August born not moving to preschool room until Christmas?

[auberginesandcourgettes]

Just wanting to get other people's perspectives on this...

DS just turned 3 in August, he will be the youngest in his year when he starts school. He has been at a private nursery 3 days a week since he was 1. We have been very happy with the nursery, and he has been happy there. He has been loving nursery so much recently, and in particular has started making friends in the last few months.

However, most of his cohort have now moved up to the preschool room, and have been replaced by younger children from the room below. They have been moved gradually over the summer in groups of 2s or 3s. DS apparently will not move until after Christmas. The nursery staff told me this is because he is happy where he is and it will give him the opportunity to be the oldest in the room for a bit and lead play. Out of his original cohort, there is just him and 2 others still remaining in the current room (out of about 20), and at least one of them will move in October.

The thing is, he now seems a bit subdued, less eager to go to nursery. Today he told me he missed his friends and that he hadn't had a good day. One of the nursery staff told me he had had a good day, but was missing his friends and bit and occasionally was wandering around on his own looking a bit lost. I'm ok on him missing out on the educational side of preschool, but I feel sad that his social circle has been broken up. The cynical side of me wonders if their reasoning for leaving him in the younger room is just an excuse? Especially given that several other summer born children have already moved up. And perhaps the real reason is that staff:children ratios make it more economical for them to hold a couple of children back?

Just talk to them again. Say it's not having the positive effect hoped for and can he move up please.

I work in a nursery and I would say their reason sounds genuine. if too many children move up a room at the same time it is much harder to manage for the key workers. The children see new faces both children and adults. Sometimes the ratios of senior key workers to children is a little tricky. As it has been summer and staff taking annual leave, perhaps it really has been that the ratios cannot be correct. The ratios are the law. Nurseries cannot break the law. Often a baby/one year old will not be able to move up because the ratios are out of sync, but in a week or two the ratios might be in sync and correct and above all, legal. It can be disruptive to the child if he is in pre-school for part of the day (a.m.) and then back in toddlers for the afternoon. It does sometimes occur though because of the staff:child ratios. Some staff are counted differently in ratios. It's the way it is. Where is work the ratios are a constant conversation and they stick to ratios like glue. Please be assured your DS is adjusting. he will be and is doing well. I'm sure if you ask DS's key worker they can reassure you.
HUGS though.

Thanks, I have talked to them about it and they agreed that it has been quite disruptive for him. Apparently they are now planning to transition him a couple of months earlier, along with the other couple of his peers that were remaining, so hopefully all will be ok.