Just reading Jaynes post about applying for nursery and ive been reading up on my local coucil website. The nursery I want Thomas to go to starts addmissions in August so I don't need to worry yet BUT they anly do a September intake. All kids are entitaled to 15 hours free per week (term time) from the term after their 3rd birthday. For Thomas this will be in January 2012 but the nursery wont take him until September.

I was just wondering if everyone is getting their LOs into nursery as soon as they are eligible or waiting until their prefered schools intake?

I could try to get Thomas into a private nursery for his free hours from Jan and then swap him in the September but I don't know what to do. I do think it would be good for him to go in Jan but then I worry that he will just be getting used to one nursery when he has to switch to another. Also because of the lifestyle we have we do tend to be away for long weekends (fri-tues/thurs-sun) quite often (at least once a month if not more) and the kids go to visit their grandparents for 3-4 days every 6-8 weeks too. As soon as Thomas starts nursery proper this will stop/reduce which is fine but I don't know wether to just wait until the September so we can get a few more trips in before he does? Is this selfish of me?

Don't know what to do

xx

Not selfish at all x

im in two minds tbh, my neice didnt go to school/pre-school anything until she was 4 and it really really affected her development, her talking was appalling, other kids were spelling their name and she couldn't even say hers properly. But her mum is a lazy biatch who spends no time with her kids and deffinately has no impact on their learning so aslong as you are happy with his talking/social skills etc then i guess it would be ok?
Braden started as soon as he turned 2 and has deffinately come a long way.

Sometimes there are preschools which will take them earlier (typically about 2.5), using your free sessions once old enough. These are usually termtime only whereas a private nursery may expect you to do longer sessions + all year round and pay for the extra hours (it often depends on whether the nursery is full or not).

You don't have to use all your free sessions either, you could just do a couple of sessions in the middle of the week to leave your weekends free. Some nurseries let you pick the sessions to suit you - a friend of mine has tues and weds am and pm as those are the days she works (she pays for lunch club). But some are oversubscribed and you get what you are given.

But I don't think it is selfish to wait until september, especially if you do lots of activities with him and meet up with other kids. Do whatever seems right to you.

Ros

We're in a similar dilemma, we could send Chloe to a private nursery from April next year, but if we wanted to put her in school nursery they only do January and September intake, and she's just past the cut off for the January ones. If I put her into private nursery, she will stay there until she starts school as we can use her free places at the private one too. I don't want her moving about half way through or we will wait. I'm going to go and see both the private one and the school one and see which one we prefer and then make a deicision.

Do whatever suits you though, if it's better that he starts in September then so be it, I'm sure he won't miss out at home with you x

Thanks ladies. I'm not too worried about his development tbh because I lucky enough to be at home with the kids all the time so I have full control over what they learn and who they interact with etc. Thomas speach is fantastic so no worries there either. Having Hannah around has really helped his social skills as well and we see loads of his cousins and friends kids when we go to grandparents.

Mandy that's the same situation as me, I don't want him making friends and getting comfortable in one place then having to pull him out and move him after 6 months :/ I really want him to go to the nursery attached to the school though because I've heard really good reports on it and I think it's good for them to settle in at nursery stage so they are used to the environment for when they start proper school at 4. Also most of the kids that go to the nursery will carry on into the school so friendships will be established already and it may be more difficult for him to settle in if he was to come from a different nursery (iykwim?)

xx

Caitlin is going to be really old when she starts nursery, and nicssy's comments worry me a little - though there is not much I can do to change my situation, and hundreds of other kids in the same boat.

Here all children are entitled to 1 year of pre school education free, most parents use this as the nursery year (year immediately before P1 intake). Caitlin will be 4 years and 2 months that September , and 5 years 2 months when she starts P1 (July bdays are eldest here).

I do feel 4 is quite old to have had NO formal education. You can apply for pre school from the Sept after they are 3, but I would either have to A) use this as my free year and then pay private for her nursery year (which I cant afford when not working) - or B) do 1 year pre school - have a year off and then back to P1 which I think would be confusing to her. There is a small chance that C) she would get 2 years funded if there were spaces available due to her age BUT a friend of mines little boy didnt get a nursery place this year as they were oversubscribed in my town and will be starting P1 at 4 yrs 6 months with nothing.

I dont think what you are thinking of doing is selfish at all. It suits your family, and the friendship thing for thomas is important. Sorry for waffling on, just wanted to show that there is no rush for them to go to pre schools as Caitlin is going to be stupidly old when I send her! x

As you know, im in the same position hun. Aimee also cant start until September 2012 (6 weeks younger than Mr Thomas). So, I am popping her into a preschool near me which she can start in September. Its £7 per session, and im paying for her to go 2 mornings a week until April 2012, where she will get 15 free hours, so I will then put her in 4 mornings. In the September she will then go to the one attached to the school which I have signed her up to. x

an snoops i dont mean to worry you, im pretty sure you spend time with her and teach her things etc, this girls mum does absoloutly nothing but fall asleep on the sofa. Her daughter either wants to be at somebody elses house or up in her bedroom and she's only 5. Tbh i dont think she was very clever to start with so my point really was that if they seem to have a delay in development already then holding it off could make it even worse.
Like debs said, she is happy with speech and social skills etc so i dont think it will be much of a problem xx
plus snoops if they are all starting at the same point then they will prob be at same stage and not left behind like say over here braden started at 2 and somebody who starts at 3 1/2 or 4, if you get me? x

if it was me from experience i would start where you can, we have had alice in private nursery for a year and have just changed her to a childrens center where they take them from 2.

i was worried how she would cope changing to a new one, and the fact she has gone from one morning to 2 afternoons but she has developed so much from just being at nursery, she has taken it all in her stride and loves going in and i rarely get a backwards glance.

i hope this will be the school where she gets her funding but places are scarce if you arent local ( we are about 10mins away)
if it isnt i am confident she will adapt to wherever she does go.

putting Alice in nursery was the best thing we ever did for her IMO as long as she has the scope to play she is so so happy.

oh and your funding i am sure you can use in full days and pay extra for lunch if you wanted to do tues/weds

this is what we do/have done/are doing.
here children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare from the term after their 3rd birthday until the september after thier 3rd birthday when they can go to proper nursery at a school.
the private nursery/playgroup near us takes children from the age of 2. so as soon as she was 2 we sent her there, 5 days a week 9.30-12.30 for £42.50.
so in june she will be 3. and the end of the next qualifying term is also june i believe so when she is 3 and 3 weeks we will/should hopefully get it for free as she does 15 hours - 3 hours a day 5 days a week.
then in september she will be 3 years 3 months so will be going to a proper school nursery.
i really recommend sending them to a playgroup/nursery as soon as they are 2 if you can afford it because my 2 have learnt soooooo much from going. we know children the same age whos parents couldnt afford to send them or didnt want to and they dont know half as much as ethan and kacey do.
im sure whatever you do will be for the right reasons, good luck xx

I agree with you Katie on the learning thing to an extent. Caitlins speech is great atm, and I do teach her things but I can totally see how at pre school things would improve simply through socialising and also im sure they teach things that I havent even thought of.

If I sent Caitlin to pre school this Sept but, when she is 2 years 2 months - She would end up getting 3 years of pre school education which is probably a bit much and money wise wont happen this year (plus it would have to be a private day nursery as all our pre school applications for this sept are already allocated, The last time I checked private rates for those places were stupidly dear eg £25 a morning).

I may put more thought & effort into trying to secure 2 years of pre school starting when she is 3 years 2 months. Having a child so old for their year is actually a pain in the bum! I'l feel horrible if she doesnt end up going anywhere until she is 4, but then if I cant afford it I simply cant afford it and will just have to find ways round teaching her things at home

Every parent just has to do the best they can.

alfie has been in nursery since he was 9 months old and has done him the world of good. i am so glad that i did it then because it would be harder for me to leave him now. it wont be another 2 years before he is entitled to his 15 hrs free - cant bloody wait!! x

You dont apply, just go in and asl if they got any spare slots for u and arrange it between yourselves z

.

Owen started the nursery attached to their school, the term after he was 3.) Lewis went to a council run playgroup after his 3rd birthday) they are sept and oct babies. Owen is so much further ahead than Lewis was, he came out of nursery in the July able to write his full name knew his birthday and could count to 30 and write number to 20. Lewis couldn't write his name!!).
Hayden will be waiting until the term after he is 3 (Sept 2012) then going straight into school attached nursery. Owen was much easier to leave, he has a much wider circle of friends all of whom moved into his reception and now yr1 class where Lewis moved from another "playschool" he was the "new" boy and found it much harder to settle.

I would put him straight into the school one. Get his name down as soon as - Hayden's has been down for a few months now

Thanx Katie i didnt know you could organise sessions directly with nurserys. I'l have a think about that, even for Jan or April next year, might give me some time alone with the baby

Im starting to get my head round your education system - you have nursery/pre school, then do you all have a reception and then P1- P6 in primary school eg you do 7 years in Primary including the reception year?

We do nursery/pre school for a year, then 7 years in Primary P1-P7 and then 5 years in secondary up to GCSE year 8-12. I think our P1 must be like your reception, and then our P2 is your P1.

I dont know why im fixating on this so much, its not like im moving to England so it doesnt bloody matter!

we do 7 years in primary, reception at 4 years old then years 1-6 we start secondary school at 11 for years 7-11 and finish at 15/16. I think you start and finish a year later than us

where do you live snoopy? i didnt realise you didnt live in england

I did reply but its gone.... maybe Im dreaming again lol

doesnt matter now lol what I was goin to say has been said ha

Lillie started pre school at 2, then once turns 3 its free for 10 hours a week ontop of her in school mornings. Done her a power of good going seen massive change in her (some not for the best!! lol)

hard one to say, If he's happy at home I would keep him home till time to go so he doesnt have to keep changing, so like you said he will have the same kids with him to move to school. (thats why I waited till lillie was old enough for preschool rather than put in a nursery then move once 2)

just do what you thinks best really either way cant go wrong I dont think xxx

Im in Northern Ireland Katie, about 10 miles outside Belfast. I'l need to look into things a bit more to make sure paid pre school works the same here. x

Thanx Kayleigh, no that works out the same, we too do 7 in primary and 5 in secondary too. We start primary at around 4 (5 if July/August bday), and Secondary at 11 (12 if July/August bday) and finish after GCSE in year 12 when we are 16. (Our Year 12 seems to be your year 11)

It just seems that you guys have reception year and here we just call it P1.... So when I talk about Caitlin not starting primary until 5 years 2 months, thats like her not starting reception until 5 years 2 months.

Erm btw Debs... sorry for

Haha Snoops it's ok hun.

I have booked to go and see a preschool with Thomas tomorrow. The lady on the phone sounded lovely but she seemed to want me to put him in from September this year. I wouldn't have a problem with him going if he enjoys it and its good for him BUT 2 things:
1) we wont be at home throughout September with the wedding and honeymoon and sorting things out 'up north' afterwards - we probably wont be home until the last week in September - do you think this will be a problem?
2) I can't afford it - he wont be entitled to free hours until January so I would have to pay - sept/oct-dec. Ok so he is my pride and joy and I will do anything to give him the best start so even if I have to beg my dad for a loan I will try to do it if its going to help him so I have another question for you all-
Does anybody know how much morning preschool sessions cost on average?? (I forgot to ask and don't want to be put on the spot tomorrow )

Thanks Ladies - sorry for being dim

xx

Debs I believe they vary.. our prices start from about £6. per 3 hour session.
So for Hayden at 2 1/2 Id say 2 sessions £12.00 per week x 4 £48 quid a month..
Its is totally up to you. I can't afford it and Hayden will just go into the School Nursery the Sept after he is 3. He will be 3yrs 4 months.
Gives me plenty of time to get him potty/toilet trained. If your worried about social skills take both of them to toddler groups - don't feel pressurised into sending him.. He wont know any different!