Another pre schools WWYD

[Kasumi]

Hi all
My small is coming up to 2 1/2. I currently work 3 days a week so he goes to a wonderful local childminder during that time. This may all be set to change as I might be made redundant in the summer, but will hope to find another job if I can.

We have three local schools.

School one is a C of E nice small school. We are very near to the school but being a faith school, "catchement" kids get no guarantee. We do not go to church, do not plan to go to church and are mildly uncomfortable with the concept of a church school. However it is the best of the three local schools and reeeaaaallly local. This school has a pre school which is supposed to be really good

School two is a big, bog standard primary. Nothing special. Know some kids who have been, and done well. Mix of catchment and mix of children. No linked pre-school

School three is a bit :-/ for a number of reasons. It has a VERY good pre school (actually attached to the childrens centre on site rather than the school). But we won't be sending our child there. (hopefully)

On top of that there is a pre school/nursery thing (I can't get my head around the specifics!) quite near the third school.

People keep asking when I'm going to send my boy to pre school. He's a september baby so doesn't start big boy school until Sept 2018 in 2.5 years. As far as I know, when my 15 free hours kick in, my childminder can do those for me (?). Currently the CM drops off at the pre school attached to school Three, and picks up at 3:30 from School two.

We love the childminder and want to keep him with her. He's pretty well socialised, great in new situations. He's learning about rules and how to follow them at the gymnastics class he goes to. He's pretty good at playing with other kids, seems reasonably good at counting and "learning" things. Am I wrong to not be that worried about pre-school? Can he just go for a couple of terms before he starts school? I.e Spring & Summer 2018? And which pre school would you choose from the above selection?

I'm yet to visit them so it's all speculation really. All my friends' kids will likely be going to the same pre school that's attached to the school they wil go to, and are all spread out over the local area, so going"with friends" not so much an issue. We just can't work this one out!

I wouldn't connect the pre-school and which school he will go to - there isn't a link with admissions so I'd take that out of the equation.

I have a Sept born, and she was so ready for school a Nursery place when she was in the year that she was 4 (her "Nursery Year"), so, personally I'm glad she went to a Nursery school then. However, some CMs go to toddler groups most days so your ds might be getting all the stimulation he needs.

I do think it helps dc to get used to being 'part of a larger group' and all the sharing / waiting / listening / following group instructions / etc that entails

Yes, he could go for the Spring and Summer Terms if there are places available to start at that point. As he will already be 4, I'd want him to start in the Sept., all other things being equal.

Of course, you are likely to still need care around the hours he is at Nursery if it is a pre-school setting rather than a daycare setting.

Some CMs take the EEE funding and others don't - that's a conversation you'd have to have with her.

Many pre-schools won't have places to offer for just the spring and summer term as places will be filled from the Autumn term.

3 terms would certainly be enough for him to attend prior to starting school.

With regard to which pre-school/nursery, I would go with the one that you feel best suits your ds at this particular stage in his development and then deal with the transition to school when it happens.

If you have a good childminder, then I would keep your ds with her until the year before he starts school.

He doesn't have to go to pre school at all if you don't want him to. Reception year at school will prepare him for school. Your CM will follow the same EYFS curriculum as the pre school. See how he is getting on over the next year and then maybe start him at the pre school the alter bet before if you want to. It's easier to get a place in September.

Alter bet = September

Thanks all that was very helpful. Three whole terms of pre-school just seems like a lot! Especially if it's all "mornings only" and we have to work out childcare around that.

Can your childminder drop off and do wrap-round care for the pre-school?

Also how transient a population do you have locally? I kept dd at her daycare nursery for the first term of her preschool year, as I was working, but then planned to stop work in Jan, so asked ds's school and they said there would certainly be a place in Jan, if not for the first day. Then they confirmed by end Nov that there were places - 4 kids of 24 were new this term.