BertieBotts - you wanted to know about nurseries?

[MissM]

Hi Bertie, I've tracked you down! I'd forgotten I'd posted about nurseries.

Yes, mine both still go to Treetops in Leamington and to be honest it's got even better over the past year. They got an Outstanding in their recent Ofsted but even if they hadn't I'd still rate it highly. The staff are great and both mine are very happy there. The pre-school especially is excellent and my DD has come on leaps and bounds. Happy to tell you more if you need to know!

[BertieBotts]

Hello I posted on the other thread before checking here, sorry! Thanks for starting a thread.

Good to know it is a good nursery. DS is 16 months and at the moment I am thinking of sending him when he gets the free sessions although of course it could all change by then. I read on their website that they accept the funding - just wasn't sure whether they meant as a subsidised place or as an actual free place. I am a single parent so cost is an issue, though I am hoping that my ex might pay towards nursery if it is expensive.

Too much rambling! Anyway I just wanted to know what it was like from someone who actually had children there really, the only reason I like the sound of it is that it's Montessori and I like the philosophy, the website comes across very friendly as well. It's also very close to where I am living now which is handy. Do you know anything about Clapham Terrace primary school? Obviously very early to be thinking about this but am just wanting to get a feel/idea.

[MissM]

Hi BB

DD is 3.5 and she has the free places. The way they do it is if a child goes for full days (mine do three days a week) they just deduct the amount that is charged for the five free sessions. So I end up paying about £200 less than I would normally. If you just take up the five sessions then you go for 5 x 2.5 hour sessions, so I guess 9-11.30 or something like that. I'm not sure how it would work if you wanted your child to stay for five hours in one go.

Not all the carers are Montessori trained but the ethos is Montessori and they use the materials and apparatus. The atmosphere there is always really calm and purposeful and the children are really encouraged to be polite and independent - my daughter has manners that definitely haven't come from me! I personally would like more information about what she's done at the end of the day, and they don't seem to have parents' evenings as such, but you can request to see someone at any time and they are very approachable.

DD has a place at Clapham Terrace for September. It's had its difficulties and had a terrible Ofsted a year or so ago, but it's really turning itself around. I met the head the other day and liked her, and they're obviously working very hard to get it up to scratch again. I think they've just been re-inspected and did ok. It seems like a nice school, very creative and a strong emphasis on the arts, and also very socially mixed which I like. DH is a teacher and he thinks it'll be a very good school given another year.

Hope that helps!

[BertieBotts]

That is helpful, thank you I suppose I should ring them up and have a chat really - I have been meaning to for a while. Is it popular or oversubscribed do you know? It seems lovely so I would be surprised if it wasn't. I am not 100% sure how the free sessions work but it sounds as though if he was only going for the mornings it would be covered, which is good.

WRT schools, I am not worried about ofsted results or exam marks etc as such, I mean of course if they were terrible then I would be concerned about the quality of the teaching, but for me it's more important that the school has a nice atmosphere and is supportive of pupils as individuals. I went to Aylesford (if you know Warwick secondary schools at all) and at the time I went they didn't have very good exam results etc but it was very much focused on improving each student's results rather than trying to push results up for the school as a whole, and it was quite widely known that they accepted pupils with lower marks than, say, Myton. It felt very inclusive and I liked that - since my sister went it has had a new headteacher and I'm not sure I agree with everything that has happened there, but it's irrelevant now anyway. School seems a long way off for DS but Clapham Terrace is our closest one, assuming I stay here, and so I wanted to look into it quite thoroughly. Do most children from Treetops go there, as they are so close, or do they go to a wider mix of local schools? I suppose I am thinking about whether it would be hard for DS to settle into the school if he had been in a completely different environment at nursery, and I know there is a nursery attached to the school, but I like the idea of the montessori one more!

[MissM]

There's a few children from Treetops going to Clapham Terrace and others going elsewhere. But DD will know some other kids when she goes.

I'd give them a ring - I know it's popular, but I'm sure with enough notice they'd have spaces. We got in relatively easily. They're very friendly and helpful so I'd just call them directly. Good luck!