nursery schools-totally confused.

[ludoscotts]

hi can anyone give me advice im totally confused anout the whole nursery school thing. ive tried looking online but it hasnt helped.

what age do they start nursery?

ive been told 3 but my little one was born nov 25th so would she have to wait until she was almost 4 to start?

can they enroll into any school or do I have to put her down for loads of different ones?

if they dont get into a school nursery would I have to pay to go to a private nursery?

any advice would be apreciated leanne

[Mellors]

My boy is 27th November, so I am with you on that.

They will start the January after their 3rd birthday - so this January for me and my boy is 3 in November.

For school nurseries (Heber, Goose Green, Goodrich, DKH etc and Dulwich Wood, which is a community nursery) you put them down seperately for each one (if you ring up/go in you will get a form to fill in & you have to take their birth certificate etc). Do it as soon as you can, they just stick them in the file in age order and contact you when a space comes up.

School or community nurseries have them 5 mornings or 5 afternoons a week, for free. I haven't been contacted by any yet about January places, but I think the letters come out in about October?

They alternative is a private nursery (which is what I have ended up doing - Puddleducks). They can start at any age there, but obviously you pay for them. However, they do get 12.5 hours a week of free nursery starting the term after they turn 3 though (this free bit is term time only though, so you will pay if you attend one year round). For me, he is starting 3 mornings in November (just before he turns three), term time only. I will have to pay up until Christmas, but when we go back in the New Year it will be free. If you get childcare vouchers through yours or your OH's work you can use these to pay though, which can say you up to about ?100 a month each.

I hope that makes sense - feel free to PM with any questions - I know how confusing it is, having just been through the whole thing ourselves!

They will start the January after their 3rd birthday - so this January for me and my boy is 3 in November.

[ludoscotts]

thank you for that big big help, will start filling out forms!!!

[Belle]

Hi - just out of interest (a few years off for us yet) do you know what happens if the child's birthday falls in January?

[Mellors]

I think it depends when - if its before school goes back gthen they would be in with a shout for the January sessions (although they will be bottom of the pile, as it goes on date of birth order), otherwise it would be September. Bear in mind that lots of the places at Heber and Goodrich nurseries for this September went to siblings though, so you might not get in any school ones if its like that in the future.

*sigh*

There's also Rye Oak and Bessemer Grange which have nurseries I think. St Johns doesn't.