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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

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Original poster

Cool - so, scottish question :)

18 replies

museumum · 13/04/2015 20:31

How do school nurseries work?
Ds is in private nursery but there might not be one with spaces near where we are moving to. If we choose a cm instead should we send him to the school nursery too? Do most kids go to school nursery? Help??

OP posts:

CarpeJugulum · 13/04/2015 20:33

Okay. School nurseries are usually funded sessions, so not full time.

Private nurseries are full time, some of which may (or not be) funded.

Childminders are rarely funded.

What you can do is a mixture - so wrap around care for school nursery; child minder/nursery drop them off and collect them.

If there is a funded place, then they have to follow the early years curriculum.

SirChenjin · 13/04/2015 20:35

Do you mean the nursery schools attached to primary schools? If so, you would simply get your free hours there - so you could see if you could find a childminder who would be willing to take to/collect from the nursery and then look after your DS on either side of your free hours.

Alternatively, you could see if your primary school has wraparound care, which means you pay for the hours either side of your free hours and he would spend the day at the nursery but being looked after by the wraparound staff and the nursery staff at different times of the day.

SetPhasersTaeMalkie · 13/04/2015 20:36

DS did a mixture. Age 2-3 he had a childminder and a couple of afternoons at a private nursery that we built up to 4 afternoons.

At 3 he did afternoons at a school nursery and a childminder in the morning.

I was pretty happy with that and he loved both nurseries.

Original poster

museumum · 13/04/2015 20:43

Ok. So private nursery not an option if we get the house we are considering.
So when he's 3 he might (if he gets on the waiting list asap?) get 15hrs at the primary school nursery. Woukd this be five three-hour mornings or afternoons?
Then I'd need to find a cm for rest of the four days I'm at work. And I'd have to give up half of my "at-home-with-ds" day? :(

This is all a bit of a mystery to me as before the imminent move I just assumed we'd use private nursery right up to school.

OP posts:

Harverina · 13/04/2015 20:44

Yes this is what we do - however you will need to pay a cm a full day even though your child is at preschool for some of that time.

Original poster

museumum · 13/04/2015 20:45

I think that's ok as cm will be so much cheaper overall.

But I've just realised granny will have to give up half of her day with ds as well as me :(

OP posts:

ASAS · 13/04/2015 20:51

Some school nurseries may be able to offer you extended hours as a working parent, which are 8am-6pm but of course only 3 hrs per day will be funded and the rest you'll be invoiced for.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 13/04/2015 20:59

DD goes to a council nursery (that is not attatched to a specific school) She gets 5*3 hours. There are kids in for full days, but obviously that isn't all free. DDs nursery also has a weekly fee to cover snacks etc. Now she is in her second year at nursery they do more activities to make them ready for school, so it is differentiated between the 3 and 4 year olds.

As far as I remember from doing the forms its not a waiting list per se. There are various criteria you will be checked against, and the more points you meet, the higher up the list. This is probably all on your councils website somewhere.

youmakemydreams · 13/04/2015 21:30

You don't have to give up one of your half days although I would recommend taking all 5 sessions. You can just keep him at home on the day you aren't working nursery isn't compulsory so you don't have to send him. You may actually find you enjoy sending him and being involved. I actually love the days I can go and have the walks with them or the day trips etc.
Unless it is a hugely full school nursery you should get a place in your local school when he is 3. There are also quite a few childminders that do pick up and drop off on all 5 or a couple of the days.

HoppityVoosh · 13/04/2015 21:36

A lot of children at my DS's nursery are dropped off and picked up by a childminder a few days a week. I guess because their parents work part-time.

I find I don't miss much of "my day off to be with DS" because we're up and out the house a lot earlier than we would be if he wasn't at nursery. If he wasn't at nursery in the morning I bet we'd just faff around until lunchtime anyway, so at least he's doing something fun. We still have the whole afternoon together.

howabout · 13/04/2015 22:04

Our nursery attached to the primary school offers the option to have 2 full days and a half day rather than 5 mornings and afternoons. The sooner you register the more likely you are to get choices but very much depends on demand for places locally.

Harverina · 13/04/2015 22:06

Could your gran do two afternoons/ mornings instead of one full day - say your ds gets a morning place, could she have him two afternoons instead of her one day? (Or vice versa if he gets an afternoon place)

Apologies if I have this wrong btw!

skrumle · 14/04/2015 08:38

there are a few council-run nurseries that offer the choice of which 5 sessions you take (i.e. it doesn't need to be all afternoons or all mornings) but it's pretty rare. in my town there are two private nurseries which only do sessions (not wraparound childcare) where this is offered as standard.

nursery isn't compulsory so you can take five sessions but then not attend if there's something you want to do instead. your local council should have a childcare advice service to help with local info.

Original poster

museumum · 14/04/2015 10:23

Thank you!!

OP posts:

Jackieharris · 14/04/2015 17:06

It varies so much by local authority area.

Also with all these new election pledges expect it to change again by the time your DC is 3-5.

With dc1 I did ft private nursery right up until day 1 of primary school. It was a 'partnership' nursery (but actually over a la boundary) so I got my free hours there.

The downside was that most of his p1 class had been at the local 3 hrs a day la pre-school nursery.

With dc2 we used a cm until 3 then moved to a 3hr a day nursery with wraparound by gps & DP & me. It was a logistical nightmare. And I wouldn't do it again.

It's near impossible to find a cm who'll do wraparound.

Original poster

museumum · 14/04/2015 19:33

I'm pretty much considering not moving to the village where the private nursery has no spaces. The other options just sound so complicated!

OP posts:

Harverina · 14/04/2015 19:51

We have always been able to find a cm from8am-6pm who then drops dd1 at nursery. We have moves to a different village though and all the cm's are full just now

MrsAmaretto · 23/04/2015 22:29

It really varies per local authority & school nursery. The local authority I live in, none of the two daycare nurseries are able to take your funded hours off your childcare bill. My son goes to a school nursery & then a daycare nursery.

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