Cheltenham preschools/nurseries

[Millyboluba]

Hi there,

Posted the below on the preschool board but perhaps this is a better place for it...

We are moving to Cheltenham next month and I'd like to get my 3yr old son settled at a pre-school before new baby arrives in July!

The two closest to our new house are LaRoche (Hales Road) and Little Angels (Keynsham Rd). I'd be interested in any thoughts on either of these....or indeed any recommendations for a Cheltenham preschool. Looking for year round opening, not school term time.

Thanks very much!

ps Would also appreciate any recommendations for playgroups etc..

Hello, sorry bit late. Haven't looked at either of those (don't think there was space when I needed) but DS is at Young Explorers on Arle ave. It's not very convenient for me but has a huge garden and I'm very happy with it so worth a bit of a trek. Good luck!

Dont know if its too late but DS1 is just finishing at Brightlands this week. It was the most brilliant nursery, we will be very sorry to be leaving. It is on St Georges Road in town near Waitrose.

Hi my Ds went to laroche and HATED it! He was left crying and with a snotty nose. He is now at the Charlton kings nursery school and could not be happier. It starts from 2 so would be perfect for your DS. I really can't recommend it highly enough. The lovely thing is the staff are made up of mums/grannys who actually enjoy the children.

It depends if you are after pre school or day nursery they are quite different. Pre school is term time and usually either am or pm session. Pip and Jims is great off Bath road but is a pre school so only open term time and 3 hours in the morning.

My son went to La Roche for a trial and was left crying for 4 hours and I was not called. He was in a terrible state and it took him at least 3 weeks to recover. Needless to say I never took him back. When I questioned the staff their attitude was to tell me I was parenting him wrong and that children need to learn. He was 1.

He is now with The Ark a privately run very small nursery in Charlton Kings that is excellent. Run by Gaynor Willmott, you should find it on Ofsteds website but she is very popular and tought to get a place.

Hi, I don't know if is too late. But I highly recomend Airthrie School. It goes from nursery to year 6. My 3 years old goes there and she loves the teachers and all the staff there. I was so pleased to find after being so disappointed for most of the good nurseries being full booked til next 2012.

I do have also a nice person with good qualification who can do babysitting, after school or work as a nanny if anyone needs. Just let me know. She has too kids, and has lot of experience with children, CRB checked and childcare qualifications. Hope I did help somehow. I am also new in town and found hard when I arrived in April.

Good luck!!!

I agree with Purpletrunks. When it comes to looking after kids. All advices are important. I got disappointed with the state of the nurseries here as I come from abroad and my toddler had such a wonderful nursery there. She would stay from early morning till late afternoon. It was full time and she was so happy always and everyone was tremedous well qualified with teaching University degree not NVQs only which doesn't mean much when it comes to education degree for a teacher for children in my opinion.
Anyway, I am glad that after two months hunting I found a great one, not many kids in each group and extremely good and with a great high standard for the price I would pay anywhere else and accepts the 15 hrs grant as well.

I guess I would go mad if something like that had happen to my girl. If anyone had left her crying for 4 hours. I had for sure taken this issue to ofsted and go to public to make sure they would never do anything like that to any other child. How can such place take children and have any ofsted permission to be opened? What about the emocional demaged caused to the child? Lucky he didn't avoid any other nursery after that.

I can second Brightlands. I think it's fab - really friendly staff, big garden and individual attention to children.
By the sounds of where you live, it's not amazingly convenient, but my son (2) loves it and it was for me head and shoulders above anywhere else I looked (Primary Colours, Brighteyes, some others I can't remember, although not the two you mention)
Good luck with the search.

I would like to second the recommendation of the Nursery School in Charlton Kings. I have 2 daughters who have both been there from 2 years and they thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff genuinely seem to love the children and develop a lovely bond with the children. They have recently had a fantastic Ofsted report so I can't recommend them enough. The outside may put you off but pop in for a look and see how happy the children are.