The different types of Nursery
Contents
School Nurseries
Summary
School based Nurseries provide care for children the term after their third Birthday. Schools usually provide care for three hours a day, and in many schools they offer 5 morning sessions or 5 afternoon sessions. The ratio's are 1:13 as long as a Qualified Teacher is present and at least one other member of staff holds a minimum of a Level 3 Qualification. They are registered and monitored by Ofsted, and you can view their latest reports on Ofsted's website: Ofsted Inspection Reports. School based Nurseries follow our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, and support and monitor all 7 area's of development.
How to apply
To apply for a school based Nursery place you will need to contact your Local Education Authority (LEA). Many LEA's have an online application process. It is free to apply for a place.
Cost
It is free to attend a School based Nursery.
Pro's and Con's
For working families, the shorter hours do not allow for them to be able to access School based Nurseries unless they have family or a childminder that can collect. Working families usually opt for a childminder or a Full-daycare Nursery. Both of which you can still acess your free 15 hours of childcare the term after your child's 3rd birthday. Many of the children attending School-based Nurseries go on to attend the school the September after their 4th birthday. Your child will be use to the school building, and often willalready have made friends with children that will be in their Reception class. The ratio's also support more children to less adults. This doesn't always cause a problem, but families would need to decide if that ratio would be appropritae for their child.
Sessional-care Nurseries
Summary
Sessional day-care is often called a variety of different names! Depending on where you live, how you were brought up and the group's themselves they can be called Pre-schools, Nurseries, or playgroups. They all have the same basic structures in place. Sessional day-care groups opertae for under 4 hours a day, they are often over registered for children over the age of 2, but there can be variations. Many sessional-day-care groups will offer you part time sessions, so you don't have to attend 5 days a week. They are usually private, charity, or committee run. They are registered with and monitored by Ofsted. Therefor, you will be able to read their latest inspection report on Ofsted's website: Ofsted Inspection Reports. Sessional day-care groups follow the EYFS and provide care and learning opportunities to support all 7 area's of develeopment.
How to apply
It depends on the type of group it is. Most independant, private and cahraity and committee based groups take registrations for free, and you should contact the group directly to enquire about the process.
Cost
If your child is over 3 (plus a term) you can usually access sessional day-care groups for free depending on the LEA's funding criteria, our quick guide can be found here: Funding. For all other children, the cost is usually lower than you would expect in a Full day-care group per hour. Typically between £9-£15 per child per session, depending on age, location, and staff qualifications.
