What do you know about Pre School Learning Alliance?

[madmarchhare]

I have just been to look at a new nursery that has opened in my area. Its part of the Pre School learning alliance, I have all the booklets/leaflets on it but am just overwhelmed by it all.

There are so many to choose from in my area and up to now I feel this one is far better than any of the others I have seen.

Oh wise Mumsnetters, do you have any information to share? Do they offer free places at 3/4?

[clary]

mmh, the pre-school learning alliance is an umbrella organisation which covers all pre-school, including council-run nursery schools, nursery classes attached to schools and privately run pre-school playgroups etc.
Your 3yo is entitled to a free part time place (5 x 2.5 hr sessions a week) from the term after they turn 3 (ie in January if they are 3 in October). Our wonderful nursery school can only promise to take children in September now, thanks to one-point entry here (grr) but other places may be mor eflexible for you.
good luck in the search for the right place!

[madmarchhare]

Ah, I see. Its just that all the other ones I went to had their own literature and this one used 'pre school' branded stuff. Its all so confusing!

Dont only certain nurseries have funded places? Hes only coming up to 2 but I would like to place him in one that will have places available when hes old enough IYSWIM. Wheres the best place to check? Local Council? Why does no one tell you these things??!!

[clary]

No-one does tell you, do they. It?s so annoying!
Try yr local council but I have to say ours was supremely unhelpful. Do you know which school you want him to go to? If so it might be worth asking there which feeder playgroups etc they use, not that you have to choose those but it?s worth considering.
Yes, all pre-school, includign private nurseries, should offer you free place from 3. Private nurseries (ie childcare, not education!) tend to deduct the cost from their fees. But if you are SAHM or otherwise able to do it, you might prefer a state nursery school (we have fab ones here) or a pre-school linked to the infant school and just have him going eg 9-11.30am every mornign (a logistical nightmare for a lot of working parents I know).

[madmarchhare]

Yes I am a SAHM, but I do know that there are very few places at the state run nursery and would like him to have a couple of mornings before then anyway, or do state run nurseries accept children before 3 (if paying)?

Cant believe how much I dont know about this!

[clary]

well, it depends on the nursery. Is it a nursery school (ie with a head teacher etc)? If so, then they probably do have to be 3 (they do at ours). On the other hand, lots of playgroups etc will take a child from 2.5 or even 2, tho of course then you have to pay.
As an example, my ds2 who was 2 in April is doing two sessions a week at playschool from Sept, at a cost of so-much per session (can?t remember, but it?s onyl a few quid).
then in September (or in April if they happen to have a spare place due to someone moving away) he will start at the nursery school where my other 2 went and do 5 x mornings a week I hope, for free. After a year there it?s on to big school!!

[madmarchhare]

Yes it does have a head teacher. Did you have any trouble moving your other two from the one they were at to the new one? As in, did they mind ? DH has this thing about not moving him around, where as I said that he'd have to move when he went to 'big school' anyway.

[clary]

no, it was fine. It was just another stage really, as you say, like the move to big school. I view the playgroup as a bit of a practice before "proper" nursery.
DD did 2 sessions at the same playgroup and it was really nice, but when she left her favourite carer had left as well so I didn't feel so bad.
And the nursery was so much better resourced, had trained teachers etc, that I felt it was worth any upheaval as in different friends etc.
In fact DD's best pals at playgroup were in a differnt year at school so they would have left anyway iyswim.