Can't get my nearly 3 yr old in anywhere!

[RoysRolls]

My DD turns 3 at the end of January and has been on two waiting lists for pre-schools since last summer.
Here in SE London there is only 2 terms per year, one in January and the other in September.
Neither pre-school is attached to a primary and I know they take children from 2.5 yrs.
I realise that my DD has missed out on funding for January 2010 but we are prepared to pay for 2 sessions a week to get her used to being away from me.
The problem is that even if a place comes up, I have been told I'll have to send her full-time as if it was only part-time they'll have to "split up" a funded place.
Is this right? I feel full-time is too much to start off with, I am a SAHM with a younger child anyway and we can't afford full-time!
I feel that she is ready for pre-school and gets bored at home with me, although we do go to toddler groups. If we wait till Sept for a full-time funded place she'll be nearly 4!
Isn't that a bit late? Help

The norm round here is that children go to pre-school for the year before they start school (i.e. for your daughter that would be starting in September). So starting in September is not "too late".

Are there playgroups/private pre-schools in your area that you could try?

Thanks for your reply. I am a bit confused as to what a private pre-school is. The two she has her name down for accept children from 2.5 yrs so I assume parents are paying for their kids place at that age.
It seems that even if I pay, I can't put her in part-time as even the private one's have to offer funded places and they don't want to split up a funded place.
Does that make sense?
Maybe a private nursery...?

It isn't too late in that plenty of children 'only' do one full year before school and plenty of people choose that.

Here, it is the norm to send them two half days a week between the ages of 2.5 and 3 and then gradually build up to 5 half day sessions (which could be 2 full days and one half IYSWIM). I put my DS name down when he was 12 months which meant I got first choice of sessions. They would take a child who just turned up now but they would only be able to go Friday afternoons and Monday mornings (least poular slots). Over the other side of town there isn't enough places and if you don't put their name name by the time they're one you probably won't get a place.

You could try nurseries rather than preschools if you are desperate to send her somewhere ie places geared up to full time care and just do a few half days.

It sounds like the places where you are have lots of demand so can just have full time children, which I guess they find easier.

Well my DS was part time right up to the term before he went to Reception. It was private pre school nursery. He did 3 mornings per week in his final term there.

Started off just after he was three doing just one morning per week. There was a huge pressure from the nursery for him to start at 2 and half but tbh I didn't think he needed to so I didn't. He did a whole term before I upped it to two mornings per week.

A couple of my friends didn't send their children to nursery at all. They just went straight into Reception at the age of 4. They don't have to go to Nursery you know!

Every setting is different wrt admissions. I'm the business manager for a pre-school and we admit by age, regardless of when applications were made.

We take children in throughout the year for whatever sessions parents want (regardless of whether they pay or are funded) until we are full. We are at the point now where after Feb half term we will only have spaces on Mondays and Fridays so that's all we can offer.

I'd guess that your preferred setting is holding back its places for full time children only, although it shouldn't matter if they're funded or not as even funded children don't have to attend every day. They can just book the days they want and get funded for those. I wonder if their funding is more than the fees so they are holding our for the higher 'payer' IYSWIM.

So unless you're happy to wait until Sept (when it wont be 'too late' at all) you can only take a flyer on her liking every day.

Hope you get it sorted.

My DD is the same age - turns 3 in January. I hadn't even thought about sending her anywhere until September.
Should I be?
She seems happy enough at home with me for now.

Some childminders are like mini-nurseries and have to offer the same Early Years Foundation Stage education that a nursery/reception class does. A few can also apply for funding for your 3 year old. Could be good for giving your DD some experience of being away from you and being with other children.