Hi everyone need you honest advice please
Ds is three and has started nursery (funding hours) he settled in fine as he's not much of a crier and seems ok as in he hasn't said he doesn't want to go.
This is the first nursery I saw and it had an outstanding ofsted. The one I really liked the sound of was full so didnt bother having a look. I was quite naive. I needed a nursery that could give me option of daycare provision as I will be starting work soon so school nurseries were out plus I like the less rigid structure of daycare. The other nurseries had less than favourable ofsted report so just went with this one and it seemed Ok not brilliant but felt I didn't have much of a choice
Anyway was his first proper day today and so many things niggle me but I'm not sure of I'm being overly fussy as its the first time I'm leaving ds.
Firstly they require a uniform, it's not a posh nursery but I figured uniform is a good idea as then ds can get ready without hassle. Anyway the sweattop cos £20 and polo shirt £12 which I thought was ridiculous. I tend to shop in decent high street baby shops but I thought for uniform this was silly. I don't know how this is going to come across so apologies in advance but the nursery is not far from us but in a very deprived area so I'm wondering how other parents fork out for it, dh has a well paying job so part of me wonders if they deliberately put the prices up? They don't have prices etc written down so wondring what you guys make of the price?
Second thing is his key worker doesn't start til later in the morning and was quite annoyed to find her absent I was expecting her to welcome ds on his first proper day as he bonded with her but she was nowhere to be seen and she did not mention this on Friday during his last settling in session. So I was quite annoyed.
On Friday there were two staff members sitting on chairs observing the children and making notes for assessment but one member of staff his key worker sort of standing and supervising the kids. I just don't seem to see the hands on interaction and as its ds first time in nursery I feel they should baby him abit until he finds his feet cos I see ds wanting to be held etc but the keyworker says she wants him to mingle with other kids and not so much with her. Fair point I suppose just want to know what you lovely ladies think as I guess it is preschool just wanted ds to be eased into the routine rather than expected to get on with it like the other kids who have been there for longer
The most annoying thing is the lunch time. My plan was to have ds eating lunch with the other kids once he's settled properly. His session is 9-12 but I have been told today lunchtime
Is at 11.30 so what happened was ds was taken to the dining room while all the other children had their lunch as they are in full day. The key worker told me "poor ds" was sitting there waiting for his lunch so they gave him some fruit almost to say ah bless we felt sorry for him. Lunch costs £1.50 which is not a problem but I am quite unsettled they took ds to lunch but expected him to sit there while the other kids ate. Now I feel I have been forced to pay for meals just cos I don't want ds being left out.
Is this ok? I just feel it's odd as his funded session finishes at
12 yet I'm having to pay for his lunch as its either that or he sits there? Like I said my intention was to have him join the other kids at lunch as a social thing and maybe he'll eat better but I feel the only way to not have him eat lunch is to collect him at 11.30
The feeling I get from this nursery is they're very much into money making and I am not very happy with how they do things. I have been a sucker for ofsted report but that's cos I had nothing else to go on new area. The nursery I wanted for ds will be available from September but not sure what to do in the mean time. Shall I wait and see how it goes as ds happiness is most important thing