School nursery, preschool or stick with childminder?

[MyBuggyIsOutToGetMe]

How important is the bigger group experience as part of preparing young children for school?

DC2 is 2.5 and we’re going to have to make some decisions around childcare in the next few months. Currently we use, and are very happy with, a wonderful childminder. But he is due to start school in September 2024 and so I feel we need to start thinking about provision from September 2023 and specifically whether we try to find a nursery or preschool.

Our childminder is unwilling to accommodate school nursery pick-up or drop-off, which is absolutely fair enough. We both work so cannot facilitate DC2 attending school nursery mornings/afternoons only.

So assuming school nursery is out, that means we either look for a preschool which can accommodate two sessions per week (eg AM) on days where one of us is usually with him - or he doesn’t go to nursery or preschool prior to starting school.

I feel uncomfortable with the latter option as DC2 is a very sociable little person who I think would enjoy nursery - but he also seems happy with our childminder and it’s logistically easier. He is much more confident than DC1, who hugely benefited from school nursery.

Are there any options I haven’t thought of? Did your DC go straight from a childminder to school? If so, did that work well and did you feel they were “school ready”?

My Dc went to a childminder and then did 2-3 mornings at a pre-school. Shame your CM can’t pick him up. I would definitely send him to preschool, at least 2 mornings when you can pick him up. IMO childminder alone does not adequately prepare for the school experience, bigger group, eating together, following rules in big group, finding your hat/coat etc.

Thank you - that’s my concern exactly, the bigger group experience. CM actually has facilitated school nursery previously including for DC1 but has made it clear she isn’t going to do that for DC2 and current cohort, which is fine but it’s a bit frustrating.

I think we will see what the school nursery can offer in case they are more flexible with hours now, but I feel like I need to start researching local preschools.

Private day nurseries usually have pre school rooms, might be worth looking in to? They’d offer the longer hours you need but the group experience. Or try private school nurseries - at ours the children are in the pre school room 8.30-3.30 then do wrap around with the rest of the school so can have 7.45-6 if needed. No requirement to stay on at the school for reception (just make sure you give notice in time) and not necessarily more expensive than day nurseries.

my daughter is 3.5 and has just started at private school nursery, having been with a childminder since 8 months. We are only 3 weeks in but she’s is thriving so far, she loves going and I can see progress already both academically and socially. Definitely worth it in my opinion, I was really torn between that and leaving her with the CM and mostly moved her as the nursery was more convenient (I work at the school) but can now see it’s the best place for her too!

Just moved my son from private nursery to school nursery and it's the best decision I've made. I had tears every morning from him as he didn't want to go, he absolutely loves his new school nursery. They do wrap around care which we couldn't send him to without - worth looking in to?

The whole ethos that childminders work towards is getting children school ready.
If he is very happy with your current cm why are you considering sending your child to a nursery?
With cms they do eat in a group situation, albeit a smaller group, they will experience larger groups of children through soft play visits, playgroups etc.
We follow the EYFS exactly the same as other early years settings.
Once they start school they soon adapt to the new surroundings and different way of doing things.
It always amazes me that some parents feel they have to take their child away from a setting where they are completely happy, to send them to a nursery, to then send them to school - as if the childminder isn't capable of that last year of care!
And yes I am a childminder with 10 years of experience, thankfully the majority of my parents leave their child with me until it's time for school, the odd few that haven't always bemuse me slightly, obviously it's ultimately the parents decision, but we put so much love and care into these little ones, it's quite insulting that some parents feel a nursery should take over in the final year.

@yougotthelook You sound quite dismissive of parents choices. Frankly my DC1 wouldn’t have not coped at school without preschool experience. She was used to small, calm groups at CM and not used to being with more than 3 children at the time. She went to preschool in the mornings, had lunch there and spent the afternoon with her CM.

unless a CM has a huge setting I think the experience is quite different (and rightly so) and most children benefit from exposure to a bigger setting that is less like home before starting school.

it's quite insulting that some parents feel a nursery should take over in the final year.

It's not insulting though really is it? It's the parents own personal choice and it's not to cause insult to you but what they feel is best to prepare their child.

Unless the CM has a massive setting I don't see how they can gain the same experience as they would in preschool.

Personally feel they need to experience the busier, noisier setting before school.

Op, my sons at private nursery in the pre school room, so the hours vary as to what you want.
The local school nursery does wrap round care but it's the only school out of 5 local that do for nursery.

I'm a cm and if parents want their DC to stay with me for nursery yeari usually suggest joining the school nursery for the summer term. This should be possible unless you're school is massively over subscribed, not an issue here. I feel a term of school nursery is a nice gentle introduction to the routine, group size etc before Reception year. Would that be possible for you?

Not dismissive of parents choices at all...if that's what they choose for their child that's absolutely fine...I'm just pointing out that I don't see any benefit of taking them out of a cms setting to put them into a nursery, then put them into a school.
I'm a parent too, my dd went to a cm from a baby, then straight into school at age 4 and was absolutely fine.
I've been a cm for 10 years, and looked after many children, the huge majority leave me then go into school.
The few that have been put into nursery for a year then into school have also been fine, the op asked if anyone had experience of children staying with a cm until going into school, and I was giving her my experiences of it.
That IS what she asked for.

I'm giving my perspective as a childminder.
I have experienced many different scenarios with many different parents over the years, of course ultimately it is the parents decision regarding their child, whether I agree with it or not is irrespective, it's their child and their family dynamics which of course I respect absolutely.
However I personally feel that childminders do their utmost to get the children in their care school ready, we are childcare professionals, so of course I feel that we can do that up to the point where they enter the school system.

Thanks to those who have commented. It’s clear we should probably explore options with school and private nurseries.

@yougotthelook , I have huge respect for our childminder and I know she follows the curriculum for EYFS. She also encourages independence and learning skills which help with school readiness. Part of why I’m dithering is that I think DC2 is happy there. We’re certainly happy and I think she does a great job.

With DC1, he needed that exposure to larger groups to help with the transition and would have struggled more without it (summer born). DC2 is a very different kettle of fish so I think he would be ok without it, the question for me is which would benefit him more.

To be clear, it is more the larger group thing where I wonder if DC2 would benefit. Partly a bigger social circle, and partly the experience of having to comply in a large group, if you see what I mean? He obviously is used to things like soft play and playgroup but they’re both very free flow.

@wonderingwhatsnext , the problem is that we cannot accommodate the length of the session of school nursery - it’s not how many terms DC2 goes for, it’s that we cannot pick him up after morning nursery on three of the days, or drop him off/pick him up if afternoon sessions.

You’re absolutely right that CM’s can prepare children very well for school. My DC2 did and was even ahead of other children. The nurturing aspect of a smaller setting shouldn’t be necessarily be sacrificed for a bigger setting.

However saying that I also think it depends on the child. DC1 suited nursery at age 3 and CM even agreed with me on that.

I send dc 2 to playgroup for 2 hours on the days we're home together. There's about q5 kids there, they seem to have a riot, it's broadened his horizons beyond family / childminder.