Nursery Conundrum

[HL321]

I am currently looking for a nursery for my son who will be just over 2.5 when he starts. He currently has a nanny 5 days a week, but we’d like him to start nursery for at least a year before he starts school, for the structure, learning to share etc.

I have 2 options:

1. An Ofsted outstanding nursery (Nfamily club) which is a 2 min walk away. It’s big and structured, staff seem good but I believe a high staff turnover, the usual class sizes and ratios. it’s minimum 3 days a week, then we would keep our nanny (who we love) the other 2. A great option, but then I found option 2.
2. a local forest school, very small and much more intimate care as its max 15 kids. They spend 50% of their day outside in the woods right beside the nursery, very child led. However they are 20 min walk away, and opening hours are much shorter. however minimum 2 days a week

option 2 is my preference however the 20 min walk is the only thing putting me off. I work from home so could manage the shorter opening hours but the distance does worry me slightly.

If you were in my position, would you prioritise distance or the aspects I like about the forest school (bearing in mind option 1 is a brilliant nursery)?
we would also like a second baby very soon, so possibly having a newborn in the mix could also change things 😅 thanks for any advice

Since you have a nanny you love, I would leave it a year and send him at 3. No benefit to disrupting him at 2.

A 20 minute walk isn't very far so that wouldn't really factor in to me.

Nurserys / childcare options pre-school age are very personal, however I note that you mention you want your child to go before school for the structure / learning to share.

My son has just started reception having been to a nursery. He has three children in his class who went to forest school and their mums have all independently said forest school didn't prepare their child for school like they had hoped. It depends what you want your child to get out of the setting as such requirements are very personal. They have commented that the children seem further behind than their peers in terms of recognising words, holding pencils and being disciplined (the forest school was happy for them to climb trees and be as curious as they wanted and at school each of these children have been brought up on the whole wandering off / not staying put when told to read etc) so whilst it was wonderful in ways a nursery can't be, the parents have noticed a huge difference between their children and children who went to a nursery. A nursery will do an element of learning like a school, especially in their final year of nursery. That being said, it's so personal - and always time to catch up if you've been to forest school I suppose!

I also wouldn't choose a nursery 20 mins away - not with a baby too - I'm not at all organised enough like that! Again, each to their own. I'd also want my older one there longer hours if have a baby too!

Personally I would wait another year before considering it if you don’t need a nursery. Ensure he is taken to lots of playgroups and similar.

If you have a nanny you love, that's far more valuable a learning experience than nursery. If structure, learning and development, and socialising are the main reasons you're changing childcare options, maybe wait until 3 / 3.5? Children aren't capable of collaborative play until around then, and take minimal benefit from this in a shared setting before this age. They actually learn more about sharing from a 1:1 ratio at this young age.

If you work from home surely a 20 min walk is still more than do able?