Nurseries in SE21-SE24

[kitegirl]

Has anyone done their research on nurseries in Dulwich/East Dulwich/Herne Hill/Forest Hill and is there anywhere you can recommend? DS is 2, he goes to Asquith Court on Chancellor Grove 1.5 days a week but I am thinking of finding something smaller and less chaotic/a Montessori. TIA

I had several friends with children at Nelly's Nursery on Croxted Rd - very very popular small nursery - but has waiting list, I think.

Is cherubins on Palace Rd too far? V freindly - and much cheaper than Asquith Court.

hi, my child goes to AC in Dulwich, just wondered if you have shared your concerns with manager? She's pretty good at trying to solve issues I find. Also changeover/pick ups do seem chaotic some of the time, but whenever I have picked up mid session it has been totally different - small groups of children working with a member of staff, calm, constructive. I think they just let of steam at the end of the day when they get the free play time. Just a thought. A friend recently withdrew her child from a Montessori on Frien rd due to finding her child wandereing round with a kitchen knife. There seems a perception that Montessorri is the answer to everything - but anyone can say they are Montessori. All depends if you work or not - very few places are open til 6. Nellys has mixed age groups, so once your child is 2 he's in with the 4 year olds too.

Nelly's is opening a 2nd nursery called Nelly 2 .. I have friends who's children go there too and they seem to love it

My DD was at AC on Chancellor Grove for a while. I had no complaints, but then that was five years ago! Agree that pick up/drop off are chaotic. In fact the nursery we moved her to at 1 year was probably even more chaotic, but in the nicest possible way!

thanks very much for your replies! It's just that i have done a lot of reading on the Montessori method and it sounds like it might suit my ds and his personality, plus I don't work anymore so the times would be fine. You are right in that based on the most recent Ofsted reports it seems that the local Montessori nurseries don't actually have staff that are Montessori qualified, so I wonder how they are able to call themselves that... The knife incident sounds horrible, but surely that's nothing to do with nursery being a Montessori nursery, just one with staff who were not doing their job!! I agree that the new manager at AC seems to be very switched on, however I feel that there's been a gradual disconnect with me since my son has moved rooms (he's been there for half day - two full day sessions since he was 10 months) plus they have had some big problems with teaching in their 3+ group not being up to standard, I suppose they are fixing them now though. will check out your suggestions, thank you.

Nelly#s 2 due to open in Rosendale church in May 2006. Be warned though - a friend of mine has been on the waiting list for a place for her DD since she was 4 months pregnant. DD is no 14 months old, and she has been told that she is no6 on the waiting list once the new place opens in May.

I think Nelly's has fab reputation but to me certainty over when / if DD would get a place was more important. DD currently at AC 3 days a week in baby room. Find manager very amenable, sorted out a big cock up by staff in baby room with minimum fuss. Agree that provision after age 3 has left a bit to be desired (failed ofsted report leaps to mind!) - report was Aug 2005 so I intend to ask manager what steps were being taken to address this. If she can't give me a satisfactory answer, then it's off to put name on another waiting list. Clive Hall in Clive Road is Montessori and I liked it when I went round. Chose AC as they could give me a place for the days I wanted. At Clive Hall, they said that they probably would but wouldn't know for definite until Oct. As I was going back in Nov, this wasn't appropriate for me

HTH

I intend to badger manager/head office into making sure provision is good. Although there is an element re ofsted reports that makes me question the relevance of it all, some of it does seem to be about form filling and having the "right" toys. And i have a friend who is a teacher, whose children go to an "excellent" ofsteded school in SW london who thinks the school is rubbish. I think the reports can be deceiving - but they do give indications in some cases and cannot be completely ignored. So far on the few times when I've walked through pre school it seems good, again small groups, quiet, calm. I'm keen to keep child where he is happy with staff rather than start all over and then start all over again at school shortly therafter - cld end up doing Ac then another nursery, then school nursery in a year, which wouldn't seem right. I think persistence and constructice criticism and parent power can make a big difference.

Cherubins Day Nursery & Afterschool Club on 48 Palace Rd SW2 has a wonderful self contained baby unit with separate sleep room. The staff are very polite and they are far cheaper than nellys. must be seen