NURSERY AND PRESCHOOL IN HAMPSTEAD - YOUR OPINIONS PLS

[georgiebs]

Hi there, just wondering whether anyone has any thoughts on pre schools or nurseries in the NW3 area of London. I have a 2 year old who is registered for several schools round here but I can' t make up my mind... any thoughts positive or otherwise on anywhere would be helpful.
Thanks

I was just about to post the same question - we may be moving to Hampstead and I would like to put my as-yet unborn child down for preschools ( but it's my third and I have been caught out continually by not having kids names down for stuff...). Could sometime tell me what the best preschools are with a view to getting into one of the selective primary schools in the area? Huge thanks.

Baglady75 I don't know if we're going to get any responses - I posted last Thursday and still waiting.... what do you mean by 'selective' primary schools - eg faith? I know a little bit about post 5 education round here.

Thanks georgiebs. I think I'm having a girl so I was thinking South Hampstead High School or Sarum Hall, possibly St Christophers. None of these were an option for my DD age 4 as I had not put her name down anywhere (we only moved to the UK relatively recently) so she is going to UCS Phoenix in September. Do you think there are preschools in Hampstead that are better than others for preparing children for assessments at that type of school?

There must be but we live too far from there to know. My daughter has a lot of friends from Hampstead that she met at North London Collegiate which does run a bus from there and girls can start at 5 I think. She started there at 7. I think I prefer it to South Hampstead and gets better results too but you might not like the distance.

There's a very good nursery school called Broadhursts in West Hampstead. Very hard to get into however.

Hi baglady, i think the phoenix is a really excellent school, that's great she has a place there. it is most definitely one of the very best , i know parents and have visited it myself and i thought it was great. ds is on wait list there. Broadhurst is excellent nursery too but even though i tried to register dc2 ( due in july) when i was TWELVE WEEKS PREGNANT it still wasn't early enough and i was given only an afternoon place ..oversubscribed is not the word. all too much for me. i think we'll have to move.

That really is over the top! I've been joking to my friends back home about the school situation in London - you basically have to roll over in bed, say "mmm, that was great honey", and get on the phone to schools!

We are happy about Phoenix though and I really appreciate that we only needed to put her name down 1 year before starting. However I feel somewhat lucky that DD got in as she did not attend an "academic" nursery, and I'd rather take fewer risks with No 3. Sounds like I'm already too late for Broadhurst though. What other preschools are you considering, georgiebs?

hi baglady are you here in hampstead yet? if you want to meet up for a coffee and some orientation happy to do so. other schools i looked at were hampstead hill, devonshire house and church row nursery. i have a DS so done boys schools which isn't relevant for you am i right?

Georgiebs - We're not in Hampstead yet - we will hopefully be moving in August. I would love to meet up for coffee - I barely know the area at all and once I stop obsessing about schools (if that ever happens)I'm sure to have lots of other questions!

Actually I do have a DS too - he is 6 and has mild special needs so finding the right school is more complicated, but we have a couple of leads for him too. He will stay at his present school in central London for another year, then we will try to move him to a Hampstead school.

Have also heard good things about Hampstead Hill, don't know Church Row nursery. DD was offered a place at Devonshire House which we turned down. I thought it was a nice school but a bit big, which made me worry DD might slip through the cracks. But I liked it enough that I would have sent her there if she had not gotten into UCS Phoenix.

Have you checked out Heathside Prep? They could only waitlist us so I did not pursue it for DD, but I really liked the school - it will definitely be on my list for DC3.

Any opinions on North Bridge House, anyone?

Anyone have children attending NW3 primary schools? Been looking into Hampstead Parochial, Christ Church, New End or Fitzjohn. Would like to know what your experience has been like.

Hi there- if you have an opinion on nurseries, why not write a review of it at the WhereforCare website?