My son will be 3 at the end of January, so I rang the nursery and infant school I would like him to attend on the end of our road to ask about when he would be likely to start. The lady told me because his birthday is the end of January he'll miss out on the January intake and they only do 2 intakes, January and September so he'll not start until next september when he's 3 years and 8 months. I thought this was late in starting nursery. He already goes and has been going since just before he was 2 to a nursery we pay for but only for 1/2 a day once a week as it's all we can afford but he enjoys it and it's brought him on so much. The lady at the nursery he'll attend full time said to ask these if they'd accept him for free from his 3rd birthday which I will ask if they can but it's a bus ride away whereas the one I want him to go to everyday is just a 5 minute walk away.

What are other people's experiences?

My kids school has 3 intakes, Jan, easter and september so eldest started in April after his 3rd birthday and my second son started in April as he was 3 in May as my health visitor recommended he be took in early as appose to the following Jan because of late speech and it worked, it brought him on really quick
my daughter who was born in May will also start in April before she is 3 as they said she could, I suppose it depends whether its a big school or not, theres is only a little school so thats prob why they can start early
seems daft for him to miss 8 months for the sake of his birthday being a few days after the intake day. I would try speaking to the school again

Yeah I think I will ring them or write to them and try and get him accepted in January. Otherwise he'll be 8 months behind a child who's birthday is say the week before his but can start in January.
He's ready to go full time, because he goes to the one we pay for on a tuesday morning 9-11.30 and like wednesday onwards he keeps asking when he can go again.

I've just been today to register my DD at the nursery I would like her to go to for the free sessions (which isn't the nearest to me as I don't like the one nearest to me). I was told that they start the term starting after their 3rd birthday. My DD won't start till Sept 09, but that's because her birthday is in August. She's now on the waiting list with our preference of sessions.

They start at 3 years and 3 months..

Hi
I was told they start the term after turn 3 - depending on how many intakes the nursery has every year - ours has 2 - sep & Jan.

My son is due to start in Jan 09 and he's 3 in December, but that is only if he's dry (as school nursery-10 mins walk away), which is a pain, as he really needs to go (under speech therapy & also behaviour now referred myself!! as Health Visitor was useless!) to 'get up to speed'.
I'm hoping & trying not to be 'pushy mum' potty wise that he'll be ok, but if not I'm hoping some bargaining of I'll go for the 2 1/2 days to look after his potty habits that they'll get a free helper once I've had police check done for him & rest of kids then! Worth a try I thought, plus I'm hoping once he sees other kids using toilet he'll follow suit.....

If not I've enquired at private nursery which is 15 mins drive away and they will accept no problem & even help with potty training, so I'm beginning to think the private ones are far better 'helping you' wise then the school nursery. We shall see!!

i thought it was the term after 3rd birthday as all 3 year olds are intitled to 15 hours a week

not that ive experience of it in practice as my wee girls been at special needs nurserys since she was 2

If he was to be taken the term after his 3rd birthday that would have been easter but they have stopped intaking in at easter, just Jan and Sept now. Anyway I have wrote a letter, see what they say, if not the private nursery he goes to that we pay for once a week might take him another half day or 2? The only thing with that is he'll get used to going there and make friends and then come next September I'll have to take him out to start full time at the other one. I want him to go to the state one as it's also a infant and middle school so once he's there he'll be there until he's like 11/12

Hi LJB23 - that is exactly why I want him to be dry before then, as it's the school nursery and want him to make friends. But then again if he doesn't start until Sep 09, then he'll make friends then before starts school. In the booklet from the school i got they like to try & get them in nursery for at least 3 terms before starting school, depending on number of places available, but it is the term after they've turned 3 that they are entitled to the free hours. The private nursery said the same too.

Wish I'd known that about the speech stella_fan26, as my Health Visitor is useless. I could maybe have gotten him in earlier then.

Most school's now don't have an Easter intake, so although children are entitiled to their 15 hours free the day they turn 3 they aren't usually accepted into a school rn nursery until the intake after their third b.day (in most cases Sep and Jan.) You can however use your 15 funded hours in a private nursry or children's centre until this time.

Thought I'd give you an update. I wrote a letter to the nursery to see if they would accept my son before next September but they rang my husband and said that the waiting list was too long so it will have to be september.

My daughter (17 moths) has just started nursery after being with childmi=nder from 7 months.
She is due to start pre school in Easter 2010, she will be around 2 years 8 months, she will then start school in September 2011.
Sounds so long away and I know it will fly by!!

My daughter goes to nursery since she is 10months, cause I got to go back to work.
I am bit confused about the nursery, pre-school, etc.
Do kids normally start school around 6? Do they have to go to pre-shoool nursery before that?

Children get 15 free hours of nursery when they turn 3. These can be used at private (i.e. paid for) nurseries or at state (school) nurseries. If it is a school nursery they will generally start the term after they turn 3 i.e. the Sept or Jan after their 3rd birthday. Nursery is not compulsory.
Children then start school aged 4/5. Generally in Sheffield if your child was born Sept to Feb they start in the Sept and Feb to Aug they start in the Jan. It is compulsory for your child to be receiving an education in the term they turn 5 but this doesn't necessarily have to be a school.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for your info, Syne.
That was really helpful.
People experience in a different ways and I was so confused.
I hope there is any leaflet or anything that explans all these issues.

There's a link here that might be useful

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/education/information-for-parentscarers/admissions/when-will-my-child-start-school

There's also other info / contact details on that bit of the Council's website that might be helpful.

We asked the private nursery our son goes to 1/2 day a week if they would except him for free when he's 3, they said they will take him from next April, he'll be 3 years and 3 months then, it's better than waiting until September