Setting your child up for future success starts as early as possible.
You might assume that looking for the best school doesn’t need to take place until they’re at least 4 or 5, but if you want to start strong, you need to look towards nursery schools too.
Choosing a top quality nursery gives your child the basis on which to grow. It helps them to develop their social skills, their confidence, their basic coordination, their reasoning skills, and creates a far better foundation to start their academic career upon.
If you love in the Central London area, you might be spoilt for choice when it comes to nursery school options. There are many, but if you want to go for the very best, you need to do your research. Sure, top quality nurseries don’t come cheap, but you can’t put a price on the success, confidence, and happiness of your child during their educational years.
Let’s look at 5 of the best nurseries in the Central London area, to help whittle down your choice.
Chelsea Pre-Prep & Nursery
Located in the heart of Chelsea, the Chelsea Pre-Prep & Nursery is consistently one of the best nursery schools in the Central London area. Here your children will be encouraged to use their imagination, to play, develop, socialise, and to find passion in hobbies that they may otherwise never get to try.
Throughout a day in the nursery your child will be able to take part in shows, musical recitals, and even sports teams. The nursery has links with other big establishments around the Central London area, such as the Chelsea Ballet School and the Blueberry Music School. These both teach regular sessions to children at the nursery, as well as the chance to enjoy sports lessons from Little Kickers.
Of course, children who attend this nursery are also likely to be accepted into some of the best prep schools in the London area.
Miss Daisy’s Nursery
Creating a desire to want to learn and a focus on fun is something which Miss Daisy’s Nursery does fantastically well. With a wonderful blend between focused learning, development, and social skills, as well as creating a desire to want to go to the nursery every single day, Miss Daisy’s has a lot of very happy children on its roster!
Of course, in order to get the best out of any child, they have to want to do what you’re asking them to do and they have to enjoy it. Forcing academia on a child in a non-innovative way isn’t going to work and that’s what this nursery appreciates very well.
With nurseries in the Knightsbridge, Chelsea & Brook Green, and Belgravia areas, the facilities are second to none and will help your child to look forward to a top education in a prestigious school.
Knightsbridge Kindergarten
Located in Eaton Square, The Knightsbridge Kindergarten is a prestigious choice for any young learner. With an outstanding rating from Ofsted, the nursery is an easy option to reach for families who live in the Central London region. Having been established over 20 years ago, many happy and successful children have left the nursery and gone on to achieve top grades at some of London’s best quality prep schools.
The nursery admits children from 2 years of age and there is the option to remain in the nursery until 5 years of age, before moving into full-time education. The facilities on site are fantastic, with large classrooms, a colourful soft play area, a sensory room, and a huge outdoor play area which is ideal for building confidence and helping your child to socialise and develop with other children.
Tadpoles Nursery
Located in the Chelsea area, Tadpoles Nursery has been teaching young learners for more than 40 years and it remains one of the best nurseries in the Central London region and beyond. This nursery has a strong focus upon cognitive and creative development through active play. Basically, your child is learning and developing whilst having fun, and they don’t even realise it!
Due to the strong focus on early years learning, Tadpoles Nursery creates young learners with a passion for questions, innovation, and interest. That in itself helps to give your child a head-start in their educational career and a good chance at obtaining a place at a top London prep school.
Strawberry Fields Nursery School
Located in Notting Hill, Strawberry Fields Nursery School not only has a rather wonderful name but it’s one of the most quietly prestigious nursery schools in London. Ofsted gave the nursery an ‘outstanding ‘rating and despite the fact that it doesn’t shout about its success, it has an extremely impressive history of creating young, curious, innovative, and academically successful children.
Many families register their interest in Strawberry Fields Nursery School not too long after their child is born, such is its popularity! Accepting children from 2.5 years upwards, the nursery is also perfect for families in the Chelsea and Kensington areas.
Many activities take place throughout the school year and children are encouraged to take part as much as possible, to further enhance their nursery school experience.
Monkey Puzzle Nurseries
For over fifteen years, Monkey Puzzle has been delivering high-quality childcare, for ages 3 months through to 5 years. With over 60 locations nationwide and in 20 London boroughs, Monkey Puzzle is the UK’s largest childcare franchise network.
Each Monkey Puzzle nursery is equipped to the highest standards within a safe, secure and caring environment. They have thought about everything to ensure the settings provide the very best childcare, from child-sized toilets and large gardens to specially fitted play areas so children can enjoy their early years in a creative and stimulating way and parents can have peace of mind that their children are in excellent hands.
Why is Nursery School Important For Your Child?
Some families choose not to send their child to nursery school and to instead start their educational journey at year 1. However, there are many benefits to a nursery education.
Nurseries accept children from 2 years of age and for many parents, that seems simply too young for a child to be leaving the home setting and heading off to a nursery setting. However, by doing so, your child is starting to develop their independence and their social skills, as well as a passion for learning.
If you’re undecided as to whether to send your child to nursery or not, let’s look at a few reasons why it’s a great idea to do so.
Nursery Helps With Social Development
Until the age of 2, your child has probably only socialised with close family and perhaps the neighbours. However, when they go to nursery, they suddenly get to spend time with several other children. This is important because it helps them to learn their vital social skills, whilst also assisting in emotional development too.
Nursery school helps your child to learn about sharing, manners, curiosity, independence, and assists with emotional development in terms of learning how not to behave and how not to treat other people. This is especially useful for a child who may be a little boisterous or a child who is a little shy.
Nursery Helps to Build Confidence
Being thrown into a school setting at the age of 4 years old can be tough, and nursery schools helps to prepare your child for school and also helps to build their confidence and their sense of self-worth beforehand. In addition, nursery helps you child to learn empathy skills, kindness to other children, and it also allows them to feel proud of their achievements.
It’s likely that you child will make many friends in nursery school, which is important for their social and emotional development once more.
Nursery Prepares Your Child For Education
A school setting is a place of discipline and although this is a gentle type of discipline which focuses upon creativity and fun, it is still a place where children need to follow rules and do as their teacher tells them. It can be difficult for a child who has never been in this type of situation to understand immediately, but nursery helps to prepare your child for a school setting when they reach the age of attending school full-time. It also helps them to feel excited about learning and to have a curious mindset.
Nursery Helps You Child Develop Academically
Starting young is a good idea! However, encouraging your child to learn needs to be done in a fun and creative way. This is what nurseries are fantastic at doing. Nursery will help your child to start working on their language skills, their maths skills, their reading skills, and their cognitive skills will improve as a result. All of this is a fantastic foundation on which to build as your child leaves nursery and moves into their full-time school setting.
Final Thoughts
Nursery school is an important starting point, not only in your child’s education but also in their overall development. By choosing the best nursery for your child, you’re giving them the best possible start in life.
Central London has many fantastic nursery options, but the five we have talked about above are renowned for quality. As a result, you’ll need to register your interest early on, in order to ensure that your child receives a place and starts their educational career in the best possible way.
In terms of preparing your child for school and also helping them to grow, develop, and gain confidence, nursery really is the single best route forward. A child who has a passion for learning early on is only going to want to learn more and more as they grow.
