There is no question we are asked more warmly, or more anxiously, than this one. Parents sit in our entrance hall, or write to us before a first visit, and somewhere in the conversation it surfaces: is my child too young? Are we doing this too soon? Will they be all right?
After 26 years of welcoming children into Peques from three months old, here is what we genuinely think.
There is no universal right age - but there are things that matter
Children can start nursery from three months old in England, and many do. Others start closer to two or three years. Both can be entirely right, depending on the child, the setting, and the family.
What we have learned at Peques is that the age matters less than the environment. A child who starts at four months in a warm, consistent, language-rich setting with attentive practitioners will thrive. A child who starts at two years in an environment that is too large, too impersonal, or poorly staffed will struggle. The question is not really when. It is where, and with whom.
What we look for in a child who is ready
Every child at Peques moves through our rooms at their own pace - from Crystals (our baby room from three months) through to Indigos (our pre-school room up to school age). We do not believe in rigid readiness checklists. But across the years, we have noticed that children settle most smoothly when they have had some experience of being cared for by someone other than their primary parent, when they are physically well and in a settled routine, and when the transition into nursery is gentle, with time given to the settling-in process rather than treated as a single event.
Separation anxiety is normal and healthy. We expect it. What matters is how practitioners respond to it.
What we look for in a nursery - and what parents should ask
We would say this, of course - but the questions that reveal most about a nursery are rarely the ones on the prospectus checklist. Ask how key persons are assigned and how long they typically stay. Ask what happens when a child is distressed at drop-off. Ask what the staff-to-child ratios are in the baby room. Ask what lunchtime looks like. Ask whether the languages you hear in the setting are really spoken throughout the day, or reserved for a particular activity.
At Peques, our three languages - English, Spanish and Mandarin - are the fabric of the whole day. They are not a feature. They are how we live.
A note on government-funded hours
Since April 2024, the government has been expanding funded childcare entitlements in England. From the term after a child's ninth month, eligible working parents can access up to 30 funded hours per week. All three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of funded early education regardless of parental working status.
Both Peques settings - Fulham Broadway and Parsons Green - accept government-funded hours. If you are unsure what you are entitled to or how it applies to your family, our team is happy to talk it through with you before you visit.
Starting early is not the same as starting too soon
One of the things we hear from parents who joined us when their children were very young is that the early months laid a foundation they can still see years later. The confidence. The ease with other languages. The comfort with difference and diversity. The capacity to sit with others and eat a meal together.
These things are not accidents. They are the result of an environment built carefully, over many years, around the belief that childhood should be rich in wonder, connection and warmth - from the very beginning.
If you are thinking about a place at Peques, we would love to meet you. Come and see us first. No decision needs to be made at the door.
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Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery Schools welcome children from three months to five years at our settings on Fulham Broadway (SW6 1PB) and Parsons Green (SW6 7EG). We are open 8am to 6pm, 50 weeks per year. Government-funded hours are accepted at both settings. To arrange a visit, please contact us at peques.co.uk.
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