Stoke Newington / Childminder Nursery

[fyefoot]

Hello, I am going to have to put my DD in either a nursery or with childminder in Stoke Newington (Hackney side rather than Finsbury Park)and would be grateful for any recommendations. I am on waiting list for Independent Place and Minihome (as are half of Stoke Newington seemingly!) but want to go and see some others as need to go back to work sooner rather than later now. DD is 7 months and would be attending for 2 full days a week. Thank you!

Lots of childminders attend the Toy Library drop-ins, so might be worth going to a couple and getting to know people/asking for recommendations?

(Have friends who had babies in nursery with Minihome, Phoenix and Hillside - all happy. I visited two years ago, so maybe different but I liked Linden and would have gone there if my mum hadn't stepped in. Hated Independent Place but horses for courses...)

Thank you. Can you tell me what you didn't like about Independent Place? I liked them when I went to look at the nursery but its always hard to tell.

It was a couple of years ago so hopefully has changed but I felt the staff were disinterested in the children (woman in nursery letting baby crawl over her, not engaging at all - even when manager introduced me as a visitor). Older kids seemed aloof and weird. Later found out a colleague reported them to Ofsted as she left her boy for settling in and came back to crying, alone baby and dirty nappy

Contrasted to Linden where no French lessons or organic baby signing but the staff were chatty to the kids and all the older kids came rushing up waning to meet the baby! Think you have to go on instinct though.

you can also try Rainbow Nursery - lots of people are very happy with this community nursery on neville road

There is another one on church street - i think its called cottonfields or something like that!!!! - its right where nandos has taken over the old jazz place, just behind there

on essex road a bit further away is new river haven (near the tesco's)

your best bit is to go to all the nurseriies, fill out the forms, apply and then keep phoning the ones you really want to ask if a place has become available

Just to give you an alternative viewpoint - my dd goes to Independent Place and we're really happy with it. She's always had absolutely LOVELY keyworkers and they do nice activities & have got her into a good routine. I spent a lot of time there with her when she was settling (which took ages!), and I pick her up at a slightly unusual time, and I can honestly say I've never seen a baby left to cry on its own. Which is not to say that Umlellala's friend's experience didn't happen, but that perhaps things have changed since then. There used to be a woman in the baby room whom I didn't really warm to, not sure if that was the one Umlellala saw, but she left quite a while ago. I would definitely have gone with a childminder if I could have found someone I liked, but I didn't have any luck. But as it turned out the nursery has worked out well for us and I'd happily recommend it.