Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

Flip

Original poster

Would you move your DC to a different nursery at 4yrs if they were not going to school till 5yrs?

10 replies

Holymoly321 · 25/08/2009 09:55

DS1 has been going to the same small private day nursery for morning sessions since he was nearly two. He turns four next month and so has been getting his early years 2.5 funded sessions there too for a while now (we pay for him to stay for lunch). But now a lot of his friends have left for school and as he just misses the school intake, he won't go till next year. We're wondering if we should now move him to a state nursery attached to a school where there are more kids and a qualified teacher so he gets used to 'school atmosphere', or leave him where he is as he knows the staff well etc. I'm not concerned about him making new friends as he is a very confident and friendly child who fits in anywhere. I am so confused I would really appreciate your thoughts.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ninah · 25/08/2009 09:56

I'd leave him where he is unless there is a nursery attached to the school where he will be starting reception

IdrisTheDragon · 25/08/2009 10:12

I'd leave him where he is - he will quickly learn about school atmosphere when he starts school.

Original poster

Holymoly321 · 25/08/2009 10:20

I just have this fear (irrational as it may be) that he isn't learning anything at the small nursery now that he is older. All he seems to do is run about! He hardly ever has drawings or anything to bring home. Other kids can draw recognisable pictures, letters etc, but he is not interested. Am I being totally stupid to think that sending him somewhere unfamiliar to him will give him a bit of a shake, or is the whole point of nursery to just play about and have fun, leaving all the learning stuff just for school?

OP posts:

ninah · 25/08/2009 10:21

at this age they learn through play
if you are concerned speak to the staff but don't move him for the sake of it

lljkk · 25/08/2009 10:24

It's a BIG plus socially to attend same preschool setting as most the other children in your reception class; I would move him for that reason.

EldonAve · 25/08/2009 10:25

I would move him unless you need the extended care that the daycare nursery can offer

IdrisTheDragon · 25/08/2009 10:26

When DS was that age he didn't do any recognisable drawings or letters or anything like that. He is 5.9 now and about to go into year 1 and (proud mother moment) is one of the most "advanced" in his class. I would really say don't worry about "learning" - they ate doing it all the time.

If you are happy with the current nursery then keep him there. If you aren't for some other reason then consider moving him but I wouldn't on "learning" grounds.

Depending on where you are there may be formal scho nursery application processes which you may have missed anyway (there aren't in our county but the next door one does have).

Aranea · 25/08/2009 10:29

I don't think he needs to get used to the 'school atmosphere' now. He will do that next year.

And if other children at his nursery are writing letters and drawing, that suggests that the nursery is offering them the opportunity to learn if they are interested. So maybe your son just isn't ready yet. He'll do it when he's ready.

I'd let him play for now and not worry about it. There is no rush.

tryingherbest · 30/08/2009 22:30

Holy

I've just changed mine to a state nursery - he's only three and I felt it would be better for him at a larger nursery - a fresh outlook.

Private nursery was OK, but the state one is in my street, attached to the school he'll go to and is large, has gardens he can run around in - lots of freedom and it's entirely play based (no phonics or anything). Last nursery, nice as it was, had only 10 kids in his class 0- they were not taken out that much and he was getting bored bored bored.

So I did as he was getting very bored - also I'm now not working and the private nursery would expect more sessions that the vouchers would cover - not paying if I'm not working ta! Plus - didn't really want him to go from a class of 10 to reception - thought the bigger state nursery would just get him more prepared.

Go with your gut instinct but don't worry about the educational side - it really is all play - my ds already knows about half the phonic sounds from the old nursery - the state one doesn't do reading - so there you go.

morocco · 30/08/2009 22:35

I'd move to a nursery attached to the school he was going to attend or to a nursery where a lot of the children are going to go to that school. I did this with ds2 and will do it with dd. I couldn't do it with ds1 and so he didn't know anyone in his reception year - he found it harder to settle there

Flip