School Nursery & Childcare Options & Options

Spendless

My college course will be ending within the next few weeks. I feel I've gained a lot of skills but need to continue a bit more before I feel confident enough to job-hunt. Also I don't really want to go back before my daughter goes to ful-time school Sept 07. At the moment my course is 3 full days a week and daughter goes to a private nursery for these days. She now gets funding and we pay the excess thru childcare vouchers. Hubbys company car makes him a 40% tax payer, so we save a lot paying the nursery fees this way.

In September this year she is due to do half days in the school nursery, 2 minutes from where we live and at the school she will eventually attend as her big brother also goes there.

This is where my problem lies. Daughter has got her absolute heart set on going to the school nursery but it is half days only, so it limits me in what college course I can do next. I can do a very small computer course which will last a year and can probably be done in conjunction with school nursery times but the course fees will be a few hundred ££.

Alternatively the college will run another 3 day course similar to mine just the next step up, heavily subsidised again but I can't cos daughter is only 1/2 days at the nursery. I have spoken to the private nursery and they say I can leave her there 3 half days whilst she is in school nursery too but it would meaning taking her out of one at lunch-time to put her in the other and finding someone to do it. I have also asked a child-minder who says she has a vacancy this Autumn and doesn't charge for the time that the child is at the school nursery but with it only being for 3 days I know I will be restricting her numbers and if someone else comes along wanting 5 half days the child-minder might give me notice (I don't know she will, just I do know of people that this has happened to, when they have only wanted a few days care and someone else has come along wanting more days). If this happened I'd be stuck and college does not allow you to enrol on the same course twice in the event I had to pack in over childcare problems.

My nan lives inbetween the private nursery and the school, but is in her 80s and though she can help out I don't think it's fair to put too much on her. MIL is younger but lives further from school doesn't drive and isn't able to walk long distances.

I've got to go out now but any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Rachie_B

can you not study from home? a distance learning course that would solves the childcare issues

Spendless

That has been suggested but I don't feel confident enough. I like having a tutor in a classroom environment where I can put up my hand if I don't understand and be shown what to do.

Gingham_Ribbon

I think my usual response is along the lines of what the child wants where possible. But if you can keep her in her old nursery, so you can gain qualifications that will give you all a better standard of living later, I think I'd be tempted to do that. (Provided there aren't any problems there?)

I wonder if it would be possible to allow her to go to the school nursery maybe once or twice a week on the days you're not at college?

Spendless

Gingham_Ribbon wrote:

I think my usual response is along the lines of what the child wants where possible. But if you can keep her in her old nursery, so you can gain qualifications that will give you all a better standard of living later, I think I'd be tempted to do that. (Provided there aren't any problems there?)

I wonder if it would be possible to allow her to go to the school nursery maybe once or twice a week on the days you're not at college?

Keeping her in her private nursery would definately be better for my studying but unless the college gets x amount of students it can cancel the course at the last minute. I'd have to let the school nursery know I didn't want her place and I live in an area of the town where they are few school nurseries so someone would have my place and I'd not get it back if this happened.

She has her absolute heart set on going to the school nursery, we pass it as I take my eldest to his class and she looks at it and asks if that's where she'll play and where she'll go in etc and if she's old enough to go there yet.

Finally being at college 3 full days when she's at nursery has been best for studying but having the other 2 days at home with her has taken its toll on the house. When I was more or less at home 5 days jobs could be done gradually over a week. I am finding it hard now and just persevering till the course is finished then I intend to spend some time getting up to date on the household jobs whilst she's still at the private nursery as her nursery funding doesn't run out till august

Becles

Just for info:

Our school has a nursery attached to it. The children spend some time in the school building during the nursery session. They go into school once a week to use the hall for a PE lesson, and occasional visits to use the TV or ICT room. The nursery come into school and join in with special masses and assemblies, like Christmas, Easter and Harvest. If one of the teachers has an errand to run in the school, she takes a couple of children with her.

During July, the nursery teacher takes the reception class for PE, and the nursery class are in the reception classroom with their new teacher, to get them used it before starting school properly.

There is now a joint play area shared with the reception class. I'm not sure how this works as it's still being constructed!

It's a big step moving into school, and if your school runs in a similar way, she is going to miss out. She also may miss out on friendship groups - my eldest made friends with a boy on the first day, and they've gone through school as best friends ever since!

It is a hard decision to make and I don't envy you having to do it. Good luck!

Spendless

Becles wrote:

Just for info:

Our school has a nursery attached to it. The children spend some time in the school building during the nursery session. They go into school once a week to use the hall for a PE lesson, and occasional visits to use the TV or ICT room. The nursery come into school and join in with special masses and assemblies, like Christmas, Easter and Harvest. If one of the teachers has an errand to run in the school, she takes a couple of children with her.

During July, the nursery teacher takes the reception class for PE, and the nursery class are in the reception classroom with their new teacher, to get them used it before starting school properly.

Or should I consider using the childminder?
There is now a joint play area shared with the reception class. I'm not sure how this works as it's still being constructed!

It's a big step moving into school, and if your school runs in a similar way, she is going to miss out. She also may miss out on friendship groups - my eldest made friends with a boy on the first day, and they've gone through school as best friends ever since!

It is a hard decision to make and I don't envy you having to do it. Good luck!

That's how the school nursery runs here too Becles having been thru it with my eldest. Most but not all children at the school nursery will stay on at that school. Normally cos it's a big school there are 3 reception classess, then 2 or 3 classes in Years 1 and 2 so they don't always end up with the friend that they originally made in nursery.

Alternatively stopping at the private nursery the children will go to any of the 4 schools in the area, but there is at least 1 child there who will go onto daughters school, (though i don't know if they'll do the same sessions) talking to her Mum she said that when her eldest stopped at the privatel nursery, when she entered reception the school put the children that had been at private nursery together in same reception class.

If I could sort something out about DD being picked up from one place and dropped off at another which do you think would be the best option.
8 -12.45 Private nursery, they would give her her dinner and change her into school uniform in time for her to go to school nursery 1-.3.30. I might be able to get out of college to do this or hubby might be able to work from home 1 day
OR
9am-11.30am school nursery, followed by perhaps my nan picking up and giving dinner or hubby working from home and then private nursery session is 1pm-5.30pm

katglasgow

Can she not just go to school nursery for 2 half days on the days you are not at college?

Spendless

katglasgow wrote:

Can she not just go to school nursery for 2 half days on the days you are not at college?

I doubt it. According to the private nursery manager the schools in our area won't share the funding so I wouldn't get funding at the private nursery-making it more expensive. Also I've not come across anyone who does this, it's just 5 half days AM or PM

TIGs

Would it be worth taking your daughter to look round the private nursery on the off chance she might like it more than the school one and ask if she can go there instead?? Worth a try maybe??

My son went to a school nursery but because we moved he didn't continue at the school into reception but he settled just as much as my daughter did when she followed on into school.

Becles

Could you send her to the school nursery, then do your college course in Sept 07?

I know it's not ideal giving it up for a year, but it's one way of making sure you get the course you want, and daughter gets to go to the school nursery.

If it were me, I'd put the school nursery first and work my plans round it, but I'm soft with my two