Confused about toddler education options

[LucasTheSpider]

First child, so no idea what happens next in regards to starting education.

She is 2 years old and doesn't currently attend any nursery as we manage childcare with grandparents. She does go to a 'stay and play' for a few hours several times a week.

She will be 3 years old in January 2024.

So, as I understand it.. she can start nursery in September 2024?

Are all state nurseries attached to primary schools, or not all of them?

Will she have to go to the nursery full time? Or could we choose to send her some days / half days etc?

Do 'pre-school' and 'reception' mean the same as 'nursery' or are they different things? If yes, what are they?

If she goes to a nursery that is attached to a primary school, would we then have less chance of getting her into a different primary school where she hasn't attended their nursery?

Thanks all, in advance.

Confused first time mum!

You can make whatever choice you like about her care before she starts school.
But if you want her to get into a particular primary school and they have a nursery or pre school, then getting her in there is a good idea.
Pre school is the last year of nursery (3-4).
Reception is the first year of school (4-5).

Like PP said you can as much or as little pre school as you'd like until she starts school. You will get 15 (or possibly 30) hours "free" childcare during term time. Eligibility for 15 hours is universal but 30 is dependent on your circumstances so check the gov website.
You can go for a school nursery which will likely finish at 3ish and not cover school holidays or choose a private nursery which will offer longer hours/will cover school holidays if you want them to.
In regards to getting into the primary school, it depends on the schools admission policy. Where I live attendance at the nursery isn't taken into consideration in admissions (is based on catchment, siblings etc) but could be in other areas so have a quick check on your local schools website and their admissions policy should be on there.

Oh and in terms of the funding, she is eligible from the term after her 3rd birthday. So if she's 3 in Jan will be eligible from after the Easter holidays

Do 'pre-school' and 'reception' mean the same as 'nursery' or are they different things? If yes, what are they?

I got so confused about this.

None of it is mandatory of course! It's for childcare reasons/ you want to get them used to a school-like setting before starting school.

Nursery is care for babies usually up until they start school. The year before school (age 3-4) is the 'pre-school' year.

Some providers are 'pre-schools' but they take from age 2-4.

Nurseries can run all year round (except normal bank hols etc) 8am-6pm or similar.
Or, they can run alongside the school year (this is more normally pre-schools) so have school holidays, and 9-3ish. They might offer earlier morning sessions and later afternoon sessions known as 'wrap-around care' but this might cost more.

Pre-schools/nurseries attached to schools are still paid-for. There's no 'state education' for this age.
You are eligible for free hours when they turn 3 (or earlier if on v low income). These free hours can be used with nearly any provider.

Reception is the first 'proper' year of school. They start this the September after they turn 4. Legally they don't have to actually go to school full-time until they turn 5 but most send them at the start of Reception (summer-born kids might defer, or some might only send kids part-time until they turn 5 but this is usually in agreement with the school).

You pick and choose the hours you send them to childcare. Each provider will probably have a minimum number of days/hours/ allow you to take half-days or not etc.

IME going to a pre-school/nursery attached to a primary school has ZERO bearing on whether they get into that school. All schools have their own admissions policies usually based on distance and siblings at the school. These will be published on your local authority website under 'admissions' or similar.

When I say you are eligible for 'free hours' at age 3, this is only minimal - 15 or 30 depending on circumstances - and it's likely you'll still have to cover other costs. The nursery/preschool should publish their fees.

She can start nursery or pre-school whenever you choose, dependent on their availability, waiting list etc. Good idea to contact a few and look around now and get a feel for where you might like to send her, how many days a week etc, do they provide lunch.

But if you want her to get into a particular primary school and they have a nursery or pre school, then getting her in there is a good idea.

I have yet to see a state school that has this on their admissions policy. Where I am they explicitly state that attendance of the on-site nursery has no bearing on school admission.

Thank you for posting this! I also have a two year old and have been startled recently by people asking me about schools! I don’t even know where we’ll be living when she starts school.

So if I understand it correctly school has to start once you’re five…from gov site…

’Your child must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first.’

But, again IF I have it right, the gov will fund education from the September after they turn four, if you want to start earlier? So that is optional and what they call reception?

So for us with children born in first half of 2021 school might start either in September 2025, but if not will start sometime in 2026?

So I wonder why people are asking me now? I feel like I need to go back to school because I’m finding this so hard to process!

In NI we have:

Pre-pre school - paid for by parents around £50 per week from 2y 10m

Pre-school - government funded

Primary one

Both of my children are the oldest kids so they did a year at pre-pre school and then one year at pre-school and started P1 age 5

My girl was born in 2021 so she will start pre-pre school in Sept 24 age 3y 2m

@Inyournewdress

People are probably asking because you need to be applying almost a year before they start (assuming England), and to apply you need to be living in the area if it's an oversubscribed school and they allocate places on distance/catchment. Not intending to live, or even 'in the moving process' but you need to prove you live there. I think ours you could provide proof of exchange if you were moving but that's it. Bear in mind moving can take the best part of a year... you don't want to be left on a waiting list.

Although school isn't compulsory until they turn 5, most people in my experience do start Reception in the Sept after they turn 4 (so they turn 5 within the school year) so they're not left behind. They learn a lot in that year, although the curriculum is the same 'Early Years framework' they have in pre-school so very play-based. What I have seen happen is some kids start but because it's not compulsory at age 4, do a phased start for a longer period. I haven't ever seen anyone start from scratch later in the year.

You would still (I'm fairly sure) need to apply for the September to get a place even if you were dead set on not starting until later in the year, unless it's a small school that doesn't have a big intake. Otherwise you might lose your place.

Definitely worth looking at schools now and checking admissions policies. We moved when my child was 3.5 and the school applications were only open until a few months after we moved, so there was a bit of time pressure in the back of our minds. Your Local Authority website publishes the admissions numbers for past years (so you can see if they were oversubscribed, although this also factors in which years had lots of births etc) and the policies for each school.

and to apply you need to be living in the area if it's an oversubscribed school and they allocate places on distance/catchment.

That doesn't read quite right - you need to be living in the area for your school, full stop.

If it's popular then you are 'competing' with people who live closest. I'm not trying to panic you, completely depends on where you live - some of my friends have kids at tiny village schools with tiny class sizes, where everyone lives scattered around the countryside, others are all in a small catchment area. Just bear in mind it's up to you to apply, no-one else will do it for you...! Then you have to get to grips with how much school holidays they have!

The 15 hours free early years education (or 30 hours if you qualify) can be used at either a pre-school attached to a primary school, or at a separate nursery, or with an appropriately qualified and registered child minder. It is beneficial for 3 year olds to have this and helps with developing the skills they will need for when real school starts in Reception year, and also helps with identifying if a child has any additional needs.

The 15 hours is term-time only and at a pre-school you will generally be expected to take it as five 3-hour morning slots 9am to 12 noon or five 3-hour afternoon slots 12 noon to 3pm.

Nurseries that are open all year around will be usually be more flexible. They with often let you spread the 15 hours x 38 weeks = 570 hours across the whole 52 weeks of the year (11 hours ish per week) and will let you take it in a pattern that suits you (eg 2 days a week) and you can add in some paid hours if that works for you.

Sending your child to the pre-school attached to a school you want your child to go to has absolutely no effect on the admissions process. Every year on the school admissions boards there is a post from someone who has spent the last 18 months traipsing across town daily with their 3-4yo so they can attend the pre-school of the "outstanding" primary that they are out-of-catchment for, and then they don't get a place at that school because they don't qualify and are terribly upset that their child won't be starting big school with any of their preschool friends.

@Inyournewdress although reception year is technically optional, in most cities its very unwise to skip it because all the good schools will fill up all their places from the start of Reception Year and will have no space to admit a new child into Year 1. If you are living somewhere where there are good schools that are not completely full then you are ok but in most places skipping reception will mean a place at an unpopular and poor quality school.

You have to put in your application for Reception in the January (usually- check your local authority deadline) prior to the September that they will start, so make sure you are living near a good school by then.

Make sure you plan your career and other life decisions to not need to move house between that January and the end of year 2 because getting a school place for a yR-y2 child outside of that admissions process is a total nightmare.

The 15 hours is term-time only and at a pre-school you will generally be expected to take it as five 3-hour morning slots 9am to 12 noon or five 3-hour afternoon slots 12 noon to 3pm

Not at all, totally depends on the individual preschool. I chose what days and they deducted the relevant amount as "funded". Each provider will administrate the scheme in their own way. Really best to get in touch and ask them how they do it and what it will end up costing for X days etc.

@OutInOutIn @JaukiVexnoydi

ok thank you so much for this information! It’s put me in a bit of a panic but I needed to know. Thank you.