OK to stay at nursery til 4.5 instead of school?

[cockles]

My child is at a nursery for two fulldays a week which suits me perfectly now, and in terms of childcare would be ideal until he starts school, maybe with one more day, so 3 fulldays there and two with me at home. I don't want to have him doing half-days all week - it would make our work lives really difficult. I'm happy with what the 4 year olds look to be doing at nursery. But should he be starting sessions at a school-attached nursery before he goes to school? will he need that to help settle in? Please tell me your experiences/opinions; thanks.

In my opinion, Reception is where they learn to settle in to school - that's what it's for! I would go for whatever makes life easiest.

My dd stayed at nursery and then went straight into reception (missed out school-attached nursery)

This was mainly because, as you say, its difficult when you work full time and the school-attached nursery sessions are only half days.

Quite a few of the children that dd was at nursery with went straight into reception at the same school so it actually worked out ok in that sense.

I'm planning to do this because the primary school I would like to send DD to doesn't have an attached nursery anyway.