Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to wonder how true this is about private nurseries..

35 replies

FreddysTeddy · 22/04/2008 16:05

..I was talking to a colleague yesterday who was telling me that his girlfriend works in a private nursery in London which is a kind of "feeder" nursery into some very exclusive private schools.

Anyway, it was in the context of a conversation we were having about how privatge education seems to prepare you for certain things that a state education doens't (we were talking more public school education than independent schools etc).

He said at his g/fs nursery they prepare the toddlers in things like public speaking - getting them to take turns to talk aloud to the class etc etc. He also said that at this nursery they try to divorce the children from their emotions - e.g. if a 3 yr old is crying because they miss their mother they will be told "what are you crying for? Pull yourself together."

I'm just not sure whether I believe this or not, but wondered if anyone had any experience to know whether or not this is the kind of thing that goes on.

I'm talking very exclusive private nurseries here, not suggesting this in any way goes on in your standard nursery.

OP posts:

NineUnlikelyTales · 22/04/2008 16:08

PMSL at public speaking for toddlers

bigknickersbigknockers · 22/04/2008 16:11

Sound bloody awful to me

Original poster

FreddysTeddy · 22/04/2008 16:11

I know! That's why I wonder if it's a tall tale. But he was basically saying that they get trained in all this stuff from a really young age.b

OP posts:

Kewcumber · 22/04/2008 16:13

bollocks.

either its not true (most likely) = bollocks
or it is true = what bollocks.

Original poster

FreddysTeddy · 22/04/2008 16:13

Doesn't it bigknickers? The colleague in question went to Cambridge from a state comp and basically said he was so different from the the public school lot because they had been trained from a tiny age how to do all these things. He also said that the whole lack of emotion thing meant it was much easier for them to be successful in the workplace as they weren't afraid to walk all over others...

OP posts:

Original poster

FreddysTeddy · 22/04/2008 16:14

Just the idea of paying a nursery to beat the emotions out of your toddler is

I just don't want to believe that people would do that.

OP posts:

Twiglett · 22/04/2008 16:14

he is pulling yer plonker

Kewcumber · 22/04/2008 16:16

my niece is at Oxford having been to a posh school most of her life and her paretns have pots of money. She wasn;t taught to do public speaking ever and has certainly not been trained to not care about anyone - she's a lovely girl.

MadamePlatypus · 22/04/2008 16:17

I think most pre-schools have circle time when the children discuss things. I don't think DS's nursery has a policy of getting children to divorce themselves from their emotions, but having said that they are learning to share, not hit, think of other people's feelings and sit still and listen to the teacher when really all they want to do is go and play in the sand. If a three year old was upset at nursery, the staff would try to distract them - I don't think they would say "pull yourself together", but they would certainly try to get them to think about something else.

To be honest, I think DS's teacher probably makes more of an effort to try to get the children to stop talking and to put their hands up than encouraging public speaking, as many 3/4 year olds seem to be very confident about public speaking...

DS's pre-school is private (he will go to his local state primary), but I think they are just doing the same thing as they do at other pre-schools - preparing them for school.

Miggsie · 22/04/2008 16:18

Hmm
well I have a friend who works in one of these "feeder" nurseries and the 3/4 yo are taken swimming every week AND go to the local theatre too and have special shows and workshops...
But they are not horrible to the children and they do get cuddles and things.
They also do yoga (!)

Chequers · 22/04/2008 16:19

Message withdrawn

PortAndLemon · 22/04/2008 16:29

Agree with Kewcumber (her first post, that is. Although I have no reason to disagree about her niece...)

mankymummy · 22/04/2008 16:33

LOL at public speaking.

My DS is very adept at public speaking without any training at all.

He very publicly announced yesterday in the supermarket pointing to a bottle of wine, "mummy will drink aaaaaallllll that wine".

MrsMattie · 22/04/2008 16:34

'divorce them from their emotions'

Sounds like some kind of weird cult!

marina · 22/04/2008 16:41

I think he must have been exaggerating for effect FreddysTeddy
As others have said, even plebeians' children have circle time in pre-school.
The uber-posh kindergartens in Kensington & Chelsea are mostly Montessori aren't they? So telling toddlers to get a grip is hardly in keeping with that tradition!
Are you sure he wasn't thinking of the Nursery Department at Gordonstoun?

thelittlestbadger · 22/04/2008 17:19

I don't think that's right, about the really posh nurseries or about Cambridge. Anyway, going to public school isn't necessarily a help with getting into university so I wouldn't think it was worth the effort!

lilolilmanchester · 22/04/2008 17:27

glad mine went to a standard nursery!!

MadamePlatypus · 22/04/2008 17:39

It sounds as though the colleague isn't really looking at things from an objective view point...

ReallyTired · 22/04/2008 17:46

Lol...

My son at his bog standard state primary did public speaking. He has been made to stand up in assembly and talk about a picture he has drawn. Other children have read their stories infront of the school. There is also sharing in which the child once a week brings in an object from home and have to talk about in front of the class.

manic · 22/04/2008 21:47

Is FreddysTeddy real? Or maybe doing journo research???????

Alambil · 22/04/2008 21:59

Surely "public speaking" is the same as good ol' "Show n Tell" for every other child in the land?

As for "pull yourself together" - that certainly wasn't true of DS's private nursery.

Flibbertyjibbet · 22/04/2008 21:59

Our nursery is private but obviously not EXCLUSIVE enough as I've never heard of crap like that.
The children are encourage to stand up and say a nursery rhyme for the other children - is that what posh people call public speaking?

Or does Freddysteddys chum have a chip on his shoulder from going to Cambridge from (eeeeeeeeeekkkkk ) bog standard comp and feels he has to blame it on some kind of imagined system that he wasn't part of?? (because it doesn't exist?)

HuwEdwards · 22/04/2008 22:01

lololol at "they prepare the toddlers in things like public speaking".

lololol what a piss-take!

Alambil · 22/04/2008 22:08

it's the posh way of saying "we do circle time and have Show n Tell"

scottishmummy · 22/04/2008 22:13

someone's pants are on fire do you suppose the children learn how to talk to the oiks too?

Flip

1 2