student asking question

I thought the place that children go instead of school is called "preschool". But is it more common to say "play group" in British English? What's the difference?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question. "Playgroup" is a group that gives children under the age of five in the UK, the opportunity to play and learn together. We do not use the word "preschool" in the UK, it is an American term. "Preschool" in the UK would be referred to as "Nursery". Playgroups are less formal than a Nursery school. They do not provide full-time care and usually only open for a few hours a day during school time usually in the morning. As such they are more comparable to American "daycare". Ex: Her playgroup is only until 1 pm. Ex: We can go swimming after playgroup.

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