Transition from private nursery to school nursery

[Mommy2onexxx]

How do your little ones find the transition from private nursery to school nursery , I just feel so guilty like I’m ripping her away from everything she knows

We didn’t do it, partly for this reason as she was settled and going to the school nursery wouldn’t have given any increased chance of getting into the school so there didn’t seem to be much benefit moving her. Also because the private nursery was more convenient for hours and the fact that it wasn’t restricted to term time only.

What is the reason for moving your DC to the school nursery?

My daughter is speech delayed and her current nursery doesn’t seem to be helping her make any progress with this

Honestly I wouldn't move her unless you had no choice. In what way is her speech delayed?

Didn't do it. No point and school nursery wouldn't have covered the hours needed for childcare. 3 DC transitioned to school no problem.

My DD did this. She had friends at the school nursery anyway so I wasn’t too worried but we did a transition period over a two or three week period where she gradually increased her days at the school nursery and cut down her days at the private one.

What are the adult:child ratios like at the school nursery?
Usually private nurseries are 1:8 while school nurseries can be 1:13 so she will likely get less help with her speech, not more.

To be honest though, whatever help with speech a nursery can give will be very limited - you will have much more time and ability to work with her.

We moved house September when dd was rising 4 so she had one year at a new nursery . It was a bit rocky at first but she quickly made new friends and was very happy. When she moved to school only one of her nursery friends moved to the same school as her so she was pretty sad all over again! But they do learn to make friends - within a year you wouldn’t know she hadn’t been with her schoolmates her whole life.

But the school will have far more idea of how to help a speech delayed child and will probably refer to SALT unless they are already involved
Some schools have SALT working regularly with their pupils.

Not necessarily. Also the OP doesn't need a referral from school if she wants SALT support she can speak to her GP or health visitor.

We cut down the days at private nursery, and then put her in preschool for the others we needed.
I find the 2 completely different, she gets completely different experience from them both, preschool is a lot more structured and can see how it helps more prepare for school. (She is nearly 3) She loves her nursery because it’s lots of outside (forest nursery) and she has made friends, but I know she also loves preschool now, as she role plays “ preschool” with me!

We have literally just done this. Today was her last day at private nursery. She has been going 3 days a week for over 3 years, at the start of January she started going to school nursery the other 2 days a week.

She kept saying she hated going to nursery and wanted to go to school all the time, she would kick off on nursery days (even though we loved it for years and I’ve never had an issue other than the money side of it) when she was there she was ok but wanted to go to school all the time. I managed to secure her a full time place and handed our notice in at the private nursery.

She comes home from school telling me about what she has learnt, he vocabulary was always really good anyway but she is being taught to write her letters, and they have moved onto blending with her. Private nursery were more about learning through play and wouldn’t actively encourage learning time; it was only if the child asked to do something specific.

whilst I have no doubts she would have been fine going to school in September from private nursery; I’m confident now that she will get a good foundation as the teachers in school nursery were reception and year 1 teachers last year, so they know exactly where they need to be.

We moved DS in September and he absolutely loves school nursery. I think he was quite bored at the private nursery, they'd also had a lot of staff changes and I wasn't 100% happy with the setting.
It's our first choice school and very close (another bonus as we had to drive to the previous nursery) so I figured we were just making the transition a year earlier as he should be joining Reception there in September anyway.

So was it over all postive , my little girl can be shy , I just don’t want her to think mommy has pulled her away from all her friends

My kids loved the transition and moved up with many of their nursery friends. They'd grown out of private nursery and were ready for change. Are no other children making the same move?

A private nursery has just the same ability to refer.
Just because a SALT works with some pupils, won't have any impact on another child who doesn't have SALT involvement.
The main barrier to doing any 1:1 or small group speech work is lack of adult time, which is worse when ratios are higher.