My DD is just over 2.5 (birthday end of August) and currently at a private nursery 2 days per week, which she loves.
From September she will be eligible to start preschool for 2.5 hours on weekdays. We have applied for the local state preschool and she has been offered a place. Her current private nursery do wraparound for the preschool in question.
We have decided to send DD to a private school from reception class onwards, they have a preschool class but we have decided to keep her at her current nursery until reception/for as long as possible as she adores it, they are brilliant, outstanding ratings and they offer school holiday care.
My question is whether it is actually worth sending her to the state preschool for one academic year 2.5 hours a day before she goes the other school? The school is good and she knows a couple of the kids who will attend the preschool. The nursery have said that the preschool is more structured so that might potentially be a good thing for her. However I know that she would be happy attending the private nursery for full days and not going to preschool, also I'm wondering whether it's worth her settling into a whole new environment just for one academic year - i.e would it be confusing meeting a load of new kids & teachers, plus wearing the uniform etc before being moved to another school for reception...
I might be overthinking this but would be grateful for people's thoughts!