anyone help me decide between these 2 nurseries?

[vannah]

any thoughts much appreciated, my head is spinning!

DS (nearly 4) is currently attending a lovely nursery (school nursery), brilliantly resourced fab staff, v happy there - had 2 terms of last academic year there so he is v familiar with it.

But we recently moved to a new area, and the school told us we were welcome to keep the nursery place but obviously not apply for a school place, which we did so that DS wouldnt be too traumatised.

However it is a very long drive on the way home - 25 mins there, and about 40 on way back, with ds and DD (aged 1). We have a car that is on its last legs.

Went to see the only place in our new area which had a vacancy - a 'playgroup' which charges about £14 per session, (though discounted for over 3s), its in a church hall and is very sparse and looked so badly resourced to me. Really old tatty toys, just set up in a few areas. Okish play area outside, but DS ran off and was ecstatic because he found a spiderman costume and investigated the toys anyway. Didnt want to leave and insists he wants to go to the new nursery instead.

Do I stick with the old nursery for this academic year which is a long drive but brilliantly resourced and he is learning a lot, or the nearby playgroup which to my snobby eye looks a bit grim, he may tire of quickly and is £.

any thoughts? Mostly Im worried that he would be taking a step 'backward' - but maybe im just being paranoid?
thankyou

Some of the best pre-school groups I have come accross are really shabby and look a bit grim, however it's the staff's resourcefullness that you need to consider, many of these small groups simply don't have the financial resources to have all of the shiny new latest gismo's, so they use their imagination (and the childrens) these groups often have the best outcomes for children. As a CM I come accross lots of groups and we have two quite close that are run from a hut in a church yard, I would put my Dc their rather than the bright shiney new one at the recently built school. The staff are fantastic, really get to know the children as individuals and the childrens imagination is always stimulated as they have to invent rather than be given toys, equipment etc. Don't be put off by what it looks like, your DS obv felt happy, as long as it's safe and clean I would seriously consider a move.

thankyou for that awnw, its encouraging anyway...

I chose the nursery by the staff. IMO the staff are far more important than the facilities or surroundings. What were they like? Were they interacting with the children / looking interested / did the other children seem confident arount the staff?