Nursery or pre-school

[user1490025201]

I have a 5 year old, 3 year old and one year old. My 3 year old and 1 year old moved to a nursery near to our home in March, however a few weeks later it was announced that the amazing primary school my 5 year old attends is opening a pre-school in September). I am debating whether to send my 3 year old to it in September.

Pros - amazing, teacher led environment, forrest school and will make friends with kids he will transition with into reception with

Negatives - term time and school hours 9-3 (the transitional nursery be currently attend it a 8am-6pm nursery open all year).

Would probably do 2 or 3 days nursery and 2 days nanny.

Think it would be a great environment, but massive faff for me practically. I work (from home) 4 days a week.

So basically I’m debating whether to have an easier life (practically) and keep
my 3 year old in his current nursery. Or take the hit of things being even more of a juggle so he can go to the amazing school (pre-school). Any thoughts??! Does pre-school
make much difference?

Tricky, but I would do what’s practical personally. It does sound like a faff otherwise. You’re nursery would presumably been good enough for you if the pre-school hadn’t opened? You DC will make friends either way, he won’t be the only one who didn’t attend the pre-school, especially if it’s so new.
I moved mine to the school attached pre-school because he was with a childminder before - so obviously that’s very different from a school environment so I wanted him to have a bit more of a gradual transition if you know what I mean. If he was already in a nursery I can’t imagine I would have moved him, especially if he was happy and settled. They still follow the EYFS curriculum - so did my childminder, so the education side wasn’t an issue, just the bigger environment side of things.

How is pre school more of a faff? You're taking your 5 to anyway and will have to arrange school holiday care for him anyway.

You're sending 1 to one place and 1 to the other so don't see how it's extra faff whichever one the middle one goes to.
In two years they'll all be at the same place so even easier.

I sent my son to a nursery first though his current school had a pre-school. We were staying a little further away from the pre-school at that time. He still made friends in the school and more that half of the kids in his class came from different nursery's. So I don't think it would be an issue.

If you can afford to continue with nursery, practicality would win for me every time. If the middle one goes to pre-school they will be off during the holidays and you will have to take leave or extend the nanny's hours to cover the time. Could you work at home over holidays if nanny and child are at home too or would you get interrupted and get more involved in the childcare than planned? What if the nanny can't cover the extra hours? Yes the 5yr old will be off too and would also be with the nanny but if the school or other organisations run holiday clubs the 5yr old can attend those whilst not many are geared up to take pre-schoolers. I would leave the 3yr old at current nursery.

The preschool. You already have to arrange term time cover and after school care for your 5 year old. If these aren’t available for your 3 year old then stick with nursery if you are happy with it and it teaches early literacy and numeracy skills.

The nursery and all early years settings have to follow the early years curriculum. It is unlikely the 3 year old would be eligible for after school clubs or holiday clubs that you can use for extra childcare. If nursery is good I would stick with it. Many school nurseries near me have one very good teacher but rest of staff are mums looking for term time only jobs - they haven't all got early years teacher status or above. Both my sons attended nurseries until school and were taught to read, basic maths and write their names etc - both ahead of many of the others that started from the preschool. It actually doesn't matter as they do the same in reception any way. Both made friends immediately. I'm a childminder and the only children I highly recommend school nurseries for above all other settings are those with additional needs, do that they have the extra help already booked staff wise for reception. I wouldn't make your life harder!

I’m sure you didn’t mean it to come across like you did but the bit about ‘rest of staff are mums looking for term time jobs’ I think is unfair and inaccurate. It’s like saying ‘all childminders go to groups so they can gossip with other childminders and ignore the children’ it’s my very limited experience but I accept this is unfair on childminders.

I’m a nursery teacher, the training the other staff or more specifically, teaching assistants receive is very thorough, focused on the point they come in to nursery right through to end of reception. The activities are planned by me the teacher and I coach the teaching assistants on how to best support the children.

Ultimately you need to do what is best for your family. My children received more compassion and care from the private nursery but were challenged and opened up to more experiences at school nursery.