The Beacon Pre-school and Pre-school holiday club
Do you ever wonder what exactly is the difference between a nursery and a pre-school? That’s why we wanted to create this guide so you can see. That way, you can make the decision that’s right for you and your child.
Is pre-school different to nursery?
Yes, in general pre-school is different to nursery. There are some small differences between nursery and pre-school, and knowing the difference could help you to decide which is right for your child.
What is pre-school?
Firstly, what is a pre-school? A pre-school is an education centre that follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to provide an education for children aged 2 to 5. Essentially, it is a stepping stone between nursery and primary school.
Pre-school can help with a child’s transition to school by improving their social skills, encouraging learning with fun and fostering a sense of independence. The EYFS curriculum involves a few different areas of learning, all of which are covered at a pre-school. They include:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
It is up to each individual pre-school how they go about teaching each of these things.
How about the hours?
We currently work in-line with our school hours but are monitoring interest with a view to increase our times in the future. We have started to operate Pre-school holiday clubs starting with May half term 2025. Please click this link to see our holiday club listings. You can also find holiday club listings for Primary Sports and Education Ltd who operate at The Beacon on the same dates. We hope that this makes for a little less childcare juggling.
The differences between pre-school and nursery
Age
Nurseries can take children from as young as 6 weeks old and are specifically geared up to look after such young children. Pre-schools generally take children from the age of 2 up to age 5, though some also say their minimum age is 2 and a half or 3. The beacon takes children from the term after they turn 2 years old. Funded places currently begin the term after the child turns 3 years old.
Education vs. childcare
Nurseries tend to be more focused on looking after children while the parents are at work. They don’t necessarily have to follow an educational curriculum.
Pre-schools usually have to follow the EYFS curriculum, and this involves some form of basic education, including literacy and maths. While there are absolutely fun ways to learn, through exploring, playing outside, or painting, a pre-school does have to be able to show they are focused on the children’s education.
For this reason, pre-school is a great precursor to primary school. It’s there to mimic what your child will be doing and learning at school so the transition is a little easier for them. In our case, the vast majority of the children who attend or pre-school will choose to stay on at The Beacon (they do still need to apply