Nursery class for 3 year old

[beaner07]

DS will be 3 next summer and we are currently being told by lots of people that we should be looking at a Nursery place for him now. We just recently had some info through the post about it but my brain is not taking it in.
I know (well think I know) that he is entitled to some free hours from when he is 3 but if he went to a Nursey that was attached to a school for instance, would he start there in the September and go mornings or afternoons all week? Or could you let them go a few mornings/afternoons and then build it up - or is that something else entirely. And what happens if we don't manage to get him in anywhere and miss out does that mean he can't go anywhere at all?
Any views from those who have been there done that would be very welcome

From the term after your DS turns 3 he will be entitled to 5 free sessions a week. (for instance my DD was 3 in September so is entitled to free session from January) So you have to decide which 5 you want. Some places will only allow 1 session a day - other may let you have a morning and afternoon on the same day.

I would suggest you start him off on between 2 and three sesions as it can be a bit daunting to just go from none to 5 - not to mention tiring for your DS. My DD is a bit of a monster after pre-school because she's so stimulated from the sessions - despite the excellent structure they have of doing a calm activity for the last 15 minutes.

That said she loves pre-school and will be going from 2 to 3 sessions in January. I know she might like more, but even with a new baby due next month I will miss her like crazy!

if your ds is 3 next summer, he will be eligable for a nursery place from Sept 07. Some school nurseries want them to be 3yrs 3mths, so it could be January 08, depending on how many places are available.

You would need to put his name down from now onwards really. Most people seem to put their names down when they turn 2.

School nurseries will only let you do 5 morning or afternoon sessions (not less)

Could you send him to pre-school before then? I agree, going from nothing to 5 sessions in a school nursery could well be quite daunting for him.

The hours, days etc can vary from one setting to another whether they be attached to a school or not. Have a look for the ones in your area area and visit a few to see what suits you and ds best.

just to echo what the others have said.
DS2 is in a nursery attached to a school and he goes every afternoon. The teacher was quite insistent that he went every day but obviously if he's too tired or we're going out or something, then he doesn't go.

DS1 was at a different school nursery last year and he built up his days over 5 terms - went 3 mornings to start with, then 4 then 5.

It depends on the nurery and the staff. IME you'll only know what you think if you visit a few places so you can get the feel of each one.

Thanks everyone for the responses, they are a big help. I am now wondering if we might be better thinking about Playgroups.

We have only just started going to Toddler Group which is going OK (first time we went was horrendous - non stop crying) but he has been fine since.

I know with most things with him we have to do it really slow and gradually build it up and am dreading this stage when it comes to leaving him somewhere.

Do what you feel is best for your ds - he doesn't have to go to nursery at all if you and he don't want to. From what I've seen, it often doesnt't make any difference to how they settle in at school - some children who've been in full time nursery find school very difficult - some who've been at home with Mummy since birth run in without a backward glance! How about finding a playgroup where you can stay with him - then maybe leave him for an hour or so (blissful peaceful cup of coffee in a cafe with the paper!).

Thanks Curlew. I am getting all hung up on the fact that he is only going to be 4 and 2 months when he starts school and assuming that he won't like it and that he will struggle with being left because he will be amongst the youngest.

My negative side always wins everytime.

Hi im so lost, i wanted to start college in sep 2010 but my son is 2yrs end of sep and can join my college nursery but daughter is 3 in july 2010 but my course is full time would she have a free nursery place for 3days a week from before 9.30am to 5pm? please can u help as im stuck and stressing about it. thx santana

Ok, I'm probably going to add the confusion here, but just to let you know ...

From September 2010, all 3 and 4 yo's (the term following their 3rd b'day) are entitled to 15 hours of Free Early Education per week.

This 15 hours should be offered as flexibly as possible. This means that there is (or hopefully should be) a massive move away from the standard 2.5hrs per day and a move towards offering the grant places as flexibly as possible within the perameters set by the LA (our LA states a min of 2 and max of 10 hours per day) which are, of course, workable by the setting.

I don't know how flexible state run nurseries are able to be, but private day nurseries and playgroups in our LA are certainly gearing up to be much more flexible. For example, rather than the standard 5 x 2.5 hour 'afternoons', a parent can choose to place their child in playgroup for 5 hours per day over 3 days, or even 10 hours on one day, 2 the next and 3 the day after. This obviously depends on whether the playgroup/nursery can offer this flexibility, but most, I think, will strive to do so, because if they don't, people will vote with their feet and find somewhere that will suit their needs.

Every 3/4yo is entitled to the funding, though obviously they must secure their place at the setting first. If the setting is full, you may need to look elsewhere.

ssantana - your daughter will be eligible for funding from September 2010 so all the above will apply to her
She will be eligible for funding, but she won't be eligible for the whole time you are at college - you will need to pay for services or time your daughter attends above and beyond the free funded sessions.

hth

In our school nursery we offer flexible provision some parents choose 2 and half days or a mixture of morning and afternoon sessions rather than the traditional morning or afternoon sessions some choose to attend fewer hours/days per week it is entirely the parents choice ( depending on availability) I will say that children who do not attend regularly take longer to settle for some reason. We had one little boy who attended 2 afternoons a week last term and constantly asked when his mum was coming for him. This term he has attended every day and only occasionally asks (he is admittedly a little older now)

Does anyone know if these new rules regarding flexibility of funding apply in Scotland?