Advice / Suggestions for nursery schools in Letchworth / Hitchin

[Mummylovestocook]

Hi Everyone,

We are about to move to Letchworth this week. A completely scary concept as we don't know anyone in the area apart from DH's Parents but we are hoping we will be able to make some new friends in time!

We are going to be renting a flat in Letchworth until we work out where we want to settle. I wondered if anyone could give us advice / suggestions on nursery schools in Letchworth or Hitchin (or any of the surrounding areas as we don't mind driving).

Thank you so much!!

Not stalking you honest, just found this section after a long gap away from it.

My DS goes to Busy Bees. We chose it because it was simply nearer to us than Wonderlands and it's really convenient that it's by the station. We've not had any problems there, the staff are friendly, doesn't seem to be a high turnover (some staff have been there for years and years) and my son has come on really well since being there.

I think Wonderlands is supposed to be pretty good too and I have a feeling there might be another one further south in Letchworth...

You might not be stalking anyone, mysterioushamster, but I am stalking you hohoho! (OP - I met mysterious on here, see, us Letchworth mums are a friendly bunch!) I'm another one who likes Busy Bees. Have a look at the Ofsted reports for local nurseries in Letchworth and see what you reckon. Busy Bees is expensive - nearly £60 a day - but really worth it and my boy loves it. The staff like him too, you can tell, and you get a full rundown of what the child has done that day which I really like.

Hi Mummylovestocook

I guess you've moved by now, so welcome to Letchworth! Hope you are settling in ok.

Are you looking for daycare, a preschool or a school nursery? You might not know (I didn't), as the terminology is very confusing I think! But anyway, how old is/are your children?

My DS is 3.7 and has just started in the nursery class at Lordship Farm (primary school). Before that he was at The Early Bird, a preschool which has two locations - one in Westbury (south west-ish Letchworth) and one in Norton (north-east -ish). I am very pleased with both, particularly his nursery class, though we are only in week 2.

The school takes children in the year in which they turn 4, but you have to do 5 half days a week. The preschool caters for 2-4 year olds, and is more flexible between the hours of 9 and 3, but the children are in a mixed age group. They both follow the same curriculum (early years foundation stage).

Just read your other post and see you have a DD of 16 months. I have a DD of 15 months. Will go and post on you other thread now.

What are people's views on Kinders Mill nursery and Toad Hall nursery in Hitchin. We will be moving to Hitchin in the next couple of weeks and need to find a nursery for my little girl. Thanks.

DaisySparks -

Most people I know either love or hate Kinders Mill. It is run very differently to Toad Hall. I have been using Toad Hall for 4.5 years now (we didn't like Kinders Mill at all). They have just expanded the nursery with new pre-school rooms and the outdoor areas have been expanded/redeveloped. We have always been happy with our choice - we like the staff, the feel of the nursery and my children have always been happy there. However I know some people who have viewed it and hated it. I think Toad Hall prices are better than Kinders Mill which also helps.

It really is a case of viewing them and seeing what you think - you will probably find you have an instant favourite.

Hi VeryHappyMummyOf2

I'm also trying to decide on a nursery in Hitchin for my son and wondered what you meant by Kinders Mill being run very differently to Toad Hall? What was it that you didn't like about it?

Thanks
Sam

Hi Sam (VeryHappyMummyof2 here with my new local name!)

Unless it has changed, Kinders Mill have a room on each floor and in each room they have a range of childrens ages. So basically each room will have both young and older children.

I prefer Toad Hall where the children are in rooms according to their ages. As they grow older, they move through the different rooms in the nursery, so they are always with children the same age.

I do however appreciate that some people like the set up at Kinders Mill. They each have their pro's and cons but for us the rooms by age was more appealing.

Hope that helps!

Hello,

I'm only 20 weeks pregnant but I'm already getting a lot of pressure from family members to think about nursery for my son even though his due date is 8th May and I don't expect to be starting work again until at least Jan 2014.

I'm hoping to be moving to Letchworth in a couple of months and wondered if there were waiting lists were for nurseries in Letchworth? You hear horror stories of lists of over a year and I had a friend in Hertford who experienced that. Is there any truth in this? How far in advance do you need to register your child?

Thanks,

i am a young mum and all i want is the best for my kids my eldest is 4 and it was time to look in to a school so i done reasearch for a school in letchworth and i came across hillshott infant school had really good reveiws so i manged to have a look round looks lovely, teacher were lovely so i was happy for him to go. my son started their and he was very unhappy, distressed, he didnt want to go he hated it and wasnt talking to me and his behaviour changed since he started their, i thought it may have been a change for him he was unsettled so i left it, his temper became worse and worse so i arranged for a meeting with the teachers, they told me he was a naughty boy in other words, hurting other kids and i said well thats not like my son his only 4 bearing in mind and the teachers was saying horrible things about him which at the time it didnt make sence till i got home to think of what the teachers told me. so they said we have been keeping him in all lunch and break, and they didnt think to tell me they kept it hidden what they were doing to my son he was kept in like a animal. he was only their for 5 weeks and i had four incident letters saying he had a skipping rope rapped round his neck by another child, and i wasnt informed by anybody at that school when that happend in that time just by a letter, he was pushed over by another child and now my son has a scar on his chin, he fell over ect, so i wasnt happy with this going on so i confronted the head teacher, well i never have ever experianced this in my life i can not believe what an UNPROFESSIONAL, VERY RUDE, HEAD TEACHER, i was so shock that i was speaking to a head teacher i could not believe it she was that rude i had to tell her would you mind to be more polite as i am being polite to you thank you. i asked her how long he was kept in and she said a good few weeks, i was devastated now knowing why he has been so stressed and upset and angry since he had been their, and i asked why he was kept in all she had to say it was a lunch time club, so i asked her is only 4 he wouldnt know what that is at that age, she replyied saying its for special childern and they can come and learn, well when i asked my son he said this room was for naughty kids thats his reply. when i told the head teacher she raised her voice and said who told him thats is not true, my son wouldnt make up things they are incocent, so i asked i wanted my son to join with his friends the head teachers replay was, is it up to you what he does. at this point i was so shocked i said my son is never coming back to your school. so i though i would share my opion of this school and hope that it helps other mums and if they think something is upseting your child dont ignore it. but now my son is going to a church of england school he is so happy and content, and he loves it there and love his teachers and school friends. thank you