Views on The Villa nursery (Lyndhurst Grove SE5)

[gm99]

Hello All,

I would be interested to hear any first hand views of The Villa nursery, particularly since the expansion. I was chatting to a parent whose kids have been there relatively recently and got some slightly negative views citing turnover of heads and rather lacklustre staffing.

Many thanks,

gm

[oimissus]

my daughter has been at the Villa nursery for a year and a half now (started when she just turned 2) and they have been fantastic, she has blossomed under their care - my shy baby is now a confident little girl, happy and thriving. The staff in the nursery are lovely. They have just had an outstanding Ofsted report. I think the parent you were talking too may be getting mixed up with the school (which, according to one friend who has had one child go through the school, and another there now, is excellent, despite the recent changes of head)?

[Piaf]

My daughter has been there since November and is 3.5... I am a big fan of the nursery: they have worked really hard at settling her into a new nursery and she has really thrived. She is clearly very attached to the staff and they seem genuinely fond of the children as well as energetic and engaged.

One thing that concerned me on joining was that my daughter was one of the oldest and might get frustrated but the staff take time to do age and stage appropriate one on one activities as well as general play. The other concern was large class size especially given the expansion. It's still tricky in terms of getting to know the other children but otherwise it's ok as there are enough staff and space to separate the class into different areas and activities

The garden area is great too

No nursery or childcare is perfect but I am very pleased with the Villa

[RinkyDink]

gm99 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hello All,

>

> I would be interested to hear any first hand views

> of The Villa nursery, particularly since the

> expansion. I was chatting to a parent whose kids

> have been there relatively recently and got some

> slightly negative views citing turnover of heads

> and rather lacklustre staffing.

>

> Many thanks,

>

> gm

What a funny way to request people's opinions. Surely it would be better to simply ask for people to give you their thoughts - without referring to one person's hearsay - or are you out to deliberately solicit a negative response?

Choosing a nursery is very much based on personal preference, choice and suitability to a child. I would suggest it's better to actually go in and visit the nursery in question - see it working, watch the staff, see the children in action, and then make up your own mind.

As a Villa parent I would recommend it wholeheartedly. And in my opinion it is a fabulous stepping stone before school. If you go and visit I think you'll be hard pushed to describe the staff as 'lack lustre', and I'm very confident you'd want to get your child a place there.

[gm99]

Thanks all for taking the time to share your views - very helpful. I tend to take what I see on visits as a best-case scenario, always usefully contextualised with the longer-term experience of others. The parent I referred to has two children who have attended The Villa in recent years, so is not easily dismissed.

[oimissus]

I think it's fine to ask, if you've heard something from a reliable source and want to get others views - it's what the forum is for surely, sharing information. I still think your friend is confusing the school with the nursery, as I'm pretty certain there has been no change in headship of the nursery in recent years (in fact, there is no head of the nursery but the mansger has been there a while), whereas there has been for the school.

[KattyKit]

My son is at the nursery and we are really really pleased with it. The staff are second to none and facilities excellent. My son is one of the youngest and is quite shy and has being going through an unsettling time with me being in hospital for nearly a month and a new baby and the nursery have been really supportive to both him and us as a family. He is thriving there.

They have just received an excellent OFSTED report.