Funded hours dilemma

[saycheeese]

DC currently attends playgroup for a couple of hours two days a week and absolutely loves it. She turns three soon and will receive her funding and I'm really questioning what to do for the best.
before she started playgroup I applied for a place at the feeder nursery for the primary school she will attend but now I cannot decide between keeping her at playgroup and upping her days (they accept funded hours once she turns three) or moving her to the feeder nursery and using them there. I also have the option of split funding and having her at both places but I feel that might be too confusing for her.

we have experience with the feeder nursery as her big sister went there and we didn't have a great experience if I'm honest, so I feel this is clouding my judgement and my gut feeling, but there has been a change around of staff and I would like her to be able to experience nursery with children she will go to school with. the nursery would be easier logistically for me as it is a minute walk from the school my older DC attends so drop off would all be in one place, playgroup is a 15 minute drive from school.

hours wise she would be 5 mornings at nursery all year round or 4 full days at playgroup term time only. I'm not currently working so i don't have to worry about fitting it around anything as such.

we've had the best experience at playgroup, she loves it there so much, has made friends and the staff are all so nice and have been consistent the whole 12 months she has attended. I'm worried about taking her out to move her to nursery and then her having the same experience as older DC and hating it. Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated. What do I do?

I would keep her in the playgroup where she is happy, it sounds like she is thriving. You can always move her when she is a bit older if you want to.

Are there other kids at playgroup who would potentially go to the same school?

Even if not, I would keep her where she is happy. She will be so used to being in childcare by doing 4 days per week, she'll adjust to school really well even if she doesn't know any of the kids.

Thanks for your replies.
DH suggested keeping her in playgroup for a year then moving her for her final year before school, my worry is that if we do that she may not get a place at the feeder nursery if we did it that way.
she is completely thriving which is why I'm really questioning my choices now, my gut feeling is not to move her.

There aren't any children at her playgroup who will go to her school that I know of, they will most likely go to the schools around where the playgroup is.

I'd keep her at the playgroup if she's happy there.

No children from my son's nursery were in his class at school, and only one was in his year. It was fine - took a couple of weeks to settle but then you wouldn't have known who knew who before.

Keep her at the playgroup. The only real downside is the extra driving. Children make friends easily at Reception.

DD knew no-one when she went into in Reception, she made multiple friends instantly. Her now-best friend had a few friends from nursery in their class. But those friends went off and found other friends, and she struggled a bit until she became friends with DD.

So keep your DD where she is happy. They make and change friends so fast in Reception, it really won't matter.

Thankyou your perspectives have been helpful.
I think because my older DC moved to school with a lot of her friends from nursery and even now is still good friends with a lot of them it does worry me that she would be at a disadvantage that way but glad to hear it hasn't affected your DC.