Is Mouse House a good nursery? Post Reply

[Loopedoo]

Hello SW11 mums,

We recently moved to the area and are looking for a nursery for our son who has just turned two. I didn't realise just how over-subscribed nursery places are around here and we are struggling to find somewhere good with available vacancies. Can anyone tell me what the Mouse House nursery is like on Mallinson road? They have a free space but before we go and have a look round there I'd love some insider information!

Many thanks,

Lucie

[2boysmum]

I thought it was a bit rubbish. I loved mouse hole, but found mouse house overcrowded, chaotic, and half the teachers thick as two short planks (although there are a couple of very good ones). People have noted that the mouse house kids seem to be behind kids who went to other nurseries when they get to school. I've sent my second son somewhere else and the difference is like night and day. That said nursery places aren't easy to come by an its all relative! I'm sure it will be fine but if you have another child I would register them somewhere else early. I know they have a new head now too so things may have improved

[LKNorthcote]

Hi there,

my little boy has just started at Mouse Hole (aged 2-3) and I have been very impressed. As a teacher myself, I think the Curriculum looks great and the teachers and assistants have been very good settling him in. He seems very taken with a couple of the teachers too.

As for Mouse House (aged 3-5), I can't really comment yet but I did go to a talk on future schools by the head teacher there, and she seems very good! Lots of experience and really knows her stuff. She tells it how it is.

It really depends on what you want to get out of nursery.

[susanwalker]

If in doubt I would look around. Try Blundells Nursery in Battersea. http://www.blundellsnursery.co.uk They have a fantastic teaching program - learning through play - the teachers have been there for years and the children are really happy. Their fees are reasonable too! It comes highly recommended.

[missingthesun]

Hello. I don't normally post - am a bit of a lurker but felt I had to comment after the second reply! I have had 3 children at mousehouse/hole and have generally found it to be really good nursery. My oldest is now at one of the local state schools and have found that she started there ahead of her peers who went to the state nursery in terms of learning letters etc... I have found the staff really helpful and my daughter loves her teacher at Mousehole. I think the new headmistress seems great, but I really liked the previous one too. The drop off/pick up at Mousehouse is a bit hectic but is fine now at Mousehole. I kept my daughter for a second year rather than changing her to the state nursery. Good luck!

[pinkpeony]

I have had children at MH for 4 years until I removed my son in July. Like previous posters said I also found it chaotic and noisy (a lot of Children in one room) and we had quite a few issues with things when we were there. I moved my son to a different nursery & the difference is amazing. The new nursery is so calm & he seems so much happier. The new nursery is also loads cheaper which is a bonus!

[curly]

My little one is at Mouse Hole and she loves it. The teachers are lovely and my daughter is thriving. Mouse House is bigger and so, I imagine will be noisier but when I visited, it looked like a great place for a child to learn.

Everyone is going to have their own story, if I were you I would arrange a visit.

Good luck

[2009Kat]

Our children have been and are very happy at Mouse House. The new head is great. As the pp commented, these things can be quite a personal decision, best to take a look and get a feel for the different nurseries.

[SoConfused!]

I think its always good to ask people's experiences when deciding on a school / nursery. But I think we all know that no school / nursery will be perfect for absolutely everyone ! So I agree with the 2 previous posters - best to go for a visit and mainly go with your gut feel. My kids didn't go to Mouse House but I had lots of friends who are / were very happy with this nursery. And we have plenty of Mouse House kids in my son's reception class and they all seem lovely and bright kids to me. Lets take a little perspective here....we are talking about nurseries and not Secondary Schools !!! Yes I agree that a loud nursery might not suit every child – but you will be able to decide this for yourself when you visit it. When deciding where to send my kids to school I went a bit crazy listening to everyone’s advice and reading all the posts on NVN. Good to get some inside info from parents with children at the nursery / school but please don’t believe all the “I have heard” stories like I did !!!
Good luck and hope you find the right place for your son.

[Loopedoo]

Thank you all very much for your responses, I really appreciate them! I have taken your advice and will go and have a look at Mouse House and see for myself, in fact we are off tomorrow morning to check it out! And I think you're right, it is hard to find a place that is the right fit for every child, so we will just have to trust our gut instincts and take it from there! Thanks again! xx

[CKS]

FAO: 2boysmum

I am so saddened that you thought it appropriate to write such a nasty comments about the very hard working staff at Mouse House nursery. I spent 3 years with a child at the nursery and found, without exception, the staff to be well educated, intelligent and caring individuals.

I believe local forums like Nappyvalley are for constructive criticism and recommendations of local services. The opinions should be based upon factual information and I do not believe the forum should be for personal attacks on individuals or in this case "half the staff" at a nursery.

If this was one of the larger forums on the web your post would have been deleted and I would like to urge Annabel to delete the post in question.

Opinion is one thing but personal or group attacks like this are totally unacceptable in my opinion. Perhaps you will realise your mistake and apologise?

[supergirl]

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

[MayRose]

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.

[supergirl]

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.

[MayRose]

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.