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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Please tell me your 1st impressions of this nursery

77 replies

NannyStar · 17/09/2006 14:25

Please tell me what you think of this nursery Baytree Park paying particular attention to the menu.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

NannyStar · 18/09/2006 19:17

Hi, the kitchen area is dirty and untidy. Staff don't ask the children to wash their hands or wipe them for them as it would be the case for babies and some toddlers, nor is the table wiped down before use.

OP posts:

Expectantmum · 18/09/2006 19:25

I think the menu is terrible! Fruit is only listed twice and veg once?!! My DS goes to a fantastic nursery. He is 15 months and has been going since he was 6 months. The food is all prepared from scratch and contains no sugar or salt. He only attends two weekly afternoon sessions, for which he gets a tea, which normally consists a sandwich, or homemade svaoury rice or pasta or vegetables, followed by a yoghurt or homemade cake or fruit. Drinks are only fresh juice or water (milk is they still have it). They charge me twenty pounds per afternoon session and they provide nappies etc. The girls that look after my DS adore him and I can see that by how happy he is everytime we walk through the door.

ThePrisoner · 18/09/2006 19:38

I didn't like the website because it isn't very professional (mistakes and badly laid out, but I am a bit of a nit-picker!) I hate the suggestion that it is working mummies that require childcare. The menu is the pits.

Camberwellbeauty · 18/09/2006 19:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bubble99 · 18/09/2006 19:45

By the sounds of it I'm amazed that they even managed to wangle a 'satisfactory' for their last OFSTED.

I assume it wasn't a 'spot-check' inspection?

bubble99 · 18/09/2006 19:46

Expectantmum.

That's lovely to hear.

HappyMumof2 · 18/09/2006 20:32

Message withdrawn

mumofhelen · 19/09/2006 16:06

I have to confess: I'm not a fan of nurseries for under 2's. Too many reasons to list, but this website is a good example. I'm not too bothered about the layout or the menu - it's the details that concern me. I have to laugh at the "My nursery is OFSTED inspected". Otherwise it would be illegal (duh). I agree with all the other comments made already. I think the important point as someone else has made, is that you need to make a surprise visit in order to tell what a nursery is really like. All in all, my first impressions of this nursery from the website weren't bad although some of the comments have raised my 'this-is-bullsh*t' alarm bells. Yet, all the nursery websites I've visited have had eye-brow raising comments.

PiratesHaveCheesyFeet · 19/09/2006 16:40

DD;s nursery is fab. I have turned up at all times of day and everyone, staff and children, seem happy. Their menus are olanned so that they provide 5 portions of fruit & veg all every day, everything is home cooked. If there are biscuits or similar on the menu the children often help make them, which I think is lovely. DD is very happy there and is well loved by the staff. Her carer in the under 2's room cried when dd moved up to the to the toddler room!

It is £27 a day too, so it can be done properly for that.

puffling · 20/09/2006 19:27

I find the wording very odd. I'd be put off by the website and wouldn't even visit.
By the way, does anyone know if nurseries overuse Calpol. I'm suspicious of mine. There's stacks of it in the milk fridge. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'm convincing myself that they're drugging them to sleep!

nurseryvoice · 21/09/2006 18:14

my nursery does not give calpol to children unless 1.. we ring the parent. (after all the child could have had some at home)
2.. they give us a signed form inthe morning and tell us what times to give.
i have not heard of any nursery who gives out calpol like that.

i am very hands on at my nursery and have devised systems and methods to ensure the best possible practice,.
if children are not washing hands before lunch then this is a health and safety issue and must be addressed.

there is no such thing as bad nurseries
only bad managers!!!!!!!!

Original poster

NannyStar · 26/09/2006 17:47

I forgot my password

OP posts:

GreenLumpyTonsils · 26/09/2006 17:56

God puffling, that's a chilling thought

riab · 16/10/2006 20:15

Food isn't brilliant - now it might be what my toddler ends up eating but I would want to see more fruit and veg offered and fewer preprepared things.

I also found the interesting use of grammer and spelling a little off putting. It sounded like it had been written by someone for who English wasn't their first language.
"A well rounded comprehensive programme of activities will ensure all our child's leaning is developed through play "

I didn't like the fact that they say most parents prefer their baby to sleep in a pram, in my view all nurseries should have enough cots for every child in the baby room, not rely on prams or buggies. Preferably they should have a seperate sleep room.

There is no mention that i can find of any staff qualifications except for Miss CT. What are the manager's qualifications?

Overall it looks cheap, I guess they pay poorly and get unqualified girls. They don't specify their child-carer ratios, they don't have a cook and the marketing is appallingly bad. I wouldn't use it.

puffling · 17/10/2006 10:26

'I also found the interesting use of grammer and spelling'
It's grammar unless you're referring to Kelsey Grammer.

Highlander · 17/10/2006 15:37

Any nursery taking babies as young as 3 months is just a money-making machine.

nurseryvoice · 17/10/2006 18:19

my nursery takes babies from 3 months
havent had many though, thankfully.
but some poor mums have to go back earlier as they need the money.

most other nurseries take babies younger
i dont!
i am not a money grabber, i could earn a lot more working for someone else. I offer high quality care at my nursery.

the nursery you are looking at certainly looks badly managed.

catkins1000 · 17/10/2006 21:40

I live near this nursery, and am looking at local nurseries at present - nannystar do you have any recommendations? its so hard to get any info up front as the websites are either rubbish or don't exist and you want a bit of an idea before you visit each one. Must admit I wasn't keen on this one so it didn't make my 'visit' list anyway, for the reasons everyone has already posted.

Original poster

NannyStar · 18/10/2006 09:32

Hi Catkins, how are you? Please never send your child there!

There is a nursery on greengate called Cosytoes, right next to the petrol station...I haven't heard anything good about them but go and have a look as I haven't actually ever been there.

If you are willing to travel a little further out, Teddies in the Royal Oldham Hospital grounds is run by network nurseries and it is brilliant. I worked there for a year after I graduated and it is lovely. The staff are very caring, planned activities are followed everyday and each child under 3 gets a daily sheet detailing to parents what each child has done, eaten and when he/she went to the toilet. The care was, and still is, I believe, very thorough. It's right at the bottom of the hospital but you can get in by b&q and it's just there. Management has changed since I left but I think it's all still good there.

Another one I went for an interview at is Ladybirds in Chadderton on Victoria or Garforth Street but it's right next to the Falcon Enterprise Centre.

Avoid Echoes in Central Manchester like the plague...they left someone alone with babies and they were unqualified and didn't have a CRB check...it was their first day too. Echoes is run by the same local chain as Teddies in the hospital but I think it's all down to Management and the Management at Echoes just don't know what they are doing at all.

In Heyside, just before Shaw, there is Newbank House Day Nursery and it is just fantastic...all staff are qualified, experienced etc and ofsted say they are fantastic. Manager is really really lovely, he has exceptional standards......downside is it is so popular there might be a waiting list!

Have you considered other forms of childcare such as a childminder or nanny?

Hope this helps catkins.

OP posts:

Original poster

NannyStar · 18/10/2006 09:35

p.s. ladybirds, chadderton looks really nice and staff look caring towards children.

OP posts:

riab · 18/10/2006 13:28

Highlander lots of nurseries take children from 8 or 12 weeks. Some moms honestly do need to go back to work this early or there are other reasons to need childcare.

And as we're talking mainly about private nurseries of course they try to make money - thats why they exist. There's nothing evil about that!

Nannystar, i hope you have now resolved the issues about your employment and reported this nursery.

OT i've had a thought - wouldn't it be a good idea to have a 'nursery review' section? I knwo I'd like to hear what other mums and carers think of local nurseries.

Original poster

NannyStar · 18/10/2006 19:54

Riab, that is a fantastic idea! Why don't you suggest it to mumsnet towers?

OP posts:

lemonAIIEEE · 18/10/2006 20:09

First impressions without reading thread:

Site looks a bit of a mess. Some of the phraseology is very odd: "the personal supervision of myself Mr G Parkinson and Clare Timperley" - huh? "As women desire or necessity to work increases and more companies count the cost of training, the demand for specialised service in childcare is now catered for." - what?. Misplaced apostophe.

Babies page -- similar issues. And "Most parents prefer their baby to sleep in their own pram, but if required a cot will be provided." - most parents on what planet?

Rest of site -- grammar and punctuation continues to be terrible throughout.

Menus seem very fatty, starchy and sugary. And oooooh, the famous Mumsnet sausage roll puts in an appearance!

Based on the website, this would not be making my shortlist.

Now I shall read the rest of the thread and see what it's all about...

catkins1000 · 18/10/2006 22:50

Thanks NS, this is very helpful. Have you any idea about the school house in middleton or tiddlywinks in blackley?

riab · 19/10/2006 19:34

Nannystar, how would i go about making that suggestion then?

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