How does it work in Wales?

[EllaRees]

We are moving to Wales in the summer and I'm trying to find out more about preschool places and funding. My daughter is 3 so here we get 15 hours free during term time which we take at the private day nursery she's been attending 2 full days per week since age 1. I think you only get 10 hrs free in Wales but does it work in pretty much the same way in private nurseries? I don't want her to go to half day/5 days per week preschool as it won't fit my working pattern.

The Playschool mine went to would only let you use 2 free hours per day. Sessions were 3 hours so mine went 3 mornings a week (9 hours) but only 6 hours were free and we had to pay for the extra.
Not sure if that is the case across Wales or not.

The children in Wales start pre-school aged 3 - they are attached to the primary schools and are called nursery classes. The children wear uniform. In our area, they are offered either am or pm, 2-5 - 3 hours, 5 days a week. Because they are attached to the school they do not like them to attend part time so people tend to either send their children 5 days or not at all.

In my children's school, they have a mixed nursery and reception unit so children have the same teachers and TA's for 2 or 3 years, depending on when in the year they turn 3.

Pre-school is free and includes milk but there are no other options if you choose not to take the place.

As above except that although the schools do not like you to attend part time you can if you choose to. Also depending on the setting funding can be split between a school nursery and preschool/child minder.

Round here you take the 5 days a week/2.5 h a day attached to school or nothing. There is no option to use funding elsewhere unless no school nursery within a certain distance can take you (unlikely). You apply through the school admissions process so look on the council website - you might already be late for September so give them a ring.

It's a logistical nightmare if you work full time as you have to find a wrap around willing to drop and collect, which is a pita (particularly after a few years of private nursery!). Most local private nurseries have very few 3-4y old as they all shift to school, so leaving your kid in full time nursery means they are the oldest without many peers. Some of my friends have moved to private school nursery class (some of these do accommodate the funding) but that has its own problems as they tend to start academic earlier so when you move to state reception a year later it's kind of like repeating a year.