Knowing Your Nursery from Your Pre-school

your pre-school By Andrew Campbell

Is a day nursery the same as a nursery school? Is there a difference between a preschool and a playgroup? For parents of very young children, who struggle getting their heads around early years care terminology, here is Families’ helpful glossary.

Independent nursery schools Some nursery schools are attached to an independent school and are usually run by private or voluntary organisation as part of the school. Some will not be registered with Ofsted but will be monitored as part of the school's inspection. Many offer extended hours allowing parents to drop off early and pick up late to fit in with their working hours.

Day nurseries provide childcare (usually from 3 months to 5 years) with a choice of full-time or part-time care and are usually open from 8am to 6pm for most of the year. They can be run by private individuals, local councils, community groups, Montessori organisations, commercial businesses or by employers. Day nurseries run by councils or your local community tend to be cheaper but can be difficult to get into due to long waiting lists.

Nursery schools/classes and Preschools Nursery schools, school nursery class and pre-school offer a more structured early education experience for children ages 3 to 5 years which prepares them for primary school. There are generally three types: Parent and baby/Toddler playgroups These are groups to which parents bring their children (generally ages 0 to 4) to play and are often held in venues such as church halls or community centres by volunteers or a charity. A small fee is charged for each session to cover refreshments and running costs. Children must be under the supervision of their parent/carer at all times. These groups are not Ofsted registered.

Local authority (maintained) nursery schools/classes Maintained nursery schools and classes are associated with a primary school, run and funded by the local authority and either attached to the primary school or in a separate building. Most nursery schools and nursery classes offer both full and part time places and operate during term-time only.

Private nursery schools Nursery schools can also be privately run and or may be part of a day nursery setting. A private nursery school may charge fees and have different approaches and philosophies to learning, such as Montessori. They either follow term-times or can be open for most of the year.

Crèches Crèches provide ‘occasional care’ for children and are provided on particular premises. Parents will use them on an irregular basis i.e. when they go to the gym or if they’re shopping.