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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

Pre-school Learning Alliance Nursery?

28 replies

AlexanderPandasmum · 14/04/2008 23:33

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has any experiences of their child going to a nursery with the Pre-school Learning Alliance, or if anyone works there?

Thanks for any responses.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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ShinyPinkShoes · 14/04/2008 23:36

Which one?

Littlefish · 15/04/2008 07:09

Like any nursery in a chain, their quality depends on the staff working there.

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 16/04/2008 20:41

This one hasn't opened yet, so can't really comment about the staff. I'd rather not reveal too much about where if you don't mind as I might identify myself too much. It is within a new children's centre if that makes a difference (does anyone have any experience of children's centres?).

It looks very well equipped and is a short walk from where we live, rather than an hour away which is where we are now. I am going to send ds there but just wondered if anyone had heard anything, positive or negative?

OP posts:

ShinyPinkShoes · 16/04/2008 22:45

I run a Children's Centre and our remit is to be centres of excellence and provide high standards of care and early education.

Hope that helps

fishie · 16/04/2008 22:48

i worked for their head office about 15 years ago. they were good then and i think still do provide a very good standard for groups to follow.

and i went to their playgroups as a child and am perfect of course.

Orinoco · 16/04/2008 23:01

Message withdrawn

Orinoco · 16/04/2008 23:02

Message withdrawn

Littlefish · 17/04/2008 07:05

AlexanderPandasmum

Please CAT me - I don't really want to discuss this on the board, but have some information.

If you haven't paid your CAT subscription, would you like me to CAT you?

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 17/04/2008 17:43

Yes please Littlefish - I'm not really sure how CAT works?

OP posts:

Littlefish · 17/04/2008 18:36

I'll CAT you, although I'm away for a few days, so it might be next week if that's ok.

Littlefish · 17/04/2008 18:37

I've just tried, but you're not set up to receive CAT messages. I think you need to change your set up under "my registration" at the top of the screen so that you can receive them.

mumofhelen · 17/04/2008 21:16

In my humble opinion, the quality care and education depends totally on its staff - so watch them and make sure you are informed of ANY changes in staff.

My dd began at what was an outstanding nursery back in 2006. Excellent staff, excellent care. Then the staff changed and the nursery temporary shut down, re-opened and from what I hear, is now still struggling. Standards plummeted following the departure of just 2 members of staff. Their replacements were awful and I hear on the grapevine that the current staff aren't any good either.

I have fond memories of my dd at this nursery back in 2006 with its original superb staff. You could turn up unannounced, and they wouldn't bat an eyelid. The atmosphere was jolly, happy, and friendly.

By the time I took dd out, the whole atmosphere at the nursery had changed. It was tense. None of the children were happy or smilling. They all looked fed-up and grumpy. I was scolded once for turning up unannounced.

The relevance of the above to your post, is that this is a Pre-school Learning Alliance nursery. Things can change from Outstanding to appauling as fast as the staff changes.

Littlefish · 18/04/2008 08:08

Agree with mumofhelen.

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 18/04/2008 10:29

Thanks mumofhelen and others.

Littlefish, I have changed my settings so you should be able to now - thanks

I think that it is impossible to tell from my details you are right, but I am hoping that the fact that it's in a newly built children's centre might mean that it is a nice place for ds to be (at least to start with).

The place he's at now isn't too bad and it's a small baby room but the commute is very long and stressful and sometimes I arrive at the nursery to find the person in the room to loo after ds gazing out of the window (looking fed up) instead (I walk and the nursery has big bay windows and in the dark you can see this from quite a distance). It's not the person who looks after him during the day though so I don't feel too worried.

OP posts:

Littlefish · 22/04/2008 21:09

I have sent you a CAT.

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 22/04/2008 21:23

Thanks. I haven't got it yet. Is it emailed?

OP posts:

Littlefish · 23/04/2008 06:58

Hi, yes it's e-mailed, but it sometimes takes a couple of days to get through, depending on MNHQ workload! Once you get it, we can exchange e-mails away from the board.

Littlefish · 24/04/2008 07:48

Has it come? It might be worth checking your spam or junk folder.

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 24/04/2008 21:50

No it hasn't and I've checked my spam folder too.

Any idea why I haven't seemed to receive it?

OP posts:

Littlefish · 25/04/2008 07:13

I'll try again.

Littlefish · 30/04/2008 07:02

Did my CAT come through APM?

Izzywhizzy · 01/05/2008 15:13

Just picked up this threa. My one year old is at a pre-school alliance nursery that's part of a children's centre and I am very happy with it. The baby room is lovely with direct access on to a deck that overlooks the area where the older children play. She does fantastic stuff every day and always comes home in a change of clothes because her others are either covered in paint, playdough, water or sand. From the day she's started, she's hardly given me a backward glance as I've left her in the morning. And the staff are fab too.

I'm a big fan of not-for-profit nurseries. Young children and profits just do not go well together. However, a nursery is only as good as the staff IMO.

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 03/05/2008 17:17

No Littlefish it still hasn't . Wonder what happened to it?!?!?!

Thanks for the info Izzywhizzy. It sounds a lot like the one he is going to go to. I really hope it works out well. So far so good on the visits and he's loved it but haven't left him yet.

OP posts:

Littlefish · 04/05/2008 19:50

Do you have a junk folder?

Original poster

AlexanderPandasmum · 09/05/2008 17:50

I do but did check in there. I am puzzled about where it got to.

I am very curious though....!

OP posts:

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