Worth changing childminder for 15 hours a week pre-school?

[gourd]

My 16 MO LO is really, really happy at the childminder's. I work 4 days a week and intend to do so till LO is at school when I'll try to get another full time job. Is it worth uprooting her from current CM and hoping to find a new decent CM near the Pre-school for 15 hours a week free pre-school ed? What is 15 hours a week in terms of days - 2.5 days? The new CM would still have to drop off and collect LO from pre-school so we'd not save much if anything on childcare. When LO was 9 months I looked at CMs in our area and there was only one near the pre-school but she did not have a place at the time, although that may have changed by the time LO is 2YO. The CM was on my shortlist (of only five in our area) but as she didn't have a place available I didn't visit her so I don't even know if she'd be suitable. I'm so very pleased with our wonderful CM that I am really, really loathe to change. Our CM lives 3 miles away from the pre-school and does not drive so we would have to change CM if LO were to attend - unless we can get a place near the CMs and not near our house, but I don't know how possible that would be. Your thoughts please mumsnetters?

Worth investigating, but you may find that CMs charge you for the hours your DC is at preschool, since they won't be able to fill the place. The traditional preschools and playgroups, eg attached to schools, tend to be five short mornings or afternoons, not at all convenient for working families, or indeed CMs.

Another issue is requiring different hours in the school holidays, as the funding is term- time only and many pre-schools close.

Having said all that, we managed to find a CM who does the pick-up and hasn't charged us for the hours DD (3) is at preschool, have been v lucky! dD2 stays all day, think DD1 gets the best of both worlds.

Another option would be a private day nursery, if it participates in the eyfs funding scheme, these sometimes offer more flexible hours.

Thanks for your response. I don't want to change our child to a day nursery - The reason we chose a CM in the first place was because I don't feel that nurseries are right for our child. Nursery School/pre-school I understand to be different to a day nursery though, I understand that it's more educational and helps to get the child ready for starting school. I guess we could take it up when she is 3-4 though, it doesn?t have to be at 2 does it? If 15 hours of nursery school is five short days/half-days a week then yes you're right we'd still need a full time CM - so in that case we wouldn't save anything at all on childcare.

I don?t mind that though, it's not about the money. I would like to take up a place if it will help our LO educationally, but then again, not if it's going to cause more upset than that education is worth. I didn't go to nursery school myself yet did very well at school. I could read by the age of 3.5, but I am also aware that my Mum didn't work and was at home full time with me, so had more time than I do with my own child, to teach me to read, write and do basic addition and subtraction (as well as tie my own shoelaces - I remember being very surprised when I found out that other children in my reception class could not tie theirs!) before I started school aged 4. I only have one day a week plus busy weekends to do that with my child, on top of free play, craft, music, outdoor activity etc but perhaps that's all that's needed. Maybe it isn't essential that she go to a pre-school at all. The primary school literally opposite the end of our street is a good school and I think it's unlikely we wouldn't get a place there, even without her attending their nursery, as it's literally a 2 minute walk from our front door.

Day nursery teaches the same cirriculum as pre-schools. They are just learning through play. I believe the benefit is simply getting them to socialise and used to an environment with a lot of other children. I do notice some nurseries are more academic than others however. For example a couple even have computers. (though I don't believe it has any merits in teaching toddlers).

I'd look at nurseries attached to private schools if you want a couple of days without using the childminder and you can cope with covering the childcare in the school holiday period (although your current childminder might be willing to apply to go over numbers for some days if your LO is with her on the other three days).

If the nursery take the eyfs money for 6 hrs a day you might find that you get the pre-school experience you are after without having to pay for too many additional hours. I have found the charges before funding comparable to a childminder and cheaper once funded but then I don't require childcare in the holidays.

However the one we chose switched to only allowing 9-12 as free and we have to pay for the remaining hours so had to do 5 days a week to get full funding. That said moving my LO to a nursery gradually and full time when funded was the best thing for her. She loved the childminder and loves the nursery even more.