Nursery or school for four-year-olds

Parents will soon be able to choose whether their child attends nursery or school when they turn four

Every child will be given the option of starting school the September after they turn four, says Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, following Sir Jim Rose’s review of the primary curriculum. He also states that the Government will fund children to start school in September after their fourth birthday from 2011, or pay for a nursery place up to 25 hours a week.

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have welcomed Sir Jim Rose’s review, particulary that the Government will allow parents to choose between early years provision and school when their child is four. However, it said that this policy would require a ‘culture change’ in some local authority areas where entry to school at four is already the norm.

Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA comments: ‘NDNA welcomes how parents should now have real choice about whether their child goes to school at four or not. Many children, especially summer-born ones, are simply not ready for a school environment and it is important that parents have the option to allow their children to continue in a nursery if they feel that is more appropriate. However, many local authorities already work to the recommendation of school following a child’s fourth birthday, and it is vital that the choice to stay in a dedicated early years setting is promoted and equitably funded locally.

‘There is also the danger that creating a single point of entry into school could damage the substainability of nurseries in areas where there are currently multiple entry points. Being able to access up to 25 hours in a nursery is a bonus for families, but it is important to help support parents’ knowledge in this area so they know that they do not have to send their child to school if they do not think that they are ready.

‘Children in nurseries will receive the same range of early learning opporunities as in school as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and indeed could benefit from the less formalised environment, especially if they are still at a stage where higher staff ratios are needed. Another year at nursery can give children a real advantage, and local authorities and schools must ensure that parents are aware of their options’. 