Nurseries

[IvanaB]

DS will be 3 this year and is entitled to his 1140hrs free childcare from August. I'm currently at home with him and his little brother and won't be returning to work until they are both at school.

I initially thought it would be best to put him in the school nursery so that he would move up to primary with the same group of friends, however the hours are so long with no option of half days. I don't need or want him to be in all day, every day when I'm at home anyway.

There are private nurseries who offer funded placements and they'd allow me to put him in for 3 mornings a week (which is what I'd ideally like to do).

Do you think it's better to have them at the school nursery or does it not really matter at this young age? Any views (especially those from experience) would be most welcome.

I think school nursery if it's an option is better as the kids do tend to build little bonds and the parents get to know each other which is nice. Most school nurseries let you book 30 hours but you don't need to use them as nursery is not compulsory. They do ask you let them know though if a child won't be. My younger kids got 30 hours but never did that many hours

I didn't move mine to school nursery til the year before school - mine wouldn't have liked those long days either. I moved their school later too - do what you think best suits you and your children. Friends out of school are important too.

I changed my kid from a Scottish nursery that done two and a half full days, ie 8am-6pm to a bother school nirsery that does 9-3 term time. The former is just too much and long hours for a little one.

I would consider the school nursery, at least for the year prior to the start of school. The transition from nursery to school can seem hard if all the other kids seem to know each other from the school nursery and your kid doesn't know anyone at all. It can also be harder to make friends as a parent because the social groups have already been formed from the nursery years.