What's In A Name?

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I am starting up a new setting in January which is part of a trust in a church. I am paid to manage and do all day to day activities, reporting to trustees at intervals. We shall be offering full daycare, all year round. Am I a nursery school, pre-school, nursery, day nursery? Does it really matter what I call the setting? It's all so confusing!

 

Help!

 

Lesley

[AnonyMouse_705]

Hi Lesley

 

What age ranges are you taking?

 

If you were to call yourself a day nursery or nursery, would that name imply that you take babies too?

 

Deb

[Guest]

Hi there, I thought you could only call a setting a nursery school if there is a qualified teacher in charge....might be wrong though. Hope that helps a bit

[AnonyMouse_1490]

I don't think you would be a pre-school. Many sessional playgroups changed their name to a pre-school to clarify the point that they are an educational setting.Pre-schools have been encouraged to extend their hours from 2.5 hours.They often have breakfast/ after school club on the premises. If you are providing full day care I would think a day nursery would give prospective parents a good description. I would think of a nursery school to be only open for 38 weeks a year. I don't think it matters legally what you call yourself.

[AnonyMouse_8466]

I don't think there are restrictions on what you decide to call yourself as such, but people will probably make a guess at the kind of services you offer based on your name. Thinking about the way my brain works, if you call yourself a nursery I'd assume you're full daycare, all year round, whereas I'd think a nursery school would have a qualified teacher at the helm, as kathyscitt suggests. I would assume a pre-school group would offer sessional, term time only care.

 

My group is a 'pre-school nursery' which sends very mixed messages I think, so I'm seriously considering dropping the 'nursery' bit.

 

You could of course get round this by not having any kind of descriptive name at all - Little Learners or whatever.

 

You will let us know what you decide on, won't you?

 

Maz

[AnonyMouse_2995]

For insurance purposes, pre-school pay less than nurseries due to the lenght of hours. It does not matter whether you call yourselves Day nursery or Pre-school, but for insurance you need to tell them the hours to determine what your premuim would be.

 

Toro

Edited October 4, 2009 by TORO

[AnonyMouse_12960]

I agree with most other posters here. School implies someone with QTS to me, day care sounds like it says. Just a thought however: if we who work in early years can't come up with a definitive list of names, how do we expect parents to understand the differences? I think spelling it out would be a really good idea.

[AnonyMouse_12960]

PS How rude of me, I meant to also say "all the very best for Jan. Good luck to you and your team"

[Guest]

You will be offering full day care all year round so you need to register as a full day care establishment - however what you call yourself if irrelevant - what ages are you hoping to get in? Nursery and pre-school would be fine although I personally think a nursery name reflects younger children and babies while pre-school seems to suggest slightly older children. If you target audience is set at an age range then I think you need to think what you call it so that the name is what it suggest.

NIkki