anyone use a surestart nursery/ childrens centre for full time care

[beetlemum]

Hi, am thinking of putting my 10m old in a surestart nursery as opposed to a private nuresry ft when i go back to work, does anyone use a surestart nursery/ childrens centre for full time care, if so would be interested in your experiences. TIA. Beetle

Hi beetlemum, my son is in a council-run nursery. It's quite a weird setting. It is in part of a primary school and there is also a SureStart centre attached to it (though in a 'separate' wing). I saw two private nurseries and two council-run ones and the council-run ones were top of my list! There is another SureStart centre near me where the nursery is actually part of the centre but I chose the one in the prinary school because the school is part of the Greenwich council healthy eating initiative and DS gets the loveliest fresh food for his meals! In my opinion, the council-run nurseries seem to have lovelier staff who seemed to genuinely love their jobs and the children. I felt very pressured by the private nurseries to pay a deposit to secure a place and the places I saw just didn't seem as organised and bright and happy as the council-run ones. It's just my opinion though. DS has been in his nursery for 6 months now and we are very happy with our choice! Good luck! Go with your instinct...

my ds has been in a sure start nursery since he was 8 months. He's now 4 and he's loved every day there. Out nursery is joined onto the school as well. The staff there are fantastic and have made the transition from nursery to pre-school really easy for him. Their toddler room is also part of the school setting so they see what they will be doing at school. Well worth it in my opinion.

hi angel and twix, thanx for your responses I really appreciate them. My eldest, now almost 5 , went to a private nursery near work from 6 months as at the time i couldn't drive, however I felt that once he was over 3 he missed out on not going to 'school' nursery iyswim. Now i've passed my test I've a bit more flexibility as to where DS2 can go. I'm returning FT in september. The childrens centre i am thinking of is connected to a primary school (not the same one as DS1's school unfortunately) and when they are 3 they get to go into the foundation class which tbh is why it appeals. Ds2 is now 7m and i have been doing a course at the childrens centre , he has been going for 2 hours a week and seems not to mind it. He is mostly breatsfed and wears cloth nappies and the ladies have been very good. They have the same dinners as the school, also I figure if I was a nursery nure I would rather work for the council as the benefits/ wage would be better=happier staff. just worried that DS2 will be the only FT kid there!