Pre School in England

PRE-SCHOOL

In England there are nursery schools for children under 5 years of age (3-5). Some children between two and five receive education in nursery school or in nursery classes classes which are attached to primary schools. Both may be private or public. Many children attend informal pre-school playgroups organized by parents in private homes.

Parents prefer to send their children to nursery classes in over-subscribed schools as this likely to help their chances of getting a place when they reach school age. It also helps to make the transition from nursery to primary school easier for the child.

Nursery schools are staffed with teachers and students in training. There are all kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 o’clock in the morning till 4 o’clock in the afternoon while their parents are at work. Here the babies play, lunch and sleep. They can run about and play in safety with someone keeping an eye on them.

Parents sending their children to day nursery can usually expect a child-friendly environment with a good range of equipment and activities.

For day nurseries, which remain open all the year round, the parents pay according to their income. The local education authority’s nurseries are free. But only about three children in 100 can go to them: there aren’t enough places and the waiting lists are rather long.

Pre-school education is a very important stage of education for the child. Children at 3 years old learn information rapidly and express their interest in every discovery. That’s why it’s necessary to occupy your children with different activities. Nursery school teachers are trained to help your child to develop different skills. For example, during daily activities such as reading, listening or playing some games children develop their communication skills, social skills, self-help skills. Moreover, active games help children to be in a good physical shape. As for classes, there they are taught to count, to differentiate colors. They learn new words and try to learn, to understand the world around them.  Taking part in different activities children learn how to be creative, which is a very important feature for their future.

After nursery school children are prepared for primary school which is the next stage of education and consists of infant school (for children aged from 5 to 7) and junior school (8-11)

I think that pre-school education should be compulsory because it prepares children for the future. What is more, I consider that kindergarten does not steel our childhood because the kindergarten IS our childhood. This is the place where we meet our friends, where every day children face different situations. As for me, I have a large number of memories which are connected with my childhood in kindergarten. (e.x my teacher did my hair after a sleeping our, because after the kindergarten I usually went to the dancing school, during this time she told me different fairytales which usually impressed me greatly.)