is nursery usually this formal?

[jobekal]

DD started last month. The first thing that surprised me was having to buy full school uniform, am on benefits so was a bit of a struggle. Then we had parents evening to discuss progress, homework every friday, letters about unauthorised absences, late marks, when sitting on mat for stories must have legs crossed and hands in laps, they expect them to recognise and write their name, count 1-10 which she almost does at home but not there

[DrBunsentheHarpsichordCarrier]

no, tghat isn't normal.
what type of nursery? hold old is dd

[LadyOfWaffle]

How old is she?

[hildegard]

Sounds very formal to me, not my experience at all. Surely nursery is the time they learn to sit on the carpet to listen etc? What kind of homework is your dd given?

[DrBunsentheHarpsichordCarrier]

fwiw, dd1 is at a lovely preschool, committee run
no uniform.no homwork fgs. some suggestions about what you could do with them to match what is happening at prschool. if she doesn't go then I just let them know (e.g. she came tot he zoo last week for dd2s birthday) late marks!! er no. at registration they have to sit on the mat and not talk. they work towards recognising and writing their own name. I have seen my key worker two or three times for parent's liaison, just a chat really and certainly no mention of pogress.
imo this type of approach is wrong headed for children of this age. learning through play. let themn be children fgs

[ByTheSea]

This goes against all recommended practice for pre-school these days. Children this age should be learning through play and this sounds far too structured for children of pre-school age.

[Twiglett]

pre-school should be play-based, with gentle encouragement

If you notice though a lot of the stuff is directed at getting you ready for your child going to school "parent's evening, letters, late marks etc" ...

the literary expectations are out of order IMO, totally out of order and it sounds like a high-pressure environment and rather demotivating .. small children learn through play

laugh in the face of homework

I do agree with the sitting on bums for stories is a standard one really

uniform is dependent on the school really, ours has one but it's a sweatshirt

[Twiglett]

'literacy' expectations I meant

[captainmummy]

Nursery should be for thsoe activities that you don't do at home (painting, sand/water play) and for playing. Not being a school, at under 5.
Move the dc.

[Twiglett]

it's a mis-reading of the early years strategy if you ask me

[jobekal]

she is 4 in january, i have posted under development before thinking she was behind, but i know they develop at different ages so tried not to stress but i left parents evening in tears, since then, though, the day after thr evening, she counted 1-8 thn said 10, and has recognised her name, some letters and numbers for a fw weeks

[lalalonglegs]

Can you find another nursery with a less ummm, rigid, approach? Know it is a pain now that you have bought uniform etc but you may be able to sell second hand?

[Anna8888]

jobekal - I think, from what I have read, that such formal learning is unusual in England at this age. However, where I am (Paris) it is standard - my daughter started pre-school aged 2.10 in September and has school uniform and parents' evening. No homework, but plenty of feedback from school, she brings her "work" home, is learning days, months, numbers etc. She loves it

[pinkteddy]

Is the nursery attached to the school? Ours is and we've had parents evening, letters for unauthorised absences etc. IMO this is all about getting them (and you!) ready for the school. However in terms of homework, writing their name etc this sounds very formal - should be following early foundation goals all about learning through play surely? My dd's nursery goal for counting is to be able to count to 5 they are 3 and 4 years old.

[captainmummy]

jobekal children in this country do NOT need to go to nursery,preschool,playschool or even school until the term in which they are FIVE!!! Until then they can be at home or childminder or whereever, playing and doing nothing 'educational' (actually cm are required to be educational but i still think that's ridicculous.) They are not disadvantaged by not being able to count to 10 or write their names until then, in fact there is no evidence to sugest that children who CAN write their names/count/read some letters are 'ahead' in any significant wat by the time they finish primary schoool ffs.

[havalina]

My dd goes to a nursery like this, they do play, but I think they focus on literacy and numeracy too much, it's supposed to be nursery fgs.
She has homework, which we never bother with, and at parents evening the teacher said she was doing well etc, she knew 21 letters and could count etc but that she needed to practice letter pairs?? and she wasn't forming the letter a properly when she wrote her name.
Thet even have some of the nursery class doing numeracy with the reception class, to push them.
I'm a bit with it all really, wish I'd never bothered.

[wheresthehamster]

jobekal, are you sure that she needs to write her name and count to 10 NOW? Not when they leave the pre-school maybe? I can see the point about sitting on the carpet. If children are kicking others and fiddling it's very distracting for those trying to listen.
Homework! BAH! Ridiculous
The absences and late marks are not offical but nurseries like to get parents into the right way of doing things before school starts.

[ArmadilloDaMan]

My ds preschool is nothing like this. I wouldn't send him if it was (he is younger at 3.1).

Seems very strict and formal which I don't think is good for most children at this age.

Letters about unauthorised absences is crap - you don't legally have to send your child to formal education at that age, so there is nothing they can do about it (unless it is private).

What kinda homework is it? We get told what shape/colour they are doing that week and are asked to bring in something that matches that, and 'suggestions' for things to tie in at home (and they ar ejust suggestions) but nothing beyond that.

Uniform is 'old clothes' so they don't ruin nice ones.

Pre-school/nursery is just somewhere to play and maybe slip in a little learning without them noticing at this age.

I woudln't be happy with it.

[DrBunsentheHarpsichordCarrier]

I wouldn't send my child somehwere like this tbh, not in a million years. it is very bad practice and not good for the child's development. also not exactly a fun time! and there is a risk imo of putting on this kind of pressure so early, to label the children as failures. you may think you are not doing it consciously but the children are not stupid and will absolutely pick up on this message. the children have years and years of formal schooling ahead of them.

[jobekal]

thanks eveyone, noone else at nursery seem to think anything of it so i thought there was somnething wrong with me for disapproving. the only thing is she does need speech therapy and school have referred her which is quicker than going through any other route, but i have been really thinking i should take her out of it

[LoveAngelGabriel]

Agree with other posts. Tis sounds excessive for a 4 yr old and not at all in line with any government policy or initiative I've ever heard of. Pre-school children learn through play, not through formal 'education'.