Don't know what the options are!

[boythengirl]

Hi all,

I was not educated in England so unfamiliar with the set up. My current understanding is that there is a legal requirment to start school from 5. That bit am ok with...it's the years prior to this? prechool etc..
What should I be doing...eldest is 3.

Will I be prompted by local authority re preschool etc.?

Some schools seem to have a nursery....how does the application process for this work?
(and does it impact their application into the school)

Do day nurseries include prechool? (i.e. can they stay there until 5?)

Thanks a lot for advice (I search on the internet but can never to seem to find all the info in one place!

I have just started this with ds, who is also 3. He will be starting school sept 2009 - he will be 41/2. You should get a form to complete with your 3 choices of school. The schools often have open days and you can go look round, or give your local ones a ring, our are usually happy to let you arrange a visit or if you haev any questions. We have not got our form to complete yet, but I believe it gets sent out early December. Other friends who live in different areas have theirs already.

With regard to nursey, again I would ring your local one and have a chat. We havepayed for nursey for a while for ds1 & 2, but now get some fuunding (which the nursety sorts out) for ds1 as he is 3. The funding starts the term after their 3rd birthday.

I think your best bet would be to ring your local nursry/ school for advice. Has that been any help at all?

Children are eligible for funded nursery places (up to 5 sessions of 2.5 hours a week during school term time) from the term after their 3rd birthday.

Various options for "pre-school" sessions - - playgroup (normally an informal setting, tends not to be attached to a school, often used by parents for the odd session from 2/2.5)

• nursery (normally run full days or shorter sessions and tend often to be used by working parents for this reason)
• pre-school (normally attached to a school, many only take children for the year before they are eligible for Reception, though some will take younger children).

It's confusing as the names are not always consistently used.

Legally your child doesn't have to start school until the term after their 5th birthday, but lots of children start Reception in the September or January before they are 5 (some areas do a single intake into Reception, some double intake).

You are not obliged to send your child to any sort of nursery/pre-school.

I'd suggest looking round local nurseries/pre-schools - all will most likely have different entry policies which you'll need to discuss. If you are keen for your child to go to a certain school, you might prefer to send them to a pre-school attached to that school (if there is one). Though normally children attending the pre-school won't get priority for school places (check school admittance criteria).

Get names down as soon as possible as places do fill up.

Thanks a lot for the info...it has been helpful. Guess I need to start thinking about schools already then as well as any preschool etc....scary.....time flies....!