The secret pathway to the best schools | Alice Miles - Times Online

The secret pathway to the best schools Alice Miles - Times Online

'Nurseries offer a loophole for parents to get round the strict admissions rules for primaries.
[...] The most aggressive schools have extremely efficient ways of filtering out unwanted children at nursery level. Like, for instance, insisting on five-day-a-week, whole-day attendance, in uniform, from the age of 3. Only the most academically ambitious of parents would be prepared to force a child effectively to start school at age 3. Many less able children must drop out under the pressure. Have they been disadvantaged, or have they chosen to leave?
The schools warn parents off protesting by pointing out that there is no right of appeal if your child is refused entry to the nursery. As one faith school website states: “As nursery age children are not legally entitled to statutory education, there is no right of appeal for those who have been refused a nursery class place.” And another: “Parents who have not been offered a place have the right to appeal to the appeals panel (except in the case of the nursery, where there is no right of appeal).” '

Farewell to 'Temporary Nursery' after 67 Years | Nursery World

67 years after it was put in 'temporary' quarters just after the Second World War, a Lancashire nursery school gets a permanent home. I wonder how many other nursery schools are still in 'temporary' accommodation. If you know of further examples, please let me know about them in the comments section below.

Some Preschools Offer Deals In Rough Economy - Local News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Some Preschools Offer Deals In Rough Economy - Local News Story - KCRA Sacramento

This is the first mention I've seen of this but suspect there's more to come, especially since major markets for private pre-schooling (such as New York City) have been hit especially hard by the credit and stockmarket crises.

Former nursery owner is fined �35,000 after death of child |

the conclusion to a very sad incident recorded here previously. Former nursery owner is fined �35,000 after death of child |
Society |
The Guardian

Be patient. Britain is gradually getting fairer | David Aaronovitch - Times Online

Be patient. Britain is gradually getting fairer David Aaronovitch - Times Online

Will early years investment pay off? Let's wait and see, says The Times's David Aaronovitch. The trouble with relying longitudinal/generational data is that once we know the answer, it's too late to change anything for those who are already in the system. As kindergarten advocates used to say, "They're only young once."

The Curator | Pre-School Mayhem in Nursery University

The Curator Pre-School Mayhem in Nursery University

Here's a review of the new film Nursery University (Marc H. Simon 2007, Run time: 90 min., USA), a documentary about the elite nursery schools admissions process in Manhattan. As the review states, "Nursery University offers a peek into a world where highly educated professionals are clumsily navigating their children’s education in a frantic attempt to secure their prosperous futures, all the while believing that success is something you can purchase. If only it were that simple."