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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

Would this put you off a nursery?

47 replies

Aloha · 09/02/2007 13:05

Went to see a local montessori with dd, who was two yesterday and really, really keen to spend time with other little girls socially. I arrived a bit early as dd was desperate to try out her new pink bike with parent handle! So arrive, another parent lets me in so staff don't know I'm there (that doesn't bother me btw) but I can hear the children in the next room who seem rather quiet, and then I hear a nursery worker hissing, 'I have had enough of you. I don't have any patience with you today'. Bear in mind this is about 9.20am! Then I put my head around the corner and someone greets me without smiling and takes me to the office. I then get a tour of the room for 2-3 year olds, the deputy manager says, 'We have been working on Me, Myself and I this week, and he children have been colouring in parts of the body' She indicates a large display on the wall of eyes and noses etc with the usual random scribble, only the display is labelled, in large letters, 'Parts of Our BODYS'
The nursery is right next door to ds's school, I fancied a Montessori and dd seemed to like one of the nursery workers and drew a 'picture' quite happily while I looked around but.... this just seemed a big crap to me! Not sure what to do. She is very happy with the lovely au pair who comes round two days a week to play with her and take her out but she seems hungry for the company of other children...

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KISSassangel · 09/02/2007 14:53

there's no reason why you can't find a playgroup which is more structured - the one in my village, just run by mums, has a table for colouring & cutting/sticking type things, so could the au pair take her to one of those?

smeeinit · 09/02/2007 16:50

hmmm,hissing,un-patient staff,rude manager,poor spelling.................sounds like a normal nursery to me!

Mumpbump · 09/02/2007 16:54

I know there is a big thing about Montessori nurseries, but have a look around. My ds goes to a small, privately run nursery which is nice and homely. He really likes the girls there and tehy seem to really like him. Remember that no nursery (childminder or nanny) is ever going to be 100% perfect, but I think misspelling and such a negative reception/attitude would be big no-no's.

pinkandsparkly · 11/02/2007 21:00

It's true that being a nursery nurse does not automatically make you good at spelling and grammar, anymore than being a teacher would, but it's about effort. If you know you can't spell, you double check, buy a dictionary, ask other people.

I'm getting a bad feeling about this nursery and I haven't even been there! Yes everyone is human but telling a group a children you can't be bothered with them is just not on, no matter how old they are. The fact that no one batted an eyelid when you just walked in would bother me too, not good at all. There will be much better places for your dd to go, you'll see.

funnypeculiar · 11/02/2007 21:04

I woulnd't be that borthered about the spelling ... but staff who clearly don't want to be with children would make it a defn no for me...

Socci · 11/02/2007 21:05

Message withdrawn

PanicPants · 11/02/2007 21:08

The spelling I could live with BUT not the attitude towards the children from the staff.

Noway.

kama · 11/02/2007 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Gobbledigook · 11/02/2007 21:14

Would put me off. I wouldn't be happy that another parent just let me in and staff didn't know I was there, wouldn't like the way the children were spoken to and the spelling - well, that would do it for me!

edam · 11/02/2007 21:16

LOL at why pay someone else to hiss at your children when you can do it yourself.

But agree with everyone else, doesn't sound like a happy place. Or one where people care enough to check their writing (OK, 2yos may not know any better, but still...).

harpsichordcarrier · 11/02/2007 21:16

oooh yes very off putting.
strngely enough I was in a Mont primary school yesterday and I saw THREE spelling/grammar mistakes
inc... stationary cupboard

Bubble99 · 11/02/2007 21:18

Hmmm.

I should probably parp myself here, Aloha. But I won't.

Maria Montessori was fantastic. She pioneered child-centred care and learning at a time when children were 'seen and not heard.'

At the moment anyone who has done a part-time course at a Montessori training centre can set themselves up as a 'Montessori Nursery.' Believe me, I've interviewed a lot of these people and haven't even thought of employing them.

Before anyone jumps on me. There are some fantastic Montessori nurseries, just as there are some fantastic 'Not Montessori' nurseries.

All good nursery care is child-centred. One of the main things OFSTED look for during inspections is that the staff know their children, their abilities and have planning to move help them move forward.

Maria Montessori would approve of all good nurseries these days.

preggerspoppet · 11/02/2007 21:33

dodgy...

listen to your gut instinct.

FrayedKnot · 11/02/2007 21:45

I would have walked out and kept walking if I'd heard a member of staff speaking to the children like that.

When DS started at nursery and I was still staying for periods of time, there was a day or two when the usual room leader was away and two younger girls were looking after the children and I wavered because I thought they were not being particularly positive with the children - more telling them to stop doing things and trying to control them and less taking the initiative to engage them / positive comments, but I decided that for the odd day when it might be like that, the usual and totally lovely room leader was worth it.

DS frequently says he loves her and I know she is brilliant with the children and nothing less would do I'm afraid, because nurseries with genuinely caring staff like this DO exist.

I should keep looking if I were you.

colander · 11/02/2007 22:44

Probably repeating a lot of other posts here, but...

If you are asking the question, you probably aren't happy to send your DD there. Listen to your gut instinct.

Millarkie · 11/02/2007 22:57

Bad spelling, par for the course in the nurseries I looked round and the one I used. Hissing staff member very poor sign and I would have reported it to the manager. The nursery we used would regularly move staff from one age group to another so you can't guarantee dd wouldn't be with that staff member. I wouldn't use the nursery but I would tell the manager why.

amidaiwish · 11/02/2007 22:59

i wouldn't have walked out, i would have made sure the nursery teacher knew i had heard her!
that's outrageous.

bad spelling, yes, the nursery my DDs go to, which i am really very happy with - well let's just say i am glad they are not teaching spelling!

bandofgold · 11/02/2007 23:01

now that is horrible, I don't think you woudl want to send you girl there do you>?
And tell them why, only 9.20 in the morning what on earth can they have done.

KVG · 13/02/2007 09:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

StreediesMum · 16/04/2007 23:47

Can I ask where you live (roughly). Am looking at Montessori currenlty for dd- definitly dont want to go to this one!

crayon · 20/04/2007 19:47

It would put me off; I'd be looking for other things that were wrong once she was there.

empie · 20/04/2007 20:00

Sorry, think it would put me off too, sounds like that person is in the wrong career - you want your little one to be in a happy supportive environment, and not one where the staff are clearly unhappy, that's a sign that there'a something underlying wrong with the nursery or the way it is run. Go with your gut feeling on this one,

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