Nursery - totally confused

[reren]

I'm sure there must be previous posts on this - but I'm so confused about nursery and there's hardly any information on the website for my local school (Goodrich) - so I wonder if you wonderful forumites can help?

My son is turning 3 in October - so I think i'm right in saying that the earliest we could send him to Goodrich nursery is September 2014 (when he will be almost 4). When do we need to apply - is that in the new year? I see that the schools are offering open days locally at the moment, is this for nursery as well as school? I was thinking I didn't need to think about it until the new year - but should I be going to see the school now with an eye to Nursery? Or will there be opportunities to go and see the nurseries around the time that admissions open for nursery?

Also - from what I see on the website - the sessions are quite short (8:50-11:50 or 12:40-3:40) so what do other parents do? Do you send your children to Goodrich in the morning and nursery in the afternoon for example?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi reren,

I would suggest you go to the open days particularly as it's your local school. In theory, your son could get a place in the school nursery in January. It all depends if they have any places available then (eg children who've deferred a term moving to reception). There are some pre-schools eg St Mary's Preschool in Nunhead and Chelwood in Brockley that may have places available if one doesn't come up in a school nursery.

Renata

[Cora]

You need to fill a form in at the school ASAP (today!) and check their criteria for admission...some schools do it by birthdate and others by when you applied (in which case you are probably pretty low down the list as you can apply from aged two). You will only be offered a morning or afternoon slot...if you want all day you will need to go private...again you need to get on lists very quickly....the open days and date deadlines are for kids entering reception but well worth visiting at these times.

You can apply to as many school nurseries as you like. Worth checking out Amott road nurseries too as your son could start now and it isn't very expensive (see Facebook)....they do mornings only..

Good luck!

[Susan]

Following up on this post, my son is the same age, turning 3 in Dec. Does anyone know if Heber and Goose Green do intakes in January or is it Sept only?

Thanks

Susan

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Susan, your son would be eligible for a place in January, but would only get a place if one is available, which would be hit and miss.

Renata

[Mellors]

I agree with what everybody has said above. Apply straight away, and go for a look round at the next opportunity. You have nothing to lose. You may get lucky and get a place in January, otherwise it will be September.

Personally I never went for school nursery as the short day makes it impossible if you have to work. I'm also not convinced that its essential to getting to know the school. My (local) school hasn't got a nursery, so all the kids come from different places, but they are fine. You maynot get a school place there anyway. A decent private nursery should give you the 15 hours free anyway, so its not a cost thing.

[Belle]

Last year goodrich announced they'd only be doing one intake for nursery (i.e. in Sept) but worth checking - and in any case there were definitely kids who turned up part way through the year (and are still there now - i.e. they were young for their year like your little ones) - so it seemed to me like they were still doing more than one intake despite the official line. Def worth just ringing and doing a tour. I don't think we applied till the Jan before my son started, when he turned 3, and we got a place no problem - and there were definitely spaces throughout the year. As Mellors says, it's not for everyone given the timings, which can work in your favour in terms of getting a place.

[canela]

Heber only do September.

[Susan]

Thanks Renata I will followup with both schools

Susan

[kristymac1]

Email sent to Heber parents today said that there was spare places in nursery andif anyone would like to.apply offers.we're open. so they may say they only start in sept but if places are available it would seem entry is based on that. good luck x

[reren]

Thank you all so much - so am I right in understanding that it doesn't actually make any difference financially whether you go for nursery or just use your 15 hours free at a private nursery? In a way since you get the 15hours for free you might as well keep them in private nursery and have greater flexibility over times? A friend of mine lives in Westminster and their nursery provision is full school day - so I guess that makes it much more appealing to send them to nursery than the local school as you are getting so many more hours...

[parkview]

You will find that the vast majority of private nurseries will not give you the flexibility of choosing the hours you want for free. Many will actually not even offer completely free spaces but will require you to take extra hours which you have to pay for. So they will deduct 15 hours, but you will have to pay for the rest. The problem for the nurseries is that what is free for you is a loss for them, as the what they get for your free hours doesn't cover their costs, so they have to get the money somewhere else. The school nurseries can offer free spaces because they can even out the loss through the funding the school receives.

[Mrs TP]

The 15 hrs per week is also school term times only.

State school nurseries fall in line with school term times and are open for approx 38 weeks per year and so it is approx 38wks x 15 free hours.

Private nurseries are usually open around 50 weeks per year (closed over Christmas only) and have to make the 38 x 15hrs stretch over 48 weeks and so you don't get exactly 15hrs per week.

Each nursery seems to implement the 'free' hours differently and you will need to speak to those you are considering re waiting lists, applications, time availability, flexibility and implementation of the free hours.

You can only claim the free hours in one place. However you can go to more than one nursery. I know someone who paid for a morning place at Amott Road and then had a free place a Goose Green School nursery in the afternoon.

[crystal7]

Keeping our daughter in private nursery 3 full days per week worked out cheaper than hoing am/pm sessions at school nursery with a childminder doing the wrap around care (8-9 and 12-5/6). Plus she was settled at her nursery.

[reren]

Do any Goodrich parents know how they work out eligibility? Is it based on when you fill out the form? Do you essentially go on a waiting list - so if you were organised enough to do it the day your child turned 2 would you have a better chance than someone who waited? Is there a deadline by which you must have filled in the form to be in the running for the following sept?

[alieh]

Not sure about the exact rules at Goodrich but in spite of the official information saying that they only take them in September, last year I seemed to get a call every other week from about Dec or Jan saying that they had an afternoon spot and did my son want it. Even though I said no each time, he still seemed to stay on a list somewhere. It did seem a bit ad hoc but I may have misunderstood! We had put his name down just after 2 and lived about 400 m away...but they seemed to have lots of availability for the afternoon sessions in this Jan anyway.