Upton House School Windsor- or others in the area?

[goGBTeacher]

I might be back on the hunt for a nursery school for my DS.

Does anyone have any experience of Upton House nursery in Windsor?

Or recommendations of nursery schools that would allow my to be in the center on Slough by 8.30am (also needs to offer care until 5.30ish which I would use on occasional days)?

I think you have to register them as babies. There is very little outdoor space, although the building is newish. Your DS could stay till age 7.

Just around the corner is Brigidine School, which takes boys from 2 - 11, with wrap around care, including holidays.

You could also consider Long Close and St Bernard's Prep in Slough.

Oh no what happened? I thought you'd sorted all of this and were set on Lambrook?

Lambrook from Reception is still fine and is the plan. I could never have used it for his nursery year though as the nursery drop off time is 8.30.

I'm considering a job move. It would be centre of Slough and full time. My plan of Meadowbrook Montessori wouldn't work as they only run until 4.30pm.

Very sad about it as I love Meadowbrook and think it would fit DS really well, but the job is a golden opportunity.

Long Close would be ideal logistically, but I'm not sure about using a Cognita school.

Brigidine is a no-go as drop off is 8.30am. I need to be in work at that time. St George's is also out because of timings.

My friend is sends here LO to BRigidine and I'm pretty sure she drops off by 8am. Her DD sometimes has breakfast at school.

Of course, things may have changed but worth checking their website.

friend is very happy with the school and her DS is starting in September.

I'm clueless on what the Slough choices are. All I would say is that at 8am I found it quicker to drive from Windsor back to Maidenhead than from Windsor to Slough (for the train station). That surprised me as I thought getting to Slough would be quicker.

It should only take about 10-15 minutes unless there is a problem on the M4.

No problem on the M4 on the days I did it. At least nothing visible from the relief road. The delays were off the relief road up to the lights near the police station. It took 20+ mins every time. The drive from Windsor to Maidenhead was consistently 8 mins.

I should add 20+ mins from school to station, which was too long to do every day. I don't think the reconfiguration helps but I guess if you haven't got to try to get across all that mess to the station it will be quicker.

There used to be a bottleneck in Windsor - big roundabout before you get onto the relief road, but they have chopped away at the roundabout and now have about 4 lanes going around it.

If you are trying to get into the centre of Slough, it might be quicker to go via Datchet (if you can time the level crossing). For example, from the roundabout by the Long Walk, it should be a 3 - 4 minute drive to the Datchet level crossing, and a further 5 minutes to the A4 (near the big Tesco). However, the devil is in the detail - where exactly you are starting from and where you are heading.

Potential job is literally over the road from the station. So yes, would have to do that rediculous bit of one way round in a triangle through Slough.

I could keep DS with his CM in Bourne End and have her take him to Cookham Montessori is we get a place. I think I could drive from her's to Slough station is 30mins. But I have no idea if we will get a place :-(

Do you really need to register super early for Upton House?

The station is next door to Tesco, right?

Datchet is the way to go. You don't hit a traffic light until you get to the A4/Aylesbury Road junction.

How old is your DS? If he is 2, they will have very few places, which will undoubtably be taken by siblings. You won't know unless you ask, of course?

What attracts you to Upton House?

If you are in Cookham, what about Herries? Teeny tiny, but I've only heard good things.

Did Winbury close down? There were rumours a year or so ago.

If you are going west out of Slough (after you have passed the police station) then I assume it will be ok. If you need to go east then you are stuck at least two maybe three separate sets of lights leading up to the bus station roundabout (after you have gone past the lights at the police station). Maybe there is a way to avoid that mess altogether. I tried staying on the relief road and crossing over the motorway and coming into Slough that way but it was no better. For me, at least, the new configuration didn't make the journey time quicker at all.

I wouldn't want to do that journey every day but tried on the basis that I would have to just get used to it. On a whim I tried driving back to Maidenhead and was amazed at how quick it was. So I tried it a couple of more times and it was the same.

At least from Bourne End you can go the back way to Slough through Taplow and Burnham although you'll still have to get across the Farnham Road. Although that way you could come up to the bus station roundabout via Stoke Road which may be better.

Am only attracted to Upton House by logistics.

I live in Burnham, currently work in Bourne End but looking at this job near Slough Station.

Been up every alley and decided I would use Meadowbrook fore nursery (and possibly Recaption is DS loved it) and the Lambrook.

Went to an open dat at the Herries and loved the nursery but it was slammed by ofsted (as in actually not safe!) and i think it must be on a knife edge financially at the numbers.

Didn't like Dair House. Liked the the Ridegway but didn't like the Claire's Court nursery. Liked Eton End nursery but also 8.30 drop off so no go. Winbury did indeed close down.

Maybe I need to go and see Long Close. Or just not go for the job!

Winbury closed last summer. You can drop off at 8 at Herries but then you have to get over the river, which is busy that time of day.

Herries has improved hugely. The new head (been there a year) seems to have made a real difference and numbers are going up. A friend moved her dc there and is very happy.

God, sorry for all the typos in that. Doing two things at once.

Agree Bisjo, it would be better to drop in from the north. I wish there was some way of pressing Cookham Montessori to confirm a place.

I would call Virginia and explain your predicament. When is your ds due to start?

Look at Brigidine as well as Upton. Their nursery is lovely and you would have the flexibility for him to stay until 11. You could get to Slough station in 15 minutes, and even on a slugglish day be in time for work.

Long Close and St Bernard's would be virtually on your doorstep, however. Shame about Eton End's start time, as they would be really close too. It might be worth checking if they have an early club, as 8.30 seems really late as the earliest drop-off.

What about Silchester?

I would like him to start doing the morning session in the summer term of this coming academic year (when he will be 2.8). I think you are right, I will have to phone Virginia. I have had DS on their list since he was 14mo so I hope he would be fairly high on the list.

TBH I have fallen in love with Meadowbrook, it is like some 1950's idyl, but it may be that a compromise is necessary.

Meadowbrook is a schlep from where you are. Wouldn't you be better off looking for a job nearer Bracknell/Warfield?

Been to Silchester and not sure. DS was a baby though and I was frightened off by the baby room so maybe I didn't look with a clear head.

I can't see any mention on the Brigidine website of 8am drop off or it would definitely be an option. I need him to be able to stay until 5.30 on some days if I work full time. I know Eton End has no early drop off as I have been to an open day and asked.

Gah.

I would be better off looking for a job near to where I want DS in school bisjo but I work in a very specialist field which I love. Few jobs come up in the area which is why this one is irresistable even though the timing is rubbish and location not perfect.