HELP NEEDED PLEASE!

[Sarahbelle]

One of my mum's is thinking about taking up the 15 hourrs government funded education next September (I will be accredited by then). She has asked me whether or not I think her LO will have any trouble going straight from a Childminding setting to primary school instead of pre-school to primary school.

So just want to get advice from all you lovely accredited childminders out there. Have any of your parents ever experienced any trouble with the transition from Childminder to school because they have never been to pre-school?

[marleymoo]

From personal experience, the children that I did this with were initially quite overwhelmed when they moved from my setting to full time school. The other children who had attended the school nursery already knew one another and had made firm friendships. The teaching staff were already familiar to them, as were the common areas such as school hall, dining room, libraries etc. They were also accustomed to the smells, noises and the layout of the general environment. I felt that the children that I cared for were at a slight disadvantage and needed extra effort and support to settle them into their new routine. I do not provide this service now and don't intend to in the forseeable future.

[Sarahbelle]

Okayyyyy! 52 views but no advice. I guess not. Lol!

Anyone?

[Tealady]

Not had any experience of this so couldn't from what I have seen in the past, however...

I think you need to look at a few things before offering advise.

Why doesn't Mum want her child to go to Pre-school? Will she have the same issues when he goes to primary school? If he's still quite young then she may feel that right now is not the time so postponing won't hurt

I what is the child like?. Do they adapt well to change? Do they make friends easily? Do they like busy / crowded places?

Pre-school / nursery isn't nessecary or compulsory and with EYFS his developmental need are being met just as well with you as they would in a pre-school. If you go to groups and things then he is meeting friends and socialising. The only thing I would say is with groups, if your area is like here most children go to Pre-school so there are few children aged 3½ to 4/5 at the groups so a slightly older child almost out grows or seems to old for them, which is a shame.

[marleymoo]

my answer to your question is yes, there have been issues with skipping pre-school and going straight from childminder to full time school which is why I no longer provide this service. I didn't keep my own son home with me until he started full time school either because I felt it was important for him to get used to gradually being away from me too, even though it broke my own heart. It would have been so much worse for him to go from being with me almost 24/7 to spending a solid 6 hours a day away from me than to do 2 1/2 hours (as it was then) a day for his 2 years at pre-school.

[marleymoo]

I like your final point Tealady.

[funemnx]

I haven't quite got there yet. I'm accredited and my first funded child is not starting school until next September. However, she goes to a private nursery 1 full day per week. She's a confident child and I think she'll settle in well. My own children went from just a couple of mornings at playschool and went into full time school with no problems.

I will be funding other children soon but they will also be having a couple of morning sessions a week at playschool.

[bluebell3]

I think as a parent I would like my child to go to a pre-school for exactly the reasons that marleymoo said.
However, when my eldest son started the funded pre-school sessions it was because the childminder did not offer funded sessions. Also the pre-school sessions worked out cheaper than the childminder. I was disappointed as I wanted my son to go to pre-school but I would have liked him to continue with his childminder for more of the days I was at work.
I did continue him for one day with the childminder as I thought this was best for him but money wise it made sense to send him to pre-school.
Maybe the parent can divide her claim? Or claim her hours through you but use the pre-school for one day so the child gets used to that environment. My son started his funded sessions in January but he's still got another full year before he starts school in Sept 2012. Maybe she feels he is too young and she could defer him starting pre-school until he is a bit older??
Good luck and I hope it works out for you

[blue bear]

I have had three children go from me to school without attending pre school, two that did 4 sessions with me and one at pre school and one lo who did 4 at pre school and one morning with me.

Out of all of them the one who did the majority at preschool is the shyest and finds it hardest to deal with new situations.


The ones that never attended pre school had no problems, I made extra efforts to seek out experiences that involved making friends with strangers/ being in a large group like soft play, toddlers, going to network drop obs, library, regular music class, group childminder outings.

I took them out for lunch in a cafe once a week so they got used to trays, asking for what they would like, eating in a room with lots if others, using cutlery while lots of distractions etc.

They got lots of individual attention from me and community experiences that are harder for pre schools to offer but I had to work at the socialising that is easier for pre school.


My parents chose not to send to pre school as they thought it was enough leaving them with me without them having to go to someone else at pre school.

Chat to mum work out what she wants and her expectations and put into a plan to ensure Childs development is fully catered for, but yes it can be done .

[Sarahbelle]

Thank you ladies. There was some great information there. LO was hard to settle with me (took 4 months, she was a screamer!) Mum is having her second baby at Christmas. So she is starting to look at her options as she will be going back to work next September when LO gets her government funding. She is trying to get all the information, so she can make a decision that is best for her LO. I will have new baby regardless.

Having never offered government funded education before I was at a loss as to how to answer some of her questions. Thanks everyone for giving me some great information and ideas.:clapping: