Preschool/nursery recommendations and other questions!

[tofuqueen]

Hi everyone

We are moving to London at the end of year from the US as my husband has a secondment with his company for a couple of years which might become permanent. We are very excited albeit slightly apprehensive!

We have a daughter who will turn two in January and I would like to send her to preschool/nursery then (sorry, I'm not sure what the difference between the two is).

I figure just for a couple of days so that she can meet some little friends and not feel as though I am abandoning her as soon as we have moved to a different country!

Is it going to be difficult for me to get a place for her at a local nursery for January if I'm only enquiring now? Also we won't be arriving in London until the end of the year so we can't even see what the place is like.

I would like some recommendations from moms/dads who have children in nurseries. I guess I'm looking for somewhere safe, clean, friendly, relaxed (isn't everyone!) with nice big outdoor space. I'd be really grateful for suggestions.

Also, in terms of the area where we will be living, my husband will be working in Victoria and I understand there is a direct train that he could get from nearby (Peckham) which is near ED. Is this true?

Would we need a car living in ED? Ideally we would like to be in walking distance from the grocery store, nursery etc. Or would we need a car?

Sorry if I appear to be clueless, but I've only just been told of the move. The company is helping a little with the logistics, but we are doing most of the move ourselves.

Many thanks in advance.

I'm sure I'll be posting more questions in the run up to our move. This is a great forum!

x

[Fuschia]

Do you want to send her to nursery for full days or would 2/3h sessions do, for instance mornings?

[tofuqueen]

I would say initially for a few hours a day and then gradually move up to full days

[mrs.lotte]

You'll love ED.

You don't need a car you will be in walking distance of fab cafes, restaurants, shops, green spaces, nurseries and lots more.

Victoria is on a direct line from Peckham or Denmark Hill which is walkable from the north/west side of East Dulwich and bus-able from the rest.

Children can start pre-school -nursery attached to a school - from the term after they are 3 but this tends to be for only half a day (it's free though) Having a place at the nursery has no effect on whether they will then get into the school itself that is dependant upon (with some exceptions) how close you live to the school so choose a pre school that they are likely to get in to the school of. There are private nurseries (that you pay for) and there is a wide variety of types - half day, full day, part time etc.

Get your name down for lots - can't hurt and when you know where you will be living you can narrow it down.

Good luck

[enjoy]

Hi,

good luck with the move.

We live in Herne Hill (close to ED, but a bit cheaper in terms of property) with direct link to Victoria.

The nursery my son attended was a parent run co-operative.

If you are new to an area and you want to want to get to know people this place is perfect.

Lovely, caring and great fun.

We're still a group of families enjoying trips and activities together.

It's worth looking

www.childspace.org

enjoy

[LKF]

hi! just saw this posting, and while i can't speak to the nursery question (my daughter is just 16 months, so we're not quite at that stage yet), i am also an american who moved here recently, so thought i'd give you some general thoughts based on my recent experience (things i wish i'd known!):

1. houses in ED are largely victorian and as such are likely a smaller scale than you're used to in the US. we came from an apartment NY, where space is also limited, and many of our items didn't fit in the front door of our rental house. even if the overall square footage is similar, be mindful of the room dimensions, door openings, and stair widths when deciding what to bring over.

2. it is not imperative to have a car in ED, particularly if you're near a bus or train. but we just bought one after about 9 months and it has made life a lot easier. however, insurance for an international license and/or a new UK license is VERY high the first year, so that is something to factor into your car decision. and gas is more expensive here than in the US. it's 100% easier to use public transport (vs. driving) to get into central london (the train from ED station gets you to london bridge in 12 minutes and there are tubes from there), but getting to/from a large grocery store, nursery, kid's classes, larger shops, etc. (sometimes in the rain) and getting outside of london is easier with a car.

3. not sure where you're moving from in the US. we lived in brooklyn, ny and it took me awhile to get used to the more suburban feel of ED. yes, it's london, but it's much more quiet than i anticipated. i've come to appreciate this (several really nice parks all around), but i think i had sort of been picturing living in central london, and ED doesn't have that feel.

4. we initially rented a house near lordship lane (but not ON it) and it was helpful to be within walking distance of such a main road, especially without a car. there are cafes, grocery shops, gift shops, etc. all along lordhship lane between the ED train station and whateley road. i would say in general, you pay a bit more in rent for the proximity. i wish we'd been a bit closer to the ED train station or the denmark hill train station, as i would have liked to be able to get in/out of central london as easily as possible during the first year (without having to take a bus to the train), when i was excited to explore a new city/take my daughter to the free museums, etc.

hope even just some of this might be helpful! the ED forum helped me find a cleaner and a several amazing babysitters; i've found it a great resource!

good luck!