Sending your child to nursery is one of the biggest decisions the parents and carers of a child may have to make. It can be a very sensitive and overwhelming time for both the parent and the child, but the educational journey the child follows can have a number of positive and long-term benefits on a child’s personal, social and emotional development, preparing them for the school transition.
Following a recent discussion with the reception teacher, at Drayton Infant School, it was realised that a number of children joining the school this year faced more challenges than usual as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, due to a lack of experiences that would have previously been gained from attending a Nursery or pre-school setting.
A child’s brain develops more in the first five years than at any other stage of their life. During this time, they develop emotions, speech, taste, touch, behaviour and so many more important skills that will shape the rest of their lives, so allowing them to have rich Nursery educational experiences will help to maximise their growth and learning.
A study commissioned by the Nuffield Foundation in 2018 looked at the benefits of a nursery education on children’s cognitive and social development. The study found that children who had attended a nursery and pre-school setting had a better overall attainment than children who did not, and that an early start for children in a high-quality setting showed especially beneficial. Children taught by a highly qualified staff member also scored slightly higher on the Foundation Stage Profile, a statutory assessment of children’s attainment at the end of Reception.
Choosing to send your child to a nursery or preschool setting can play a vital part in their early years development; it is a focused environment for children to flourish and grow. Children are able to make new friends of a similar age, develop better relationships and refine social skills that will shape their growth when going forward. These skills will help when children go on to start school, out-of-school activity classes, university, etc., to help build them as confident individuals.
We are so happy to receive feedback that our 2021 school leavers have settled well into Drayton Infant School.
