How often do you hear from Nursery/Pre-school

[Krupkrups]

DC is in their second year at pre-school and now one of the older ones.

They have been back 7 wks today and I'm yet to have any feedback on how they are getting on - literally zero. Is this normal??

Just trying to gauge, as last year I felt like one of his key workers spoke to one of us at pick up at least once a week - it was often more. Even if just for a very quick update. But I'm thinking is this because they were one of the younger ones?

I've been trying to say to myself well they've been settling in the little ones, but still, many of those only go 3/4 days or shorter sessions so I would have thought that in the last couple of weeks they might have started to communicate a bit more widely. I do see staff speaking to others - older and younger children's parents and it does seem to be updates rather than specific issues, but we've had nothing.

They post photos on a private photo sharing group up to 3 times a week but DC is hardly in them - never, literally never seems to be in the group ones and there hasn't been a photo of them for nearly two weeks now. The last set they were in there was only one photo with them in it and the last few photos of them they also seemed to be doing very babyish activities when all his peer group seem to be moving onto more curriculum focused learning activities now. I mean DC could be but I've no idea as I get zero from them or the setting! I feel I know more about other children's progress than his!

We had to bring up a very specific issue at the start of week 2 and were not overly satisfied with the response - which I think they knew, and we've not even had any updates as to how that is getting on.

DH purposefully dropped DC off later yesterday when it's quieter and asked re some feedback (we don't even know about applying for schools etc. which I think starts soon) but he said he was made to feel like a bit of nuisance and then they blurted out something about pencil work?? DH was like what we don't even know which hand he uses as he doesn't like to do craft drawing based stuff at home and there's zero photos of him doing that at the school so we can't even make out from those.

One of DC's keyworkers retired last year, and I'm worried they are falling through the net a little now.

DD has recently left the preschool at a private nursery and started reception in September. We’d get a very brief handover from her key worker at the end of the day but that was just what she’d been up to, any issues, if she’d eaten her lunch; Tapestry updates 1-2 times per week (she attended for 3 days) about activities or topics they’d been doing. If we wanted a more lengthy conversation about progress/development etc we could arrange a meeting with her key worker and did this every 6 months or so.

I didn’t really get anything about applying for school though, I’m not sure that’s their role. Your council website will have the info you need.

I used three different nurseries over the past few years. I always get an update at the end of the day when I pick up - depending on how busy it is, depends on how much detail I get but generally a run through of food/nappies/sleep (age dependant) and what they've enjoyed. There's also an app that's updated regularly. They've been private nursery rather than a preschool attached to a school so maybe that's the difference.

Schools wise - it's all on your LA website, aside from a poster outside the door and a message on the app nursery didn't give us any info.

We get daily updates on Blossom from our nursery - what DS has eaten and a few pictures. We usually get an extra update with an observation about a particular activity each week too. They're also really good at filling us in at handover as well. Aware that this is not the norm after speaking to friends with children elsewhere, but another reason for loving our nursery!

My son does two days, he is 15 months, and we get a written sheet each day saying what he has had to eat, nappies, sleep time etc and we get observations on a private platform once per week and they have done this since he started in April

My son started on Monday and i had 9 updates on the day plus 5 pictures of him. He is only 7 months on Sunday so they record when they change his nappy, food & sleep etc.

My nephew goes to the same nursery and he gets updates too, he will be 3 in December however my niece has just left for reception, they gave updates every now and then but as it was classed as pre-school, they didnt update the app as they do for the younger children. I presume its because you wont get constant updates when they start reception so they dont for pre-school.

@NCHammer2022 Yes that's what we got last year or thereabouts, but this term zilch.

@Iheartmykyndle this is a private pre-school so not attached to a school either, they were much better last year. They're supposed to be following the pre-school curriculum this year but so far I have seen zero evidence of it with DC. There was a great picture of one of the other kids having done a brilliant drawing of a fire engine the other day, they're only 4 months younger than DC...DC's brought home a couple of brown blobs - LOL.

Would I be mental to ask wth (in the nicest possible way) is my kid not in any of the photos. Especially the group ones. The issue at the start of the year was to do with inclusion/exclusion by some of the class and I'm worried they're not in any of the pics because this is continuing.

DD 15mo goes to a private day nursery 3 days a week. We get the usual end of day hand over (meals, nappies, naps, played in the garden etc)

On the parent app we get a picture and brief comment a few times a week, and once a week a longer more detailed snapshot of what she's doing and what skills she's learning. And then an even longer summary at the end of the month.

We've also got our first parents evening next week but not sure how frequent those are.

We send our 2 year old to a lovely childminder. Married couple who have a few children in their care. They update us every day with a couple of pictures of his day via WhatsApp. Always give an update on his behaviour, sleeping, eating and toilet habits at the end of the day.

Yes, definitely ask. it doesn't have to come across as criticism. Just say you are wondering if he is mingling as you never see him in the photos. you could also ask them to describe his average day rather than give an update every day. Just tell them honestly that you are worried about him.

Our nursery has a brief chat at pick up and then fills In a daily online log about things like.meals, nap, nappies etc

DD joined a stand alone preschool, which was brilliant, highly rated and she absolutely loved it but we got no updates outside parent days which were like twice a year.

@PurpleIsTheNewPink thank you that is a nice sensible way to word and basically sums it up perfectly.

Another load of photos added last night. There is one nice one of him but that is it and none of them with other children. Then multiple ones of most of the other kids and lots showing group learning and play - none of which DC is in. Again I could tell you what others have been up to across the week but not DC.

I do need to see them. Our babysitter/Au Pair took him for a cuppa and cake on Weds aft -after pick up and there were a few other similar age kids in from different schools in there and they were all making friends and playing together DC was being really sociable and shining bright and none of them wanted to leave apparently - this is with strangers so why is this not happening in school?? We noticed the same thing when we were abroad in the summer, seems very at odds with what we see from the pre-school.

These are 3-6 yo olds so there should be a good amount of doing stuff together at this point. DC is 4 yrs and 5 months.

This sounds close to my experience - also with private nurseries rather than preschools where I think the level of fees mean you do get a bit more 'customer service'.

Nappies/meals/sleep info tends to be on an app but there's be a daily verbal handover of anything they've particularly enjoyed (or hated!) doing that day.

Photos seems to vary , last setting we got loads, current setting they do 1 per day on the app of a group activity showing whichever children happened to be joining in. My DC tends not to be in group shots because we don't give permission for them to appear on nursery's public social media page or marketing materials, and they like to cross-post a lot of the group photos.

Once a week we get a little flurry of photos of DC and a short text update of what they've enjoyed that week.

I think OP if you want updates on skills/learning progress, the nursery should be doing regular reviews. Ask to see them. Sometimes you do have to make a nuisance of yourself.

Agree that they won't really get involved with the school application process.