Nurseries attaches to schools

[username5789954]

Currently looking at nurseries for DD for when she gets 30 free hours next year. Would you say it's better if she attended the nursery that is attached to the potential school I want to send her? There are two in the area. One of which wouldn't really work as it's only open term time. The other is open all year round but I wasn't over impressed by it.
We have a lot of other nurseries in the area that I would prefer. But I suppose my concern is the children will have made their friendship groups already in nursery. So when it comes to moving up into reception they already know each other. Is this the case or am I overthinking?
Also do you think attending the nursery would give them a better chance of getting into the school?

My DD will be going to the nursery attached to a school from September, it will have no bearing on her chances of getting in to the infant school. What will you do during school holidays if you chose the first option? If it’s to use another childcare provider then that’s a fair amount of chopping and changing. We have used a childminder for the past nearly 3 years and she will be doing drop off and pick up so it’s not too many changes

I think I will have to rule out the first school nursery for that reason. As I'm just not sure what we would do for the other weeks and like you said too much chopping and changing. I love her current nursery but they don't offer the 30 free hours very well. So much is not included and they way they offer the hours doesn't work we would still be paying a lot. We have a second DC on the way and it would be hard going paying two nursery fees.

Is there a childminder that does the drop off and pick up from the first nursery? We had the option to do 15 hours with the nursery and 15 hours for the childminder and just pay the extra as I need childcare until 6. They could then have your second DC too? That’ll cover the school holidays. I use the tax free childcare scheme. We received the 30 hours from April so our childcare has dropped by about £600 a month. As we’ll have to pay in full for the holidays I pay an extra £150 into the TFC account every month. Means I get the full 20% top up and the money is put away towards childcare for the school holidays

I have 2 children and once went to school nursery and one went to private nursery.
The child that went to the school nursery arguably settled in more quickly (but she was the younger child, so would in any case have been familiar with the school by the time she started there), however her nursery best friend opted to go to another school which caused a certain amount of upset. I'd say by the end of 2 or 3 weeks in, it didn't really make much of a difference.

Nurseries don't generally affect school admissions, but you would have to check individual entry admissions criteria (probably will be on LEA website).

My dc went to one attached to the school, my main reasoning was because it was a very flexible nursery (but only term time but that suited me) and it automatically fed the children straight into the primary school which is a great school.

If the school nursery didn't impress you, then I wouldn't use it. It is unlikely to affect school admission - but check that.

Either leave her where she is (and you'll save some money, but maybe not as much), or move her somewhere local and lovely.

Their friendships are very transient at that age, so don't worry too much about that.

Check which other nurseries have a reasonable catchment of children feeding into your chosen school, that way at least you’ll be reassured they’ll have familiar faces on starting school.

Most nurseries should know where the majority of their children move to.