Pre-school Education dilemma - whether to switch nurseries

balletshoes

just a parent here - but nursery number 1 sounds lovely to me , nursery 2 too formal for a 2-year old.

Make-it-3

Princessdon, why do you say current nursery is not fully implementing EYFS?

And yes you are right, I am probably sweating it too much when its just for two days a week.

OH likes the new one more, but my instinct is current one.

Both have nappy changing and toilet training facilities so nothing to choose between them there.

We're definitely in the catchment area, less than 5 mins walk from the school.

marisco_2

From the information you have provided regarding both nurseries, I think the one your daughter currently attends sounds the better option. The structures and routines in place are similar to that which she will experience in her reception year at school. So the transition should hopefully go smoothly.

Have you spoken to any of the staff at her nursery and raised your concerns regarding the food served? They may be able to offer a more healthy option if they contacted their catering providers.

mrcow

If the worst thing you can think of at her current nursery is the fact they serve angel delight, then stay put! The new nursery could be 10 times worse once you're in.

lilymay1

My son is 15 months and if his nursery were like the 'new nursery', I would be removing him asap and putting him into one like the current one.

I would be worried about my 2 year old learning things from a 5 year old, and likewise, if I had a 5 year old I would be concerned their educational needs were not being met if they were plonked together with 2 year olds. Come to think of it why is a 5 year old in nursery. Aren't they at school at that age?

Our kids will be in formal fulltime education until they are (atleast)18. Let them enjoy their time as a toddler while they still can.

sassyblue

I would leave my LO where she is if l had that choice OP.

Mine was quite happy until the numbers in play school went up quickly and he didn't like it, l got him in at the nursery attached to the school he's in now and he was much happier with the smaller, quieter group again. He was much like you describe your daughter, shy and quiet.

I wouldn't worry about whether there's sugar in that angel delight it'd be all the other additives that would bother me, but l was lucky DS never did (and still doesn't ) like anything like that.*

*not a knock at anyone who likes angel delight or whose kids eat it. Everything in moderation!

jenhug

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Springs to mind here. She is happy, leave her be. She will be wearing uniform for many years to come, no need to rush her into one.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Individual care compared to crowd control?

Keep her where she is. Fancy environments make no difference if they don't notice the littlest is being squashed under a beanbag by one of the older kids because there are 45 other children vying for attention at once.

princessdon

Make-it-3 wrote: »

Princessdon, why do you say current nursery is not fully implementing EYFS?

And yes you are right, I am probably sweating it too much when its just for two days a week.

OH likes the new one more, but my instinct is current one.

Both have nappy changing and toilet training facilities so nothing to choose between them there.

We're definitely in the catchment area, less than 5 mins walk from the school.

Because size of outdoors shouldn't really impact and you should see "none played activities" in your nursery.

Eg the outside space (if attached, more difficult if none attached and over a car park of course), should be considered a whole space. It isn't supposed to be "outside play - to let off steam", it's free flow, eg some children will go out and some stay inside. The outside should be inside too.

Example - In todays weather if I was still teaching I'd have frozen "marbles" - Ie Ice in different colours in the garden but permitted outside being brought in so kids can explore and play. On good weather days children should go in and out at free will. In limited spaces activities need planned. So logs chopped with jumps, spacial awareness planning, climbing etc. You don't need a huge garden to give the same opportunities, a small space if planned gives the same. Same goes for planting, plant inside and out to show how things grow etc.

On the inside there should be planned and free (entirely free) choice activities. For example if I had water play out I would NOT put things in the water. I'd leave colours, glitter, floating and none floating objects around (but not at water table), to allow children to pick objects up, throw them in, look at float or sink. If a child wants to colour, paint - just go to a tray and get it out. There is no need to have . I'd encourage painting the snow (blank canvas) then watching patterns as it melts, how the paint mixes, new colours, drains, runs, how the grass is the following week, growth cycles. Paint inside is OK - paint outside in the snow is awesome.

A) Water Play - set out with toys (children find whatever they want to use) it's child led, not adult led putting water toys there.

Have items in trays at a height children can access, so if they want to paint, draw, take a book outside they can.

Just a few examples. Many under 3 nursery's have planned activties but don't allow "bright" children to grow. The key to planning is not to plan (IFSWIM). They need to have some activities placed out but allow for choices to be made. In fact apart from lunch, circle, nap time - the majority under EYFS should be free choice. So you should see individual choices not a group of children doing the same activity.

A child needs to work out what they enjoy, independance (not given if someone gets their apron and paper etc), and fun as individuals.

This is what the EYFS promotes.

It's natural to see chaos and activities popular, not popular, abandoned etc as children "should" have decided to take the stickle brick and cook it in the oven. Playing on the mat with stickle bricks isn't natural. They will feed those bricks to others, put them in water, play dough and "free flow" and decide where that child wants to put it at that point in time, or bury it in the snow.

It's old school nurserys that have clean set activities as it's not EYFS guidance and free flow.

Example if teaching still - today I'd have snow angels outside, loads of coloured marble playing and fun watching them melt, no set outside play (don your all in one and hat and out you go, even if alone), snow brought inside using a paddling pool (AKA Ball pool, gloop pool etc), getting them to design things to write in snow (mark making) - sticks to draw in snow, measuring how long a snow ball took to melt, did larger ones take longer?

What happens if you add glitter to a snow ball? Can you take it back out and roll it? Did it work? What does the mud feel like, is it warm under the snow? Can the spade dig? Does snow taste nice? Can you melt it in Miss X nose? Tiny gardens can hit the same learning criteria as large gardens.

If you are concerned about "set activities" and "outside space" then look at they EYFS guidance make suggestions as neither should really matter.

kingfisherblue

Why would you move your two year old when she is happy? An outstanding Ofsted report wouldn't be a good enough reason for me. After all, schools and nurseries can change over time, and Ofsted reports can change too.

Three examples from my local area:
* A local primary school always had excellent reports and was seen to be a very good school by most people. They were dire with children who had disabilities though. A few years ago, they (very unexpectedly!) failed Ofsted and were placed In Special Measures.
*A large secondary school had been classed as 'good' by Ofsted, before the headteacher moved to a different school in another area. From then, it went downhill very quickly. A couple of years ago, it became an academy, as at the time it had only 29% of pupils getting at least 5 GCSEs at A8-C. The then headteacher was moved on, yet another headteacher came in, and standards are improving again. This has all been in the last ten years. My daughter was there when the first headteacher was there, during the whole time the second HT was there, and for a few months of the third HT's employment there.
* My son's secondary school recently had an Ofsted and 'Requires Improvement'. A large proportion of the children come from disadvantaged homes, and many parents are not as supportive as they could be. On the other hand, the school has fantastic pastoral care, which is important for my son, as he has depression. They also have a Young Carer's group, a wide variety of after school clubs (including a couple of more unusual ones), regularly raise money for charities, and work with the community. The teaching that he receives is good, IMO (and I have high standards), and he is above the national average in most subjects. Progress is reported on a more formal basis three times a year, showing progression and informing parents of expected progression for future months. I would prefer more homework, though, although my son would disagree

A good Ofsted report does not necessarily mean that the school will always retain this, and a good Ofsted report doesn't always mean that it is the best place for your child. OP, your child is young. Let her be happy where she is. The current nursery sounds a much better environment for her.