How many nurseries etc did you apply to?

There are 5 nurseries in town, 2 are the other side of town (and church ones so not so keen) and the other 3 are the ones I have applied for ... is 3 enough?

Does anyones 3 year old go to a childminders for their Early Years hours??

Also if you've got a child starting the April 2012 Term like Izzy have you heard back?

We've only got 1 'proper' preschool (by proper I mean thats all they do) and then a nursery/preschool. Libby already goes to the preschool so we've only applied for her to stay there and praying that she gets the hours we've asked for as we need them for when I go back to work. I wouldn't apply for her to go to the nursery/preschool as even though Dexter is going there for nursery I dont like it as a preschool.

I think it all depends on area as to how many you apply for, but I would say 3 is plenty (?).

There are no proper ones here, they all do from nursery age

2 of the 3 I am going to see ... but the 3rd Ive now discounted as they said cos she is one of the youngest in that 'take in' she is unlikley to get a space there (that was the gov't one)

I found there is one a mile from my house that I didnt know about til last night lol so I spoke to to her today and it seems great so going to see it Monday - they are much better than the other 2 (which only do full and half days) in that they are REALLY flexible and you can book 2 hour slots if you want, at £3.50 an hour - they can also take her in 6 weeks if I book it on Monday!
I think 2 hours a day at first will be ideal! I can get more than twice the hours there than at the snobby nursery she used to go to at £42 a day!

i just applied at one, wasnt even in catchment area but its maybe cos i paid for him to go aged 2 so they were stuck with him lol.
altho on a wedstheres only 7 in the class x

There are only two within walking distance here that would take Thomas from January so I went to look round both. The first one was more of a proper preschool and although it gets slightly better scores I prefer the second which is a private day nursery. The second doesn't come across as profesional as the first but the staff were so much more friendly and welcoming than the first and I think that would suit Thomas at this stage because he's quite a shy kid at times. I didn't really have to apply because I got in early I just told them what days I would like (they do 2x full days and 1x half) and paid £25 to hold his place.

I have applied to two different nurseries which are both attached to the local primary schools, they only do September intakes so depending on how he settles and which he gets into I may change him in September so he will hopefully make friends that will carry on into school with him.

3 sounds like plenty.

xx

gracie has just started hun and i just gave them a call (i know friends whos kids go there so no need to look) they popped her on the waiting list then sent me a letter to say she was starting in november x

We have got two.

The one Aimee goes to at the moment is where they take them from 2.5 (you pay until they are 3). I applied about 6 months earlier and she got her place, although that was a Septemer start. They are now so full for any children that want to start who are turning 3 and didnt start in Sept, so are having to turn kids away.

We also applied (when Aimee was 18 months old) for the one attached to the school where she will probably be going, and that is to start next September and we dont know if she has a space or not yet.

Im not 100% sure what we will do, as I love where she is, but dont want to hold her back. So im going to let her do the induction day next Spring and see what she thinks.

x

we only applied to 1 and were lucky enough to be told she can start january..it's perfect for her as she gets a staff member that is there purely for her

The problem with the after Easter start is that no-one moves up to school then and hence there are no places then, you have to pay for sessions earlier to hold a place. As the schools round here have just gone to sept only intake (other than for the state nursery year) some of the preschools have started taking kids even younger than before in order to fill up in sept, but obviously you have to pay.

We only signed up with 1 preschool (very local) but we signed up last Jan and he starts this Jan, they wanted 2 sessions a week, he wouldn't get 5 until Sept when kids move up to school. However as I work and they go to nursery 3 days a week we're just taking 1 morning for now (they didn't have a space the other day but I only wanted to do one anyway). It is only mornings so I can't use it as childcare for when I work unless I use a childminder.

It all seems so complicated! Just battling with (private) nursery as kids 10 weeks older moved up to the next room in sept but he's still going to be stuck in the current room after Xmas i.e. probably until July. Apparently the next room up is completely full on a tuesday so he can't move up -I suspect slightly younger kids who don't do tuesdays are moving up as initially I was told the March birthdays were moving up but then they checked and said he isn't.

Its very com,plicated!

The one have said they have a space for her if she wants to start April and the other one can take her from Jan
I don't really 'need' extra childcare from Jan to April but I think I will pay for her to go a couple of part days to get used to it

Just the one but ive been paying for her to go from 2