Nursery Concerns.....what to do for the best?

GobbledyGook

Do they often have a high turnover of staff? Tbh that and the lack of communication would have me looking elsewhere.

You don't have to move him right away, but have a look around other places. You must find gut instinct comes in.

sacha28

GobbledyGook wrote: »

Do they often have a high turnover of staff? Tbh that and the lack of communication would have me looking elsewhere.

You don't have to move him right away, but have a look around other places. You must find gut instinct comes in.

The turnover is pretty low, they just had a bad month when 3 long-term members of staff left at the same time.

This is the first time they have had poor communication.

GobbledyGook

Go with your gut.

Speak to them to see what they plan to do for him while he's still in the baby room and then go with your gut x

sacha28

Well the manager hadn't arrived when I dropped my LO in today so I spoke to the room leader again. She tried to push the fact that they had an OFSTED inspection in August last year and were rated outstanding overall and that it was noted that they met individual children's needs. That's all very well but that was before 3 members of staff left and the ratio of young babies to older children was much better as they hadn't started moving up yet, so I feel that's a red herring.

I feel really stuck between a rock and a hard place on one hand he is very happy at his nursery, on the other hand his development is equally as important and I feel this will only drag him back.

Think I'll call a meeting with the manager!!!

quidsy

It sounds like they are lacking spaces & will keep your child back but that isn't helpful to the childs development.

Your pay for this service. Act as you would in any situation where you are not receiving satisfactory service, complain & if not resolved, vote with your feet.

flutterby_lil

sacha28 wrote: »

I have a situation that both myself and OH have some concerns about and just wondered what the general opinion.

Our DS will be 2 in March and is very 'forward' for his age (to the point that we forget he is not yet 2!!). He has always done things in fast forward......sitting unaided at 17 weeks, crawling at 20 weeks, walking independently at 9 1/2 months etc. Now at 22 months he is way ahead of himself and you can hold quite a conversation with him and he communicates his needs very clearly 'mummy, my ear is sore' etc etc.

After a flippant comment at nursery last week about how my DS will miss his nursery teachers (is that what they're called?!) when he moves up in a few weeks, I was told they aren't able to accommodate him and it may be a 'while' before he moves up. Today, I had a letter informing me that it will be unlikely he moves up until the summer :eek:

This really bothers me. He is currently in the baby room and, after his best friend moves up fully in 2 weeks (he's been slowly integrated over the past few weeks) he will be the only child left in the room over 12 months old. I feel this will be detrimental to his development and will probably take him back, rather than bringing him forward further. Today my friend went to pick up her LB (said best friend) and she put him back in the baby room to play with my DS while she spoke to the manager and she said he was in there with 3 baby girls, all under a year, and was sat in the corner on his own looking quite despondent. This upset me and OH quite a bit as he is very sociable and likes to play, but isn't able to play properly with babies.

By the time they are able to move my DS up, he will be 2 1/2. The new children will only be younger so I feel he will get left behind. I'm feeling my only option is to move him to a nursery where he can be with peers his own age BUT he has attended this nursery since he was 5 months old and is happy there.

Am I being over-sensitive? What would you do?

Your son sounds very much like my daughter, and of a very similar age, she is 2 in 10 weeks.....my daughter has already had all her "big girl room" settling in sessions and moves up fully next week, they said she was too advanced for the baby room now and needed to move up to continue developing. She sounds as advanced as your son - I would be quite upset as I myself knew she was ahead of her peers (her best friend is 2 about 4 weeks before my daughter - she is nowhere near moving up yet).

Do nursery think he is as advanced as you do? I would speak to them.

flutterby_lil

I agree that it is all to do with places but they should have thought of that before taking in more children in the 2-3 room.......your son's place has probably been filled with a child who has just started, it a money making scheme after all - doesn't help you in the slightest I know!

Will you be still paying the higher rate for the 0-2 place or get a reduction that is offered at most nurseries reflecting the change in the ratio once your son is 2?

sacha28

I don't think there is any difference in cost for each age, it is a non-profit nursery run by the NHS trust both my partner and I work for.

It was nursery that pointed out how advanced my son is. I took it for granted that all children his age acted like him as, before he was born, I had no real prior dealings with children. They printed out some kind of 'milestones' paper to show me where my son was in his development, they put him between 3+4 years old (I find this terrifying and mystifying as neither my partner nor I are really that clever lol!!). Since they pointed it out I find myself watching him with his best friend and the difference is unbelievable. Even his friends mum has said how far ahead he is, and that is part of the reason she feels her son isn't ready to move up.

quidsy

Then use this paper & prior discussions to pin them down as to why he isn't being moved.

They seem to be backtracking somewhat as they look to have over subscribed.

sacha28

I think over-subscription is the main issue.
I've just phoned and asked for a meeting, outlining exactly what the problem is. The manager isn't there til Thursday and the assistant manager doesn't feel she will be able to help as I told her I am 'really unhappy, to the point I feel I have no option but to move him'. I think that may've made her feel out of her depth

Let's see what this meeting holds, if I'm not happy with the outcome then I think I'm going to start visiting other nurseries.

Still feel torn tho. Happiness or development?? Feel like crying for him right now, yet he has no idea what he's facing