IWantSummer - love the name! I was just concerned that she might be behind the other children when she starts school, but I guess if she hasn't eaten properly she wouldn't learn much anyway?!...

Foxy you're welcome. I am pretty sure you can mix within the rules of the gov funding as my nursery takes it as partial payment for full place so don't think ot gets taken off you if you use more the 15 hours off your own bat as it were, but worth checking as I don't know for sure. Assuming you can manage the logistics yourself of course.

But yes - don't worry about her being behind - the school will spend the first phase of learning trying to bring everyone to a common starting point anyway, and sometimes starting too soon or as IWantSummer says - disrupting her little world can be a hindrance not a help. The repurcussions of any decision like this aren't knowable without hindsight sadly - makes being a parent very nerve wracking sometimes I find.

I'm sure whatever you decide will be fine in the end. :)

Have to say from experience we worry sonmuch about these things and think they might be missing out. All those children in her class will come from different experiences. The teacher will expect. Good luck

Are you sure her current nursery "just do free play" ? The EYFS says there should be a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. I think you would be surprised that they do some structured play, eg a baking activity, circle time, singing, maybe a little phonics phase 1 for the older ones.

Also when they start reception nowadays the reception classes are very much like a nursery eg a mixture of free play and adult led play, as school classes also have to follow the EYFS framework.

I think 'pre schools' are sometimes a little over rated and there is a misconception about private nurseries. They should also follow the EYFS and not be too structured.

Our nursery does both:-)

Hi nurseryvoice, at my dd's nursery all the learning happens in the afternoon sessions which is not suitable time-wise for her to go to...

Hi all. Went to visit the school nursery yesterday, it was fine but I decided to call DD's current nursery this morning to ask whether she could do an afternoon once a week instead just to get a bit of learning in.

I actually got through to her keyworker who informed me they have just started/are starting to do learning in the mornings as well as afternoons - so no need to move her or even move times so I am a very happy mummy :-D

Thanks for all your help!

Hi just to throw a spanner in here, will the children from the private be going to the same school as your dd? My dd stayed at the cc where I worked with me then went to reception at local school. A lot of friendships had already been formed at school nursery my dd and 4 others were the only ones who had come from outside nurseries. She did take a while to make friends.

I agree to keep free play as long as possible so that's a very good reason for keeping her at the nursery. Do you know for definite that the school nursery is more formal and structured?

X posted. Glad its sorted!

Hi ButteryBiscuitBase, yep all sorted now :-) I actually have my eye on a different school for her, but thanks for the thought!