Want to get some outside views on a decision we need to make.
Background: DD (2.9) is a very intelligent (good with vocbulary, numbers etc) but quite shy, socially awkward little girl. She likes lots of one-to-one adult attention but doesn't really play with other children or like to play on her own alot (we do meet up with other children the same age, but she isn't quite sure what to do with them!). We've recently moved house into a village on the outskirts of the city we've always lived in - lovely community with a very good primary school, which we've always assumed she will go to. We don't really know any families in the village yet - our next door neighbours are older with grown up children, and there are no local children's activites on my one day off. My mum takes DD to a toddler group in the village, but I think mostly they play together and she hasn't really made friends as such. DD has always been looked after by family.
In this area, children are entitled to 5 half days of nursery the term after they are 3, so in january in DD's case (not sure if that is the same everywhere). This is minaly thourgh nursery classes attached to primary schools. So, we have applied to the nursery attached to the local primary school.
They also have a play group (independent from school but using same premises and some same staff from nursery in the afternoons, and most of the same kids). They take from 2.5, so we have just started paying for DD 2 afternoons a week, to meet other local children and get used to being away from us. The first week did not go well - lots of crying!!
Anyway, we have just been informed she has not got a place in the nursery from January. it seems no-one who applied did, as the nursery filled up in September. Apparently this is common, as of course there are 3 intakes a year, but pupils only leave once a year, but we hadn't realised this before. We are on a waiting list, and have been told we can reapply for September.
So our options are:
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Don't send her anywhere in January (but keep up the playgroup 2 afternoons a week if she settles there, maybe try and stretch the finances to 3 afternoons), then reapply for September. We've been told as we live very close to the schools, we should have a good chance of getting her in for Sept, and also the following year for reception, but they can't make any promises of course - lots of new houses in the area mean the school is a bit stretched!
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Send her to another nursery attached to a school a couple of miles away, which does have places in January. However, from a practical transport point of view,and in terms of secondary catchment, we do not really want her going to that primary school, so at some point, either this September or the following, she would then need to make the transition back to our local school (if she gets in). Plus it would be very different from the playgroup she is in now in terms of place and people, and am worried about her having to start a new place again in Jan, given how hard she is finding starting playgroup.
I am leaning towards the first option, as we know we want her to stay in the local school in the long term, so seems pointless her getting to know a whole other set of children for the sake of 2 terms. Also, I know if she was younger in the school year, she's only have a year if nursery before starting reception anyway.
However, it doesn't quite feel right keeping her away from education she is entitled to, and am also a bit worried that we might make her shyness even worse by no making her get used to nursery every day as soon as we can. She will still get playgroup (unless I am made redundant which is a small possiblity, in which case we may not be able to afford to send her), but can't afford 5 days a week, and it is more of a childcare provision than nursery education IYSWIM.
So, any views? Would we be doing her a disservice by keeping her away from nursery she is entitled to, or by making her change to a different setting than she is in now so soon, and then possibly changing her back again in September?
Sorry it's so long!