Nursery Child Who Is Just 3 Not 4

[Guest]

what I mean is that our HT (state maintained Nursery school) is proposing to admit a child to nursery now who was 3 in september 2009, not 4. I have never heard of this before and feel very uncomfortable about it when we have a huge waiting list of appropriately aged children.

HT is saying that she "owes mum a favour" and has told her child can have the place. It is part time each morning, but to me that's irrelevant really! The child is not looked after, doesn't have a child in need plan and is not known to health and social care.

Has anyone in a maintained nursery school ever done this or heard of this going on? Thanks

[HappyMaz]

My first response is to ask what your admissions policy says - and if this child's admission is in breach of that policy is anyone likely to find out about it and challenge the decision?

 

I'll leave others who work in the maintained sector to comment on the wider issues of a three year old being admitted alongside four year olds!

 

Maz

[hali]

ummm i would see what your policy says - otherwise there will be people complaining!!!

[Susan]

Maintained nurseries are traditionally for children aged 3-5. Waiting lists and earlier school admission have tended to reduce the length of time offered from 5 terms max to 2 terms maybe.

Both my children had 5 terms in nursery, although both went to school after 4 terms, in the term in which they had their 5 th birthday. So yes they went to nursery at 3 and they were in mixed family groups.

[Guest]

Hi there,

I work in a maintained Nursery school and we admit children in the term after their third birthday apart from the children who attend the SSC and they can come when they have just turned 3. This is in our admissions policy. But if yours states something different I would check very carefuly and tread on eggshells.

[mundia]

Hi Mozart, yes this is not unknown, we used to take just 3s but always when we were not full. They were nearly always one offs as they didn't come with any funding.

 

As Maz and hali have said, you would need to look at your admissions policy, and see how this child fits above any others for a place if they are at a premium.

[Guest]

Not sure how your head would stand on this-inviting a child early. It did happen once to us when a dad was suddenly left alone with a 3 yr, 2yr and a twins under 1. The compassion of the head was such she admitted the eldest early.

 

We admit after 3rd birthday. We stay in the year group unless there are spaces in which case we admit eldest from the next. We keep the places free until Christmas then invite for january September onwards birthdays. Its to do with the funding!! Mid january there is a census 3rd week in January to set funding for April budgets. We need to ensure all places are full by then to keep funding.One year we had 4 children who were 2yrs 10mths but not sure how the head managed it.

[Guest]

We admit the term after a child's third birthday if the parents want a place.

 

We are lucky though because I can admit to my afternoon sessions (which are private though run by the same people as maintained nursery) as soon as they turn 3 if parents are willing to pay!! Lots do!

 

Decisions do sometimes get made based on need but not usually based on who you know!!!!

[katekit]

We have admitted children 'early' in the past when we had spaces, but not for the past few years. My youngest daughter went in early, in fact so did I because my dad died. Not done it for a couple of years though as we can still offer full time places until the end of this school year.

[Marion]

We admit children on their third birthday in line with our LA policy