DC 4 nursery room moves during 3 years

[gg9320]

My DC is 2.5 years old and started nursery at 9 months. The nursery is large and has more than one room per age group, including a preschool room.

She has always been on the slower end of the normal range for physical development. She spent 9 months in the baby room until she was walking, then 8 months in the young toddler room until she became a confident walker and could communicate basic needs well. She then went to an older toddler room where they have lots more independence and this was a big transition for her, one that still causes a lot of upset at drop off (she loved her previous room so it has been hard).

However, after only 5 months, they want to move her again to a different older toddler room (I gather it has some subtle differences like older 2 year olds who can talk more, more independent etc). As she is summer-born, we assumed she would stay in her current room until moving up to preschool in September.

Does this sound reasonable? She will have had 3 moves in a year by September. This feels like a lot of transitions in a short space of time and I worry how she will cope.

I'll confess I've never used a nursery but I wouldn't be happy with this. It sounds like an awful lot. Have they given a specific reason for moving her again?

It does seem a lot. Are they wanting to move her now so that she’ll be with the other children moving up to pre school in September? If the pre school is quite different to the nursery (more of a step to reception) maybe they think that change will be easier if she already knows more of those children?

@lemondropsandchimneytops @CloakedInGucci

thank you, I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks this sounds a bit off!

so far they gave a vague reason of ‘the staff in the room feel she is ready’ but no examples. Hoping to get some this week. Contradicts what a few of the staff have told me previously, that kids move from her room to preschool and so she should stay until then. Got the impression from one of them that this decision was not what they wanted.

It’s a good point @CloakedInGucci that they might be cohorting them early in preparation. It does seem like a bigger change, more classroom like and structured play in the preschool room.

You can say no, trust yourself gut and say no

I've worked in nurseries where there have been 3 rooms in total and in nurseries where there are lots of rooms. I find the nurseries with lots of rooms work better as there is a big difference in development at that age and having children aged 2 in with 5 year olds doesn't work very well.

Mines just turned 3, and hes now on his 5th and final room

Room moves need to be right for the child, not for spurious reasons that really boil down to being either 'right for the nursery' or 'to fit in other children'. We ended up moving nursery due to their approach to room moves not matching our DD's needs. At her new nursery, they were child led and staffed the nursery to make that possible. One day the manager caught me to say that DD had moved herself up a room, and was I ok with that. That kind of child led/child first approach is what children really need.

@elliejjtiny its good to hear this perspective, thank you. DC is in a room for 2-3 year olds and I believe the new room is also 2-3 year olds (albeit closer to 3 yrs and toddlers that can cope with more independence), with all children moving to preschool the term after their 3rd birthday.

@Sausagescanfly I’m sorry you’ve been through similar! So lovely that you found a nursery where your DD had that level of control and access to moving rooms. DCs nursery has lots of intermingling of age groups so I don’t see why they couldn’t also do this if they wanted too. The last room move was horrible. Even DCs key worker was visibly sad to see her go and it’s taken ages to have her not cry on drop off most days. I’m also contemplating moving her to a different nursery after her third birthday for this reason (been on the waitlist for ages!).

@Ragingoverlife how have you found it? I’m hoping we can at least agree with nursery on lots of early settling sessions in the new room as that worked well on her first room move. By the time she moved she knew everyone well!

I think this is just part and package of using a larger nursery.

As @elliejjtiny implied, there are advantages.

In Nurseries where there are fewer rooms, then there are bigger ranges of age and of development in the room. Where there are more rooms then it can be more specialised at the stage they are at.

our old nursery had 5 rooms and moved them every 6-9 months up to the next room (baby room, transition room, transition 2, toddler 1 toddler 2 and pre school)

He really struggled from room 3-4 because it's quite a grown up room, but found the move from 4-5 better. He only moved from 3-4 in September also, I think it's a mix of ability, spaces, facilities (a friends daughter was put in room 3 early due to toilet training early) whereas my other son seemed to spend a lot longer in some rooms. Weirdly he could remain in this current room until he starts school which would be a full 21 months but I'm putting him into school nursery this September x

The thing with nurseries is that children will be born throughout the year and so will start nursery throughout the year but children only really leave in the summer before they go to nursery. So the age ranges & abilities in the other rooms will vary during the course of the school year IYSWIM. The nursery will also constantly be flexing to allow for the particular cohort they have and whether that includes children with additional needs, children who are more capable than you might expect for their age etc and then you also have to factor in which attends on which days. My early autumn born DD who met all milestones early went through the rooms in a very different way to my summer born late to hit milestones DS

Thank you all for the helpful advice and insights. I really appreciate it :) I’m leaning towards supporting the room move but asking for the settling sessions start sooner so she has longer to get used to the new staff and setting.

Nurseries with lots of rooms do so for logistical reasons but it ignores the children's attachment needs.
Personally, nurseries with multiple room moves under 2 are a red flag for me.

However, if you're at a multiple room nursery, I think you have to just go with their set up rather than try to have your child on a different schedule.

My sons nursery is like this. He moved rooms every 6 months roughly but has only been there since 2 years old which isn't as many transitions.

Personally I like it, he loves having new things to play with, new garden area, a little more independence in each room e.g. using the dining room rather than eating in the classroom. He actually skipped a room because he's summer born so they wanted him to have his full year in preschool even though he was one of the youngest in there.

I think it's better he doesnt get too settled that he wouldn't want to move. They need to move to school soon enough anyway.

It may be they have noticed she’s not as settled in this room and think the next room may be a better fit for her. Some children seem to dislike certain rooms/staff even though they are settled everywhere else in the building.