Prob silly question, difference between a preschool and a nursery?

[Wishitwascooler]

My two year old currently attends a private day nursery three days a week but does attend a class which is held at a preschool and it is largely this that had me wondering what the difference is?

Preschool will introduce some structured learning geared towards the curriculum for reception, nursery is more focused on informal play and activities.

All Early Years settings follow the Early Years curriculum.

Preschool/Nursery/Foundation class/Nursery class can be used interchangeably.

My DD actually goes to a preschool as they don't have children under 2 years old there. However I call it a nursery.

Generally a preschool is to prepare children for school so it is more structured than a nursery and they don't have younger children there.

Lots of nurseries actually state they are a "nursery and preschool".

However as pointed out all early years settings which includes childminders have to follow the early years curriculum. (My DD also goes to a childminder.) This means the year before they go to reception the provider starts getting them ready for school.

I would assume a preschool is actually attached to a school. DS1 moved from a private nursery to what they officially call a school nursery, but I wouldn't think it odd if it was called a preschool. Same curriculum as if he'd stayed on at the private nursery! There is a qualified teacher and two teaching assistants, but not sure if that's coincidence.

My understanding was that preschools are attached to schools, and only take children 3/4 years old before they start reception. They tend to only do school hours 9am-3pm and are closed during all school holidays. Lots of kids only attend part-time as well and generally it's their first time away from home as many parents wait for the free hours before introducing them to preschool settings.

Private nurseries are 8am-6pm 51 weeks a year and take children from 6 months old. You tend to have more full-time children because of working parents. Obviously they cost alot more.

Our private day nursery just calls it’s 3+ room preschool – I think lots of people just use the terms interchangeably for the age group.

I run a preschool which isn't attached to a school and, to me, the main difference between us and a nursery is that I do 9-3 for 38 weeks of the year.

I think most "preschools" are attached to schools, often term time only.

My DC goes to a private nursery which has a preschool room (3+).

The "Preschool" my elder DD attended (called XXX Preschool) took babies from 6 months. But mainly concentrated on 3+.

Conversely DD2 (who had attended that place as a toddler) attended YYY Nursery which was 3+ only. (And only open mornings term time, its extended to 6hrs since it changed to 30hrs not 15).

Pre Schools don't have to be attached to schools. They run term time only and similar school hours. Children tend to start rising 3.

Nursery's take babies from a few months old and are open all year around. They tend to open from 8 ish to 6ish each day.

They both have to follow the expected EYFS programmes (as do childminders).

There are no hard and fast rules but IME pre- schools tend to be 9-3, term time only. Usually with a morning and an afternoon session, and an option for kids to bring in pack lunch if they stay the whole day.

Some will only take children from the September before they start school, some from the term after they turn three. Some in between those points.

If a pre school is formally part of a school, it would likely be referred to as the Nursery year group. If it’s a separate operation but on the same site, it could be called a pre-school.

These terms mean different things in different places. At my DCs school there is a preschool for 2+ which is run by early years professionals and a Nursery which is led by a teacher and only for the last year before Reception. But I know of other local schools where their teacher-led provision is called preschool.

I'm in Scotland so maybe different, but here preschools are for 3-5s, generally attached to/linked to a specific primary, tend to have less flexible hours than a private nursery and are mostly for using the 30 free hours every child gets here when they turn 3.

Private day nurseries usually go from young babies upwards, with separate rooms/groups for different age groups, so your child could start at 9 months, say, and go all the way to school age in the same place. Some people take their kids out of private nursery here to go to the school preschool, particularly if the private nursery they've been attending is in a different school catchment area, just so they can be around kids who will attend the same primary. But plenty of others just keep their kids at the private nursery and use their free hours there until school age.

And yes both settings should be following same curriculum and preparing preschoolers for school. Our nursery gets together with the school preschool and another private nursery in our village to do transition activities for the school-beginners. They also do school prep in-nursery, such as practising going out for playtime, getting their meals for themselves, etc.

I’m guessing preschools would only be suitable for parents who don’t work, or who have family available to help before / after 9-3? I work term time only so feasibly could manage childcare myself in the holidays but before and after 9 and 3 would be difficult.

The preschool/nursery class attached to my kids school offers wrap around care 8-5.30 like the rest of the school. So again depends on the setting.

Pre schools don’t take under 2s, maybe even under 3s. They are usually term time only too and typically hours in line with school like 9-3 but may have after school club. Sometimes they’re attached to primary schools but not always. But yes quite difficult for working parents unless you can combine with a childminder. Anywhere should follow the early year’s curriculum though.

Preschools were called nurseries in the UK because full day care nurseries weren't so common. They offered sessional care for structured early years learning that matched school hours and terms. Years ago, they were also called kindergartens, a German word for the same sort of provision.

Preschool is an American word that was adopted when day care nurseries became more common, to differentiate between the two. People still call them nurseries, which can be confusing, and I know one Early Years expert who dislikes "preschool" because she feels it places the emphasis on school rather than Early Years.
Kindergarten is also used in some places, just to confuse even more because I think they use the term in America for pre-grade 1 (5 and 6 year olds?).

To summarise: in the UK generally:
"Nursery" is usually full day care, but may be used for sessional term-time Early Years from 2 until 5 years old.
"Preschool" is sessional, term-time Early Years learning from the age of 2 or 3, up to school age.
"Kindergarten" is the same as "Preschool", but tends to a department within a private school.

They have to deliver the same curriculum so it’s worth noting that ‘education wise’, there’s no difference BUT often pre-schools on school sites have lower staffing levels so there are more children to less adults. That’s something a lot of people don’t consider but a huge factor

1. day care nursery usually take from aged 4 months plus and open between 7am and 6pm. Often have a "preschool" room to determine ages 3/4 room. Doesn't need qualified teachers, only level 3 practitioners. Usually ratio of 1 adult to 8 children for ages 3/4 year olds.

2. nursery class in a school offer school hours. Either all mornings or all afternoons or all days. All from aged 3/4 but some take aged 2. Usually overseen by a qualified teacher and therefore ratio is 1 adult to 13 children. Usually fully funded and more structured.

3. preschool is a private owned (often charity run or local committee run) and offers sessions but also school hour days depending on your entitlement. Ratio as above depending on qualifications and again more structured to help prepare for school.

4. childminder - work from their own home. Can have up to I think it's 4 under five year olds. Not all accept the free early years funding and you have to pay their hourly rate.

All must be registerd with ofsted and implenment the early years foundation stage curriculum. Every setting will do this differently.

If you work term time only I'd be going with a preschool or nursery class but with a term time only childminder who does pick up and drop off to that school. This would probably be the cheapest way for you as you would only pay childminder hours as school nursery or preschool should be fully funded (note some charge for lunch club but you can insist you provide a packed lunch instead).

This is all presuming your child is ahead 3 or 4 (or aged 2 and eligible for their 15 hour funding).

Nope.

My DD preschool is charity run and open 8-6pm, 48 weeks of the year.

If you can only afford to use the 30 "free" hours then your 3-4 year child only goes 3 days per week term time only. Your 2 year old goes 2 days per week term time only.

If you can pay more - they require proof of income - then they can go 48 weeks of the year with the minimum number of days of attendance set by age.

They don't take children under 2.

Nope no difference in curriculum in England all registered settings do the same. One just makes people think they are getting different.

As a childminder if someone wanted me to take to a nursery they would be paying for the time they are there everyone I know does this. We offer exactly the same as nursery or preschool out outstanding or good grading is against exactly the same criteria and we take funding.

Pre-schools attached to a school will often expect kids to wear uniform, and often try to insist on them being potty-trained. Too much too young - find a decent nursery and let them be kids.

And legally they are all considered to be "childcare on non-domestic premises" and are registered and inspected in the same way anyway!

See also childminders, who are individuals working from their homes. Or home childcarers, who are nannies who work for a family from the child's own home.

And rarest of all "childcare on domestic premises" which is a bodge for when a group of childminders work together from one house; it's still primarily a home so it's not a nursery, they had to call it something different.