Supergirl, also with due respect…. I don’t see what this has to do with following a crowd or not ! As per the previous post, it has more to do with commenting on a school (Finton) and a nursery (M House) that you have no real experience with. Personally I would rather hear from parents with real experience (as I said before good or bad!) and I have no real interest in hearing why parents choose NOT to send their children to a particular nursery / school just from a “feel” of the place. I only felt the need to comment on your post as for me personally, posts like yours made the whole school decision process really difficult but I have now learnt that I should only listen to people who have actually experience in a school / nursery, and not listen to the rumours that say that mums are not allowed to drop off in Jeans at Broomwood, that Thomas’s is pushy and full of Alpha mums, and that all the parents at Finton are posh !!!
But then again this is a free forum and everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I certainly don’t wish to offend anyone !

As a qualified nanny of 18yrs and someone with experience 4.5 yrs in a nursery setting of different ages from 0-5yrs, i can truly say that Mouse house and mouse hole is a wonderful place to be and the staff work extemely hard, they provide safe, warm, education facilities are open in communication and any drop offs and hand over periods are not the quietest parts of the day and why should they be, the children parents nannies all speaking at the same time for different reasons ....excited.. explanations...chats etc this is normal and i have never found it too chaotic. I have been attending the nursery since last sept 2011. Mouse house/hole have most things that some nurseries could only dream of. The second statement on this board is nothing short of slander. Please think before you speak the staff and children speak for themselves, carry on the good work Mouse house/ hole

As a previous 'Mouse House Mum' I felt I simply had to post.

Our son was in Mouse Hole/House for almost 3 years. He was extremely well cared for and incredibly well prepared for entry to school as were his peers. He had a cosy, family group of friends, the small group table system works incredibly well, and I can only speak in the most glowing terms of the teachers we dealt with, in particular Miss Kathy, who would be the educator every parent would wish for their child.
Nowhere is perfect of course. It can be a bit noisy, but the kids all know each other and even the quiet ones do very well. My experience is that my son's peers were all ahead of the game on entry to school - and I have encountered some kids from other nurseries who don't even know their alphabet, which cannot be said for any child coming out of MH.

Supergirl, with respect, as I have enjoyed some of your previous posts, you seem very free with comment on a school you admit not having any experience with.
Your criteria below - well, I would absolutely unequivocally say that ALL and EVERY ONE was met by Mouse House:
'1. They ll thrive, be happy, and enjoy learning and playing; 2. Where teachers genuinely adore the children they teach/look after; 3. Where children can be children so a bit of chaos is great; 4. Where they can voice their opinion and br listen to; 5. Where academic results and pastoral care are high; 6. Where they communicate efficiently with parents; and 7. Where the school is NOT a typical london prep (or pre prep). Which means i like schools that even though they are good, they are also HUMBLE.'

And in particular re the last point, the head at MH was very clear about the wonderful state schools in our area, and that private was not a 'must-do'...though many of the kids DO go to Thomas' or Broomwood, this is more to do with the parents, and many others (ours included) go to belleville and Honeywell, which are excellent excellent schools.

So that's my tuppence-worth in defence of a great nursery. And I would say in defence of the staff, they are not well-paid at all, and still parents grumble about the fees....and then about the staff...Mmmm.

Our baby daughter will be going to Mouse Hole in September.

I couldn't agree more with MayRose. My eldest was at Mouse Hole then Mouse House and my youngest is there now. As far as I have ever seen the staff have been nothing but loving, caring and giving and whilst of course no-one knows what goes on behind closed doors I'm prertty sure one of my children would have raised concerns if they had any!!

When my eldest first went there we were of course just delighted that she was happy, looked after and content. Now that she has just started at Belleville however I realise that actually the thing they've given the most is the preperation she needed to ease her into the "big school" system that she has now entered.

Of course the nature/nurture question must ask whether this was all her/our own doing, and granted some of it may well be, but all I would say is that without the start they helped to give I'm sure she wouldn't have made the trasition as easily as she has.

Apologies for the typos, in a rush. Sx

I agree and disagree with you because it is also important IMO to understand why some people chose NOT to send their children to a particular nursery or school. I was offered morning sessions at Mouse Hole for my eldest and decided that no, this is NOT an environment i want my child in. And i have explained those reasons in my post.
Now you are absolutely free to disagree with me, which you did but if i was asking for a school (which i have) i will absolutely want to know why people decided not to go there. Even more so if it is a school with a waiting list, i would be more interested to know the hidden rather the why this is sych a good place IYSWIM (yes i am ALWAYS suspicious about places with a high demand).

I have viewed pretty every state (in my area) schools and every independant schools that dont assess the children in wandsworth, i have asked for opinion only when i had slready a good view of my own opinion. I wish people were the same. Ofsted is a good starting point but it is NOT the whole story. Slways go and see for yourself AND talk to the parents at the school gates. I am not one who is desperate and freaking about having a place at my furst choice of school. I understand i might have been lucky in my timing. But also feel that there are a lot parents who dont do their homework and send their children to a school because "it is the best in the area". I have turned down Finton and Belleville is NOT in my school application even though i am in the catchment.

Anyway it is always better to have a full picture it is the only way one can make an informed decision. So i stick by my post, i havent offended snyone as i was only speaking for my feeling of the place. Sorry to go against the crowd but i have never (snd i will never) follow a crowd.

Sx

Here, here to the last few posts on this site. I have NEVER responded on this site but feel very strongly about supergirl's comments.

Mouse House is a fantastic nursery. I visited ALL the local nurseries when my first born was a few months old. Mouse House stood out for me - but as it's been said over and over in these posts it's all down to individuals and, really, how boring would the world be if everyone was the same and had the same opinions???!!!

My first child is quite shy but Mouse House gave her confidence and she's thriving at Broomwood Hall. My second child is now at Mouse House and he absolutely ADORES it. He has a new teacher this year and she is AMAZING! As is the new head.

The staff don't tolerate bullying in any way, shape or form. They are very nurturing and gain great rapport with children and parents alike.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any of my friends.

Sorry sypergirl I dont mean to come across as rude and I hope you don't mind my comment. But would it not be best to comment on school / nurseries that you have first hand experience on? You have obviously developed some strong views simply by having made a tour and having spoken to a headmaster / headmistress, but I find your comments a bit harsh given that you have not been a parent at either of these two establishments?

Would it not be best to stick to views from parents with direct experience on the nursery ? Good or bad, as some parents on this thread have said that the nursery was not for them and moved their kids. But at least they are taking from real hand experience.

Just a thought? I do think there are a bit too many "hear say" comments about schools and nurseries on this site!

To the OP best of luck woth your decision!

I have to say that despite it not being suited to us, the staff are all fantastic. The teachers my Children had in their years there were all incredible nice, caring people.

The head when we were there also used to actually put people off sending their Children for assessment at Thomas'. A large number of Children went to Belleville & Honeywell.

Definitely take a look & decide for yourself whether it's the nursery for you.

With reference to the original post, the answer quite simply, is 'yes'... Mouse House is a VERY good nursery! It is widely regarded as one of the best in the area, with tough competition, and the Ofstead report speaks for itself - Grade 1 (outstanding) across the board. Whether it is the right environment for your child is a very different matter and, like so many of the other posters, I feel that the only way you can decide this is to go and have a look around and make an informed decision based on your experience.

For the record, my son adores it there and I have nothing but the highest of praise for the wonderfully kind teaching staff and facilities.

SM x

I never normally post but I feel I have to comment again. I have had 3 children at Mousehouse and none have gone to 'top prep schools'. Just the local state school. In fact the headmistress last year seemed pretty balanced in her view of all the local schools both state and private and her view was that all of them were good and that it was the case of finding the right one for your child. I actually feel sorry for some of the businesses/schools/nurseries in this area as it seems that it is parents/customers who are the nightmare rather than the business/school/nursery.

My daughter is thriving at Mouse House and as a parent I only felt right to stand up for the teachers that are doing such a great job for many other parents that attend the nursery as well.

Why being so forceful in your post if you are so convinced of the qualities of Mouse House?

Top schools or organisations dont usually come accross as so insecure... Because results speak for themselves as do words of mouth.

As one of the PTA’s for Mouse House I feel that I have to comment on this post.

When choosing any nursery or school for your little one only you know your child and only you will be able to assess which school you feel is more suited to your child. All children’s needs are different; some will prefer a quieter, calm environment and others are able to enter into a livelier environment.
You will find that the top primary schools in this area are different to each other and offer different environments for children. Some feel that one school is absolutely ideal for their child whilst others feel that another is ideal for their child. This doesn’t make one better than the other, they all come out with practically identical results. It is wrong to criticise a school or nursery just because it wasn’t right for your child.
Whilst I am trying to give a completely neutral opinion what I will say is this, any secondary school will be a more busy, lively, “chaotic” environment than your child has ever had to experience and, as a parent, you will hope your child can thrive. Mouse House provides the support, confidence and educational ability that every child needs in order to successfully move on to their “big” school! Every child in their class room is different. I know quiet children, boisterous children, children with learning difficulties, highly intelligent children and each and every one of those children at Mouse House nursery is cared for and nurtured by the teachers and Head mistress according to each of their individual needs and personalities. This results in each child being prepared for the future that lays beyond Mouse House and surely provides an environment for our children to learn to play and befriend other children that might be quieter than themselves or more lively than themselves. And is it not the most crucial skill in life to learn how to be able to mix, learn, respect and adapt to others that might not be exactly the same as you?
Good Luck with your choice and I hope that this gives you a much more grounded opinion than one that is so slanderous towards the teachers at one of the top nursery’s in our area.

CKS - i am sorry but i disagree with you. The OP has posted a question on a public forum and she was asking for opinions. The first person who took the time to reply gave her opinion. Other people on this thread have disagreed after that post and so gave their opinion. It is a public forum, if you dont like the answers dont read but you cant go and threaten to have a post deleted simply because you dont like it.

Back to OP: i dont have first hand experience with this nursery has none of my children have gone or will go there. For a lot of reasons, i didnt like this nursery. One of them is they boast themselves as "we got children in top prep schools" (ie. read Thomas mainly as they have a link). Now nothing wrong with that of course. But i personnally abhorre schools or any other organisations where, in the way they talk, you can feel they know they are thought after... IYSWIM!

I d rather send my children to a school (same for nurseries) where i know 1. They ll thrive, be happy, and enjoy learning and playing; 2. Where teachers genuinely adore the children they teach/look after; 3. Where children can be children so a bit of chaos is great; 4. Where they can voice their opinion and br listen to; 5. Where academic results and pastoral care are high; 6. Where they communicate efficiently with parents; and 7. Where the school is NOT a typical london prep (or pre prep). Which means i like schools that even though they are good, they are also HUMBLE.
I found one, i wouldnt change my children for the world and i just turned down a place at Finton House for that reason only. They are an excellent school, but to me they know it too much (oarticularly the head) and lacked being humble. I dont want my children to grow up entitled.

Good luck in your choice OP. It is tough in this country . Sx