accept pm place at pre-school or stay at playgroup????

[nummymummy]

Brain is bursting with this dilemma. DD been offered an afternoon place at the pre-school attached to our local primary school (very over-subscribed, places at main school not automatically offered if attend pre-school). She's at a lovely playgroup 2 mornings a week, v happy there and could stay there instead, for 4 or 5 mornings.
Thought that moving to pre-school would be better preparation for starting school and that she'd get bored at playgroup for a second year with younger children starting. But she still sleeps in the afternoon AND I also have a one year old and am worried about the impact on her - we'll be restricted on what we can do in the mornings when we'll need to have lunch so early. An afternoon place (12.30-3-30) really messes up the day.
Has anyone had a child do afternoons? Should I keep DD where she is? Help!!

Of course it's all down to personal preference, but I would leave her at playgroup. She is happy, settled and the playgroup is lovely. If it's not broken ...why fix it? As you say, a place at the preschool doesn't guarantee your child a place at the school, plus the afternoon sessions are inconvenient.

Why do you assume that she may become bored at the playgroup? All settings follow the same curriculum so there should be no difference in what goes on there.

I'm slightly biased though as my dd2 went to a lovely playgroup and was so settled that I left her there for her preschool year too. She knew no other children at her school when she started, but had no problems settling and very quickly had lots of friends. She wasn't at any 'educational' disadvantage and could read simple text and write simple words before she started school and left Reception having scored all 8's and 9's on the EYFS

My dd3 is starting there in September

Some things to factor in:

• she is happy and settled where she is

• you are (presumably) happy with her current setting. You may not be as happy with the pre-school (however "outstanding" it is)

• both settings will use same curiculum

• does the playgroup have older children (ie your DD's peers) in? Do all the children tend to leave for pre-schools potentially leaving her with children who are all a year(ish) younger

• how many of the pre-school children are likely to go to the school? Are there likely to be playgroup children going to her school? Though not a deal breaker I do think is a plus if she can start school with some friends around her.

• it is likely to be an easier transition to school from pre-school than playgroup (though again not a deal breaker). DD goes to school nursery and she is currently having frequent visits from Reception staff, plus is in Reception approx once a week, plus she has lots of opportunities to become more familiar with the wider school. External starters have had a single induction session.

• Afternoon starts will actually mean you have less of a rush in the mornings which might be a bonus with a baby as well.

• if you do any pre-school groups IME these tend to be in the morning

• Even though she naps now, she IS old enough to adjust to not having one, or having a power nap earlier or later. And she's likely to drop her nap in the next few months anyway

• If you send her to afternoon sessions YOU will get a break if your baby naps at that time as well.

• But on the flip side if she does morning sessions, you can have 1:1 time with her while baby sleeps.

Thank you both for all of the above, really appreciate it. You have covered all my issues between you!

By end of yesterday we had decided to keep her at playgroup because

• she's happy there
• half the children are staying on so as she's a June bday she'll be roughly in the middle, age wise
• the sessions start at 9.15 so not too much of a rush in the mornings
• she's outgrown most of the drop-in type activities that happen in the mornings (or tricky to find those that suitable for both kids) - and I can then take dd2 (will be 1 in sept) to these and have quality time with her. Activities more suitable for dd1's age group tend to be pm so these would become available again.

I then didn't sleep a wink last night.

In a panic that declining Pre-school place will jeopardise chance of place in main school (not supposed to, but...) and that will be harder for her to settle if and when she does start Reception.
But then, I would make a big effort to find and get together with kids who would be starting there too so she had some familiar faces. And it's either making her go through that big change now and then another smaller change into main school, or waiting a year when she might cope better...

Brain clearly still a bit spinning and unhinged. Just want to feel I've made the right decision and then get on with it!

Glad you've made a decision you are happy(ish) with.
If the school admissions criteria state no preference to pre-school children then they are absolutely obliged to follow that (and you could appeal and get your DD in if she failed to get a place because they'd not done this).

I've had a child do both - as I said DD is now in school nursery but DS went straight into Reception from a different setting. He was better able to deal with the change being older (it was hard work settling DD into school nursery) and was settled having made friends (one of whom is still his best friend at end of Y1) within a few weeks. On the flip side, DD's best friend in nursery is leaving to go a different school.

I think you will always wonder if you did the right thing. For me, I worried furiously at the time (both times) but in retrospect both were absolutely the right thing.