Nursery School - September or January start?

[Fruitgums]

Hello everyone,

My DS will be 3 at the end of June. He has been offered a nursery place at the local infant school for this autumn. As he's a summer baby I have been offered an option of him either starting this september or January 2011.

To be honest I filled the form with the September start date without thinking too much of it. My DH pickled the form up this morning & he suggested that he should start in January. Does it really matter when he starts? I thought nursery school was all about learning through play and as such will not have all the issues associated with starting school full time at 4/5 etc.

Please share your opinions as I must send off the form ASAP to ensure his place.

Many thanks for reading this & getting this far x

Whatever you think is best really. DD1 started before she was 3 & loved it immediately. Would it be possible to start him with a few days a week in September then increase in January?

IMO DD1 has benefitted hugely from pre-school, socially as well as exposure to many hings I wouldn't have thought to do with her

Thanks for your response Imagine.

He's shy but socialble child. It's takes him a while to settle in but once he does he joins in with everything that is on offer.

I think that he will love going & I'm hoping that he will be OK for a September start.

He will only be going 3 mornings a week as he will be at nursery on the other 2 days.

I would try it & see in that case, If he doesn't settle you can soon change it. If he is used to nursery he has one over on my dd1 also shy but v sociable, who had only been to occasional creche before starting. I don't know how local the nursery your ds is at is but a definate advantage I see of the pre-school (ours is also attached to the school dd1 will go to) is that she will get to know some of the children she will be in reception with. The reception teacher also talks to the older ones when she sees them so she is not a complete stranger either. This is brilliant for dd1 as it takes her a while to open up with new adults.

Ditto!!

My DS will be going to the nursery school attached to his would be reception class. It'd be lovely for him to make friends with the children that he will be going to Reception with & hopefully will make his introduction to school alot easier.

He will grow up alot in the next few months and by the time Sept comes will be more than ready for nursery.

My DD1 was 3 last July and in Sept went to the nursery at what will be her school at just gone 3 every morning for 3 hours. She was a bit tired when she came home, but she just loves it.

Now I've got the worry of a just 4 yr old starting school full time in Sept, but thats another story.

Send him in Sept - he'll love it!!

Thanks Munch.

Good luck with your daughter starting school in September.

I have just been to look at a nursery for my DD she will not be 3 till march and so would start in the easter term. they said i can defer to start the following september which will be handy as she will be 3 and a half and will make childcare over the summer easier as she goes to private daycare now. I think i have concluded however not to move her until the following september when she will be 4 and a half as i am on my own and work full time so would make child care alot easier for another year... If it were not for holidays i prob would send her when she was 3 though for the simple fact that she would intergrate better into the school... decisions decisions.... why does life have to be so difficult hey? lol

Maz,

I'm also on my own alot (DH works away & never helps out anyway) but am incredibly lucky as my mum looks after him 3 days a week and can do drop off & pick ups. He will remain at his daycare nursery for the other 2 days as it's difficult to combine with the childcare etc.

I'm finding life difficult and there are way too many decsions