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. 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.
