What should I expect from a school nursery?

[2ddornot2dd]

Ok firstly let me say that DD is very happy, and I am not concerned BUT my bloody mother is an ex teacher and is always complaining about her school. (she picks up and drops off one day a week).

DD basically plays in the sand, the water and with the playdough all the time. I have asked if they will encourage her to paint, and it is always there, but she has only ever done one painting. They are not doing letters (she already knows her phonics), and so are not learning to read. Can't tell you about numbers as she can already recognise them, count to 7, recite to 50.

There is a dolls house that she also sometimes plays with, and they have a wendy house thing with a hospital in it in the school yard, which she used to enjoy but I haven't heard about for a while.

My mother is firmly of the opinion that there are not enough activities, and she isn't learning anything. She also doesn't like the teacher, but won't say why. I think it's sour grapes, but I am a little concerned that DD doesn't seem to be moved on from the same activities all the time. She is quite shy, and doesn't seem to have made any friends at all yet, although other mums tell me that she plays with their children.

I know I am a paranoid mother of a precious first born. Please humour me.

My ds was similar, never made anything to bring home from playgroup & seemed to play the same types of activities every time he went. But he was happy & therefore so I was I (at the time). We later discovered he had poor eye site, which is part of the reason he didn't like doing fine motor things (he couldn't see them properly,) which did in turn mean he didn't get the practise at things like cutting & was pretty poor at these when he started school, but he as recently (he's 8 now,) caught up. Incidentally, though, he was never taught to read & he was a free reader at the start of yr1, so I think school is plenty early enough for that.

If you're concerned ask to see the records they're keeping on her, you don't have to be confrontational, just say you're interested on finding out more about what she gets up to. They have to have evidence of her meeting targets against every section of the early years curriculum. I bet you'll be surprised at just how much other stuf she gets up to.

I would say that as an ex teacher your mother probably is not aware of the research into the benefits of a play-based curriculum (which is what the nursery will be following under the Early Years Foundation stage)
The emphasis is very much on school-readiness being defined as good communication skills, good listening skills, being confident and independent with a developing concentration span. If she can do all of these then you have nothing to worry about.

I am having similar worries as your mother and I am an ex/part-time secondary teacher (which I don't thing has all that much to do with it). And I don't think they should teach them reading and writing at that age either.

My DD (just 3) just started and is very happy there. However, our local pre-school is a charity and parents help out twice a term. Last week I came with my DD and nobody said hello, I didn't think there was all that much DD would have liked to play with. During circle time they went through the rules, and again at the end, no songs etc. That day they sent a letter home saying that they were having problems with listening and parents should focus on that at home. I feel the mostly 4 year olds were bored!

There was a little boy who played with letters the whole session, I sat with him twice but no member of staff did.

DD is shy with adults and went through the entire session only talking to me and a few other children (she plays well with children). She got her coat and went outside independently, but nobody buttened up her coat outside (I was inside). I feel a bit sad thinking that she is left to her own devices for 3 hours and not encouraged to chat or play together as a group or with an adult etc.
I looked at their Ofsted report and it was just about adequate. What I saw though I wouldn't have called satisfactory.

Another parent who's DD left last July had similar experiences and decided to sent her DD to another pre-school. Unfortunately, that is the pre-school attached to our Infant school which is really good.

Gabid, im sure you already know this, but, if your happy with the preschool, have a look for another one, it really doesnt matter if they go to the one attached to the school or not. My dcs didn't go to the schools preschool & have done fine at school, settling well, making friends etc. There are definitely benefits to going to the schools preschool but if it doesn't feel right then it makes sense to look at the alternatives. Good luck.