Nursery class/reception class difference?!

nadnad

Can someone tell me the difference between a nursery class and a reception class please? My LO is only a baby but we got to talking about where to eventually send him and my neighbour told me that the school I want him to go to doesnt have nursery but does have a reception class but whats the difference?! i felt silly asking her!

pandora205

Nursery class could be any age up to 4+ in the non-maintained sector (ie not Local Authority education provision) though is often used to refer to 3+ year in a school setting. This age group (3-4 year olds) are now the Foundation 1 year of Early Years Foundation Stage.

Reception year is 4+, ie 4-5 year olds. These are usually in school and the new terminology is Foundation 2.

Don't worry that you are confused, so are my colleagues (we are educational psychologists working with early years settings and schools).

PS Just noticed your signature - you have plenty of time!

Coming back to your situation, your neighbour is saying that your local school only has children entering the September after their fourth birthdays.

There is now funding for all children of 3+ to attend a setting (preschool or nursery) from the term after their third birthday. This is currently for 12.5 hours per week but will rise to 15 hours in September.

If your local school does not have a nursery (ie Foundation 1 class for 3-4 year olds) perhaps there is a local preschool or nursery that you could consider?

seatzie

not wanting to hijack the thread but the ridiculousness of the situation is my son will be 4 in August he will only then be getting his nursery year as everywhere in our area was oversubscribed last year, yet my mates son who will be 4 in June, has already had his Nursery year and is starting Primary in September...................I know there has to be a system of some sort but this just makes it look ridiculous...........

nadnad

thanks pandora, i know i've loads of time but i just like to be well informed!!

we're right in the country and this school is only less than 2 miles away and is where he will (hopefully) go to school. as far as i know there isnt a nursery (ie from 3 up) anywhere close. I shall investigate further!

Seatzie - its daft isnt it! though i guess there has to be a cut off somewhere, though I thought he would have been eligible either the september after his birthday or if not then I know some nurseries take newbies in January.

leftieM

seatzie wrote: »

not wanting to hijack the thread but the ridiculousness of the situation is my son will be 4 in August he will only then be getting his nursery year as everywhere in our area was oversubscribed last year, yet my mates son who will be 4 in June, has already had his Nursery year and is starting Primary in September...................I know there has to be a system of some sort but this just makes it look ridiculous...........

Look on the bright side - the older kids do much better academically so he'll fly through key stage 1 (and beyond - they reckon the age advantage is only lost by age 16!).

Teerah

seatzie wrote: »

not wanting to hijack the thread but the ridiculousness of the situation is my son will be 4 in August he will only then be getting his nursery year as everywhere in our area was oversubscribed last year, yet my mates son who will be 4 in June, has already had his Nursery year and is starting Primary in September...................I know there has to be a system of some sort but this just makes it look ridiculous...........

AFAIK the cut-off for starting school at 4 (P1) is 1st July so even of your son had attended nursery this year he wouldnt have been able to start P1 until he was 5 anyway. Willing to be corrected but I believe this is the case.

Teerah

I also came across this as I am interested in the same thing at the moment and it states that there is no longer any such thing as reception classes in northern Ireland. This was from 2006 so maybe the suggested changes never came into force? Does anyone know?

nadnad

Teerah wrote: »

I also came across this as I am interested in the same thing at the moment and it states that there is no longer any such thing as reception classes in northern Ireland. This was from 2006 so maybe the suggested changes never came into force? Does anyone know?

i dont think these changes happened i found this on SELB's website

"RECEPTION CLASSES (FOR CHILDREN NOT OF COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE)

From September 2000 the number of children being taught in any class which has Reception, or Key Stage 1 pupils (P1
to P4) children by law with a very few approved exceptions has to be no more than 30. This means that some schools
do not accept as many children in reception classes as previously. In addition, the Department of Education is
restricting the number of schools that have Reception Classes. You should contact the Principal for each school you are
considering to confirm that there will be a Reception Class during the 2009/2010 school year."

if i'm reading it right reception is for those children who are 4 but not of compulsory age for school - i.e. you go into P1 the September after your 4th birthday (providing you are 4 before July), however if you turn 4 after July you can go into reception as follows:- (according to one schools admission policy i looked at)

4 in July and August then reception in September
4 after that then admitted the term following their birthday

though some schools seem to accept them the monday following their 4th birthday

it also seems that most schools have the reception class in with the P1 class and so the numbers of children allowed to be accepted into reception vary with the numbers in P1 (and maximum of up to 30 children allowed in the class).

So I've answered my own question now! took a bit of searching on the education boards website though - you think they'd have an obvious explanation/policy somewhere.

seatzie

Teerah wrote: »

AFAIK the cut-off for starting school at 4 (P1) is 1st July so even of your son had attended nursery this year he wouldnt have been able to start P1 until he was 5 anyway. Willing to be corrected but I believe this is the case.

yeah Teerah you are right but that is the point I was actually making, his friend is 2 months older and will be a year ahead in school lol!! ridiculous but I realise there has to be a line somewhere

rjh090384

nad nad ur like me i am such a pllanner and the school stuff is so confusing!! my l.o. was born 16th may!

nadnad

can i just add to all of this I think its ridiculous that people from "disadvantaged backgrounds" ie on jobseekers or income support get first dibs on nursery places. All kids deserve a place and I don't see why mine should be discriminated against because we work! (but thats just my view!)