Thank you everyone for your helpful views.

Seemingly such a minefield and so helpful to hear the thoughts of others on the subject.

Cheshirecat, I completely agree with you that the parents attitude is reflected in how a child gets on at school.

Montessori has become the preferred education system of the middle class and most of the parents who opt for Montessori are interested in their child's education and want them be the best they can be. All of them usually have a good start and education at home. As a result a lot of the children who leave Montessori go on to do very well in school. This is because of the parents and children and has very little to do with the school.

I have seen some fantastic Montessori schools, I have been in others that were not that great and I have also been in one that I reported and hope is now shut down.

In my 8 year olds year, a handful went to the local Montessori instead of the schools own nursery. Some of those children are now top of the class and others are not. This reflects home and individual children completely and has nothing to do with their early years in the Montessori.

I think you have to go where you feel your son will be happiest. Nurseries vary in their resources, staff and philosophy. Whether they practice Montessori methods or many of the other, ever changing models of early years education. Go with your instincts.

Mouse House/Hole are owned by the head teacher of Thomas's Clapham...

Montessori is a less structured approach of learning through play. My biggest concern is that if your child wants to spend all day, every day playing with beads then in principal they could not do any of the other activities. But I do agree that there are many years ahead for a structured learning route, so you have to choose where you feel happy.

I think you need to look at a number of nurseries and sense where you think your child will fit in.

I looked at a few and just knew I didn't like them or that I loved them (children forced to listen in silence to a story to impress visiting parents v. children playing and happy and having fun in controlled chaos!).

If Honeywell is free - take it!

Firstly, welcome to the tricky world of children education... It is a minefield I find

Having said that, I dont think your child will be at a disadvantage either way. Honeywell is a very good place to put your children in as well as is Mouse Hole. There are some indenpendant schools that assess the children like Thomas' and they know the nursery schools around. Mouse Hole is one of them so if you plan to send your child there going to Mouse Hole would probably give you a better chance. There are some parents that are very strategic and are better placed to give you an opinion on which order, which nursery schools to apply to if that the way you want to be.

My opinion is that you should put your child in the place where you think he will be the happiest. Because as you said, if a child is happy he/she will learn. I am not strategic when it comes to those things as I really want to find the place where I know my child will thrive because it fits my child personality, needs, etc. But you do have to plan ahead as there are loads of places with very long waiting lists.

The other thing to consider is that 2 is not too young to learn to sit and to concentrate for a short period of time. The earlier you start the learning process on that, the better. it can be done by sitting on the carpet to listen to a story, or drawing for 5min, etc.
Montessori is about children leading the pace at which to learn rather than somebody telling them how and how fast they should learn, it is about learning whilst playing, and there is a more natural way of learning. Dont be put of by the name. At Mouse Hole, and others, there is a structure (to give them a sense of school) but it is not academic far from it. They are all children having fun there (and they learn).

Good luck into finding your way

My son is 17 months old and I have just been offered a place at Mouse Hole for him. I went to look around it and it does look lovely but my son will be 2 when he goes for 2 afternoons a week and that seems very young to be sitting at a table doing quite a structured session.

I have also just been to see Honeywell nursery and school and was very impressed by it. The nursery seems so much fun and at 2 or 3 I can't help but think that play is so much more important than seated learning.

I can't help but feel that if children are happy they will learn and that in the younger years school should be fun and spark creativity which makes me lean towards honeywell. But having said that I have been told that a montessori nursery education gives a child a better start and prepares them better for school. And that it also keeps their options open if we want to apply for an independent school. I have no idea whether or not we should go for state or an independent at this stage and am all in a spin by how suddenly I find myself having to consider nurseries and primary education.

Does anyone have any helpful views on the differences between Montessori nurseries and the more playful ones. Would a very small child (he will be 4 when he starts school) be disadvantaged if we tried to get him in to Honeywell or would he just have a lot more fun and be no worse off....?

It all seems so tricky. Any advice or personal experience welcomed.