What Is a Nursery School?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of 2 and 5 that is staffed by qualified teachers and professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply provide child care. Another common name for nursery school is preschool. From their very inception, nursery schools were designed to improve the health and welfare of children.

A preschool or a nursery school is usually a half-day program. Generally, the younger children attend two or three mornings or afternoons a week, and the 4- and 5-year-old children attend three to five times a week. The half-day preschools and nursery schools are often 10-month programs and typically don’t offer summer camps.

Some programs extend the child?s day to include lunchtime and even invite children to stay for rest or nap time until 3:00 p.m. or later. A good preschool should be concerned about quality child care services, including nutrition and personal habits, as well as the education component of the curriculum.

Nursery school attendance is not required by the government. Children are only required to go to school for nine years of lower and upper basic school. Attendance before elementary school and after nine years have been completed is the choice of parents and students.