starting nursery??

[TheSinglePringle]

What age do children go to nursery? My son will be 3 in November. Just wondered when I should start looking around and putting his name down?

He is my first

Any time from baby up till 4 years. My dd1 started at 9 months

For their free 15 hours its the term after they're 3 so january. I'd look now just in case your area is oversubscribed, my son is going to go to the nursery at the school ds1 goes to as its brilliant for settling in for school as he knew all his friends and will stay with them until he's 11.

we had to apply around about now (just after the children turned 2) for the free nursery place that started when they turned 3 so I would look now and see when their applications are due.

My DS's birthday is 2.1.10. The 15 hrs nursery funding is available from the term after he is 3. The school term doesnt start until 7th Jan 2013- so will he be able to start nursery in January or will he have to wait til Easter.

JJazz - he will not be funded until after the Easter hols, the cut off dates are 31st Dec, 31st Mar, 31st Aug. My DS2 is 2nd April so he was actually 3 before the term ended but still wasn't funded until September!

You can usually pay for spaces once they are 2, depends on the nursery/pre-school.

If my daughter turns 3 this October, does this mean she will receive her 15 hours free funding from Jan 2013?

Also, can someone explain the terminology difference between pre-school and nursery? Is nursery the year before reception?

Where we are a nursery is like a daycare centre and pre-school is the bit before school, some settings have both so your child would start in the nursery and just refer to the year before school as the pre-school bit. From what I gather this does vary from place to place.

You get the funding regardless of the setting from the term after their 3rd birthday. Some childminders also accept the funding but I believe they have to be Ofsted registered to do this.

I checked into this last night and funnily enough it's the exact opposite where we are in Hertfordshire. Preschool starts from 2.2 although most children go after they turn 3, and then nursery starts at 4, followed by reception at 5.

Having said that, nursery can start earlier depending on when your child is born. My preferred nursery is taking applications for Sept 2012 intake for children born Sept 08 to Aug 09. So we miss out because my daughter was born Oct 09!

Wonder why so many Jan intakes have disappeared? Used to be quite common when I went to school, many moons ago.
:)