When should DS start pre-school ??

[mumtosp]

Hi all,

I wasn't educated in the UK and frankly find the system a bit confusing
DS is 18 mo and goes to a CM 4 days a week. When should I start pre-school for him? I know someone who's DC is going to start when they turn 2 and this got me a bit worried as I haven't even looked at pre-shools yet (mainly because we may be moving house this year and I wanted to wait till we know where we will be staying)
I roughly know where we will be moving so should I start hunting now or am I already too late !?!? :( I thought DS didn't need to start till he was 3

Also, what's the difference between a pre school and nursery ?
From what I understand pre-schools/ nurseries are only for a couple of hours a day... so where do you your DCs go after that? (assuming you work full time like me)

TIA :)

From the term after your DS turns 3, he is eligible for 15 hours of pre-school education a week in term times.

Some daycare nurseries (ones that are open 8am-6pm as childcare for working parents) offer the free hours, but will often just knock the cost of your bill. Some childminders also do this. So you could send your DS to a nursery or CM for 4 days a week and from the term after his 3rd birthday you would get a discount equivalent to 15 hours a week, 38 weeks a year.

Alternatively, pre-schools, nursery schools or school nursery classes offer the 15 hours usually as 5 mornings, 5 afternoons or 2.5 days a week in term time. You could try to find a CM who could do before and after pre-school care, but they may charge you for a full time space.

Of course, you don't have to send your DS to pre-school, it's up to you.

It depends on your area's policy, you could ask your health visitor as they will know.

In my area it was the term after they turn 3, so for DS who turned 3 in October 2013, he started the next term which was January 2014.

Most pre-schools have two intakes a year, in September and January. Some will have an extra intake in April (though this is rare) and some will just have one in September (meaning an autumn-born child would start when they were nearly 4!)

However some start earlier at 2.9 or even 2 years old, so you really need to find out what usually happens in your area.

Ask your health vistor about what usually happens and how to apply - it's not like the school application system where you get allocated a place, you just apply directly, which means some have waiting lists.

There is no should. Start him when you think he's ready, preferably at least a couple of terms before he starts school to help him with the skills he needs to get on with being cared for as part of a group.

In the meantime he will be fine with your childminder.

You could also ask your childminder as she may only pick up from certain preschools. If you need to work then either he would go to the childminder before/after preschool, which may mean that you still pay her for the time he is not there so it might not save you much or any money, or you would have to find a day nursery for him which is a nursery which offers full days. With this arrangement, you can claim 15 hours free which will reduce your fees once he gets to the right age, although sometimes there are rules about when you can use it, so it can't be 15 hours off the whole week, if he goes 4 days a week you would only be able to use 12 hours for example.

Confusingly, both preschools and day nurseries are referred to as "nursery" but if you want to be specific, use one of these terms, and people will get which one you mean.

Preschools are 2 or 3 hours a day and sometimes attached to a primary school. The feeling is more "play school" like and there will usually be a teacher rather than nursery nurses. They can be more structured and educational but it really will be learning through play - they don't sit them down and make them recite times tables. They will just do things like talk about colours, weather, days of the week, whether this tower is taller or shorter than that one, animals, that kind of thing. And lots of messy play, toys, outside access. They don't usually serve food other than maybe a snack/drink.

Day nurseries usually take children from about 6 weeks old but will have different "rooms", the baby room, a toddler room and a preschool room, so the children are with others their own age. They don't have a teacher but they have nursery nurses. The ethos really varies from place to place, some will be structured and educational, others more free play but to fill the longer day most will have some structure like story time, song time, outside time, lunch time etc. They will also serve food, breakfast lunch and dinner depending on how long he is there.

Thanks all :)