What is the difference between Pre School and Nursery?

[karlilay]

Hi ladies, you would never think i worked in a Nursey for 4 years the amount of whinging and whining im doing about it all!

Is there any difference in a basic Preschool setting than a Private Nursery?

I have taken Madi out of the local preschool now. She went for a few weeks, sobbed the whole time she was there, faked illness. And yesterday even woke up sobbin incase she had to go.
I have decided to start her again in Sept (she will be 4 in the Dec) so will get a full year before school.

My problem is, i am not overly keen on the Pre School at all. It is a small room within the Village Hall, run by 2 ladies and a helper. They are always so rushed, busy. Madi never had settling in sessions, when i went to get her she was crying in a corner, no one with her, no one supporting or comforting her. It just gave me a bad feeling if you like. Nothing was explained to me when i left her there.. nothing.

Up the road attatched the the Primary School is a small day nursery with Pre School. They only have space for 32 children, and are full until Sept, although there is a waiting list. It looks so so lovley. On the website, it says they pride themselfs for being so small so each child can get alot of one to one. They visit the school, they have a massive outdoor area, a swimming pool.

Although it looks impressive, i dont know weather its worth it. All her friends go to the Pre School i have just taken her out of.

Is there any difference. What do you advise i do? I need to put her name down for both of them soonish as they are filling up. Help?

 

[polaris]

I'm not sure of the answer to your question, but personally I would go for the one that you get a good gut feeling about. Have you visited the one attached to the primary school and spoken to the staff there to get a feel for them? Also if that is where she will be going to primary school it might even make the transition a bit easier. Also, I wouldn't be inclined to send her back to the one you are taking her out of if there is an alternative, as it sounds like there are a number of things that you haven't been entirely satisfied with about the place.

I think you made the right decision taking her out for the time being. A full year of pre-school will be enough to prepare her for school.

 

[mumandco]

My little one used to go to a play group it was run in a hall with 2 women sounds a lot like the pre school you mentioned.tyler went for a few weeks and liked it then all of a sudden he hated it,be had nightmares over it would go absolutely crazy when we took him!
Couldn't understand the sudden change asked the women who worked their they said nothing had changed!
On the advice of the staff they told me to bring him in and then leave whilst he wasn't looking,I hated doing this and always felt nervous and uneasy leaving him there! I wish I had listened to my instinct! He also didn't have settling in sessions,and I wasn't really fussed on the women who run it!

Tyler has just finished his first week in the nursery class that is attached to the primary school,Before Christmas we went to language and play in his now classroom once a week to get him used to the surroundings the teachers and the other children that would be starting the same time as him! I have had no problems with him going he begs me to put his uniform on him as soon as he wakes up he loves going and I love his teacher and the class room assistants,I feel completely at ease! He's doing one more week part time and if he copes with that he will then go full time the!

Sorry for the long reply,I just wanted to share that I have been something very similar with Tyler! I would put her in the nursery of the primary given the choice as I she goes there she will only have to settle in once and will only have to make friends once!

Its awful when they get so upset isn't it,I used to cry about it,

 

[Farie]

My daughter does 1 afternoon at preschool - although from your description it's actually more like a private nursery in environment iykwim?
In our town the playcentre sounds more like your preschool. Nim will go there but not until she's really happy at her private place and used to a 'preschool' environment and other kids.

I think it's 100% worth every penny, Nims settled in amazingly despite a rocky start (she was not impressed with being away from home!) we did weeks of visits with and without me

They understand her and pick activities that she likes, they deal with her 'sad thoughts' by cuddles and distraction and music. She had 3 weeks off over Xmas but toddled right back in and had a great session last week, no issues.

I think the right environment and carers are the most important things, particularly having a 'lead carer' someone who always does food/cuddles/one on one. It helps build confidence and a sense of continuity.

So yeah, worth the cash

 

[BethK]

In our village there's a preschool, usually attached to a primary. It starts from age 3 and is more structured. LO goes to a private nursery which have their own preschool room so she will probably stay there.

 

[karlilay]

I'm not sure of the answer to your question, but personally I would go for the one that you get a good gut feeling about. Have you visited the one attached to the primary school and spoken to the staff there to get a feel for them? Also if that is where she will be going to primary school it might even make the transition a bit easier. Also, I wouldn't be inclined to send her back to the one you are taking her out of if there is an alternative, as it sounds like there are a number of things that you haven't been entirely satisfied with about the place.

I think you made the right decision taking her out for the time being. A full year of pre-school will be enough to prepare her for school.

No i havent yet, but i rang them on Fri and they said i could go visit when ever i liked. So will take her up this week sometime. Is it attached to the Primary School she will be going to yes... they visit the school and the reception teacher visits them.
The Pre School i took her out of just gave me a feeling that she was being silly for crying for me/wetting herslef etc. She never looked comforted, i never saw her sit with one of them, have a cuddle even hold their hand.

Thankyou

 

[karlilay]

My little one used to go to a play group it was run in a hall with 2 women sounds a lot like the pre school you mentioned.tyler went for a few weeks and liked it then all of a sudden he hated it,be had nightmares over it would go absolutely crazy when we took him!
Couldn't understand the sudden change asked the women who worked their they said nothing had changed!
On the advice of the staff they told me to bring him in and then leave whilst he wasn't looking,I hated doing this and always felt nervous and uneasy leaving him there! I wish I had listened to my instinct! He also didn't have settling in sessions,and I wasn't really fussed on the women who run it!

Tyler has just finished his first week in the nursery class that is attached to the primary school,Before Christmas we went to language and play in his now classroom once a week to get him used to the surroundings the teachers and the other children that would be starting the same time as him! I have had no problems with him going he begs me to put his uniform on him as soon as he wakes up he loves going and I love his teacher and the class room assistants,I feel completely at ease! He's doing one more week part time and if he copes with that he will then go full time the!

Sorry for the long reply,I just wanted to share that I have been something very similar with Tyler! I would put her in the nursery of the primary given the choice as I she goes there she will only have to settle in once and will only have to make friends once!

Its awful when they get so upset isn't it,I used to cry about it,

This sounds just like them. When i said, 'Now i have picked her up sobbing, saying she is ill, she will probably do this all the time' The teacher said to me... 'Oh well, on Monday we will take no notice of her. Just ignore it!'
I was so mad. They really spoke down to her iykwim. And i never would have snuck out while she wasnt watching.

I think im defo going to go visit the Nursery in the week. Ill take her with me and see what i think. Thing is i dont drive and i live in the middle of no where so its this Nursery or Preschool really. I know she needs to go somewhere as it will be so hard for her to start school otherwise. Its just hard to trust strangers with your baby isnt it. Weather they are 3months or 3 years!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'd definitely go for the private nursery. The pre school doesn't sound good at all. Ruby is going to stay at the private nursery I started her at when I was still working, they have a pre school room there and no way would they leave a child crying in the corner! It will cost us more than using a school pre school unit as the 15 hour funding only runs term time and the private nursery will charge us for 52 weeks a year but then at least we can send her 52 weeks a year!

 

[karlilay]

Thanks Claire

 

[QTPie]

Go for the one attached to the school - sounds lovely, will make the transition easier AND she will make new friends who will also go up to the primary school with her. Sign up now.

DS is signed up to go to the preschool/nursery attached to his prep school - he will start just after his 3rd birthday.

QT

 

[RachA]

Go for the one that you are most comfortable with. We looked at several play-schools before settling on the one DS went to and DD will be going to. There was just something very settling and comforting about the one we choose.
We didn't actually look at any nurseries - my perception of a nursery is that you usually go there from being fairly little whereas play schools are usually from either 2 1/2 years or 3years. As Daniel was only going from 2 1/2 we didn't see the point in looking at nurseries.

You have to be secure in the knowledge that your lo is in the best place - they are looking after your child for a long time (in your childs eyes) and if you have to pay more for that knowledge then it's worth it.

 

[sarah0108]

Id go for the other one youve seen!

Harriet goes to playgroup ( thats what we call it) its for 2 and 3 year olds. Its attached to a huge school and nursery they have loads of staff on a time its all properly run, eg, harriet has a key worker, they do loads of paper work, settling in sessions etc etc.

We live in quite a tight nit community though so luckily most people know each other anyway, its all very friendly and harriet loves it! I cant wait for max to turn 2 so he can go

Our nursery attached to the school starts about 3.5 years and they do settling sessions with the playgroup and work together in things.

I'm making this sound so complicated

 

[aimee-lou]

I would say that it's that particular pre-school that's the problem.

Earl goes to pre-school and it's great. They have 2 full time 'leaders' and 1 full time 'assistant' as well as a trainee position which is filled by local college kids. Earl absolutely loves it, the kids are all happy and the parents are full of praise for it. They are based in a local scout hut (seems to be the norm around here as there are 2 others locally in the same sort of setup) and while from the outside it may not look great, the setup inside is just fab.

I would go with the one you're happy with. It sounds to me that the pre-school isn't doing it's job if that's how they deal with a nervous child and you do right to take her out. The nursery one sounds great, and if they have space and you're happy then why not give it a whirl.

 

[hattiehippo]

I'd def go and look at the nursery attached to the school with your LO and then go with that if you like it. You can ask them about settling in sessions and how they would handle the problems she had trying to start at the other preschool.

Tom's nursery (which he's been at since 8 months old) has a preschool so I'm planning to continue to send him there as he's so happy and the staff are lovely. They all know him from being tiny which is lovely.

 

[isil]

I'd definitely go and visit the school one, it sounds great! I think you have a gut feeling that that place isn't right for Madi. I moved boy from a private nursery to a preschool (just run by a few older women in a church hall) and he loves it. I think like aimee-lou says, it's that particular preschool that's the problem.