Confused between private nursery and a state school nursery

[TrexNia]

Hello,
My three-year-old child has been attending a private nursery for the past two months but is still struggling to adjust. Meanwhile, we've been offered a space in a state school's preschool nursery. My child faces additional challenges, including:

• Constipation due to not being potty trained yet
• Picky eating habits
• Needing to be fed

We're torn between continuing with the private nursery or switching to the state school nursery. We have a welcome meeting soon where we'll need to submit documents.

Additionally, we'd like to know more about the ideal timing for different educational stages in the UK. Specifically:

• What is the ideal age range for preschool/nursery education?
• When do children typically start Reception?
• What are the typical age ranges for primary school?

Should we stick with the private nursery or opt for the state school nursery? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!"

Hi,

Typically, children start reception the September before they turn 5. My daughter will start this September (2025) although she’s not 5 until next July (2026).

We were previously in a private nursery and moved to a school nursery when she was 3. It’s worked very well for us but I would say it has felt more like a school setting. The hours are shorter (9-3) with no flexibility so can be difficult if you are working as you will need wrap around care vs. private nursery.

I would speak to the school about additional needs and have a list of questions. For example, is there an expectation that children are potty trained (preschool expected this whereas private nursery were a little more forgiving). Also ask how they feed children (preschool was a packed lunch vs. private nursery that was hot food).

I think only you can make a decision but I’d say ask lots of questions and be cautious in terms of the challenge of change + additional needs.

Whether the state or private is better surely depends on the quality of provision, the hours you need, the location etc etc. No one on here can tell you which to go for. Except one point that if the state nursery is attached to the school he will eventually go to then that’s a bonus.

In terms of your other questions:
Children are ‘preschoolers’ from 3-5. Personally I’d say a year before starting reception is ideal.
Children start reception in the year they turn 5. I have 2 summer borns who probably would have been better starting in January rather than September (so 4.5) but that wasn’t an option.
im not sure what your third question means. Primary school is generally considered to be 4-11.

In answer to question 2, children generally have to start school (reception) in the year that they will be 4 on the 31st of August.The only exception to this is that if your child is born between 1st April and 31st August, if you like defer their place to start in the following year.

So for example:
If your 4th birthday is between 1st Sept 2024 and 31st Aug 2025, you will start school in September 2025. If your 4th birthday is between 1st April 2024 and 31st Aug 2025, your parents could chose to start you in September 2026.

In answer to question 3, primary school is from September after the child's 4th birthday to July after their 11th birthday, unless they are born end of July or beginning of August, in which case, unless they have had a deferred start, they will finish primary at 10, but will still be 11 by the time they start secondary.

There could be some flexibility if a child had a disability and has an Education, Health and Care plan, (EHCP) or if the parents decide to home educate, but otherwise that is school.

State nursery will take children between 3-4 in line with the school year. So if the child will be 4 by September 2025, they can join a school nursery in from September 2024. This is not compulsory. You can chose to keep your child in other provision e.g. a 3-4 class in a private day nursery, or with a childminder, or you can simply not put your child in any kind of nursery until they start school.

In terms of your own child, I think it very much depends on how well you feel his needs are currently being met. If you feel he is happy and settled there's no need to move him. Would he settle into the new setting better now than age 4? How much support could the school nursery provide as their SEN funding may differ from the school's? Also remember that attending nursery doesn't guarantee a place at that school, because literally a school nursery can take any child who's parent asks for a space, and can refuse any child if they do not have space. A school has set criteria by which they decide what order to admit pupils.

It’s not like state vs private schools.

nurseries are typically open longer hours to go to with working parents needs, they are all year round. They offer care from 0-5 years.

pre schools do 9-3 term time only and are for children age 3-4.

Both nursery’s and pre schools work to the eyfs and national curriculum. All childcare providers are held to the same standards as set by ofsted.

There are excellent nursery’s and preschools and crap nurseries and pre schools. And everything in between It’s really a case of looking round and going with your gut.

The benefits of school nursery’s specifically is they will start doing school preparation early so transition will be much smoother. Also the children travel up to reception together so your child will know lots of other kids when they start.

Depends on what country of the UK you’re in.

A BIG thing is the hours, and the number of days they are open.

A school Nursery will generally only be open school hours - 9am-3pm (ish) and school terms only (so 190days per year, but probably less if they spread 'settling in' over weeks), so if you are a working parent, you would need both wrap around care before and after school and also holiday care.

The other thing to know is your child will (usually) be in a ratio of 1 adult to 8 children at a Private Nursery, but usually 1:13 at a school Nursery due to there being a teacher in overall charge. The more favourable ratio of the Private Nursery might be more helpful for your ds's additional needs.

Children don’t have to go to school nurseries if it doesn’t work for your family. Our DC went to a private (actually community) nursery because we worked and couldn’t pick a child up at 3.30 every day. When they started school there were children in their reception class who had been to school nurseries and had done much more sitting down, beginning to learn to read and write etc. They soon caught up though and it worked for us as we weren’t really keen on formal learning prior to reception, and the private nursery was much more about play.

Just to add, quite a few of the school nurseries near us let you stay until 6pm for a small fee (£10-£15), so you aren't necessarily limited to school hours. At my son's school nursery, they take kids from age 3 (so September born kids can stay for 2 years) but you have to be potty trained, able to feed self and put on own coat (with some exceptions for SEN children)