Increasing nursery days or switching to preschool for nearly three-year-old

[Revoltingpheasants]

I’m wondering what would be best for my daughter, who is going to be three in July.

At the moment, she goes to nursery twice a week when I work. These days are Mondays and Fridays and I can’t really work any other days as DH is away. Perhaps because they are so spaced out I don’t feel she’s very well settled in nursery and seems very quiet and withdrawn when she’s there.

My options are

1. Keep everything as it is for another year until she starts school in September 2027.
2. Up her days at current nursery so she does either Monday, Tuesday and Fridays or Mondays Thursdays and Fridays.
3. Enroll her in a little preschool for a couple of mornings a week.

They all have advantages and drawbacks. The main drawback of 1 is I’m worried she’ll start school still withdrawn and clingy. 2 is my preferred option but also the most expensive while 3 means iI’d only have one full day with her and I would miss her.

any thoughts?

I wouldn't do (3). I think she'd just end up unsettled at two different places.

Do you have an option (4) for a term time hours pre-school, maybe for 3 or 4 days, supplemented by a childminder or wrap around (if pre-school offers this) to cover the additional hours you work on a Monday or Friday? That won't be so expensive as your option (2) - although option 2 is "tidier" - as you should be able to make more use of free hours. If it's linked to her future school, so much the better.

What is your plan for when she starts school? Can you start transitioning into that arrangement (if it's a school specific after school club, then obviously not, but if it was using external providers you might be able to).

Increase her days. Do you use funding?

Unfortunately not: the preschool is only 9-3 so no wraparound at all and I’m a teacher myself so I’d be finishing at the same time as her (well, ten minutes later in fact!) so I’d never get there on time.

I agree … I’m not a massive fan of splitting settings but it is a lovely preschool and there will be children there she will be going to school with (her nursery is closer to where I work.)

We’ll only have the fifteen hours in September not the thirty unfortunately.