Piplings nursery

[neilly1973]

Hi

I am thinking of sending my wee one to piplings nursery, I've seen that it has a great ofsted report. Does anyone have or has had a child there?

What do/did you think? Are you happy?

Any feedback would be really appreciated because the whole nursery thing is a minefield.

Thanks

[neilly1973]

i have noticed a lot of views on this but no thoughts...

[Monkey]

Probably bcs they have so few places! I tried to call them a year ago, left messages but never heard back.

[ladywotlunches]

My daughter is starting there next week. So I can't give you any thoughts on how it is, but I was very impressed by my visit, and like you say, the Ofsted is outstanding.

Nurseries are very much a personal thing. Ofsted is a good guide, but as long as a nursery is considered Satisfactory/Good, then the rest is down to the feel you get when you visit. When my son went to nursery, I looked at 2 on the same morning. On paper one stood head and shoulders above the rest. When I visited, I went for the one with a lower Ofsted, because the feel and staff were much better.

Book a visit and see what you think. Good luck with it all!

[neilly1973]

thanks lady wot lunches... could you report back a couple of weeks in please? would love to hear what you think once your daughter is in. is she going into the baby room or the pre-school?

thanks

[ladywotlunches]

She's going to be in the baby room - turning one next week....

[SR]

Hi Neilly,

Sorry no personal experience but I do know someone who's toddler goes and who is very happy with it. Not sure if you have been to visit yet but if you ask then I'm sure they can put you in touch with other parents. I know that my nursery offered to put us in touch with parents although we saw the results of a parent survey so could see the positive feedback there and didn't in the end approach other parents. Piplings should be good, I think they are on the more expensive side.

[neilly1973]

which nursery does your child go to?

[SR]

Seedlings in Forest Hill. Am I allowed on the Dulwich forum :-)

Really happy with it. Have to second ladywotlunches point. I thought I would prefer another nursery as from the initial phone calls they seemed more professional. On visiting I preferred the friendlier vibe at Seedlings. Also looked at the older children as I plan for my little one to be there long term, the older kids were chatty and seemed to be having fun which I took as a good sign.

Not sure what age your wee one is but I had my name down since pregnancy, so get in there!

Good Luck

[LaurenceJ]

My son has been at the Forest Hill Branch since he was a baby and his now nearly three. We are now moving him to the East Dulwich one. I cannot speak highly enough of Piplings. My son has thrived there and, I know this will sound corny, but I feel when I am dropping him off there that he is going into another little family. I know it is a little move expensise than other places but I have to say the level of care my son recieves and the attention to detail that I see makes it worth every penny. They recently got outstanding in all 17 areas on Ofsted and I am not suprised.

As a man is was also important to me that there was some male presence at the nursary and the three male memebers of staff they have are fantastic, as are the women. Overall it is a very balanced, positve and supportive place.

Ten stars from me.

Laurence J

[ladywotlunches]

Very sadly, parents at Piplings Forest Hill been informed this week that it will be closing, due to some legal action by unfriendly neighbours. Places for some of the children have been made available at Piplings East Dulwich, but this will in turn leave less places for the other children in the area.

Although planning permission had been given last year by Lewisham council, there was a restrictive covenant dating from when the houses were built (1938) that forbids most businesses(apart from doctors and solicitors and the like) from being run from the building. A couple of neighbours, backed by the Tewkesbury Lodge Estate Residents Association, took the nursery to court to enforce this restrictive covenant.

Personally I'm very sad that such a fantastic nursery is being forced to closed, and angry and frustrated by the actions of the residents association in supporting a couple of residents in this action, without informing other residents in the area, on which the action has arguably a more detrimental effect.

The crazy thing is that the nursery certainly causes a lot less disturbance that say, a doctor's surgery would in the same place (which would be admissable). This action seems to be very short sighted as the community as a whole will be losing a sorely needed local resource, which is also an outstanding (as confirmed by ofsted), calm and caring place for our local children to attend.

A key objection to the nursery was that there was "no apparent need" in the area. Absolutely crazy, but something that could not be challenged in the courtroom.

There may still be some other options open, but I think it will need a lot of local support. Please feel free to add thoughts here, which I'm sure Piplings will read!! There's also more being said on the SE23 forum on this topic too, if you're interested.

[anyjoy]

Oh dear....have heard good things too. Will the pipings children not be able to attend the slightly dearer nursery they are setting up at the elms on the corner of Peckham rye park? I believe it is the same people who are setting that up?

[dulwichgirl2]

Why on earth did their lawyers not point out the restrictive covenant before they bought the place?

[ClareC]

What about the 100 or so other businesses breaching the restrictive covenant?

[Monkey]

Blimey. The SE23 forum makes for uncomfortable reading. We're a friendly bunch in comparison! My sympathies to Piplings' owners and parents. And all the best for their new nursery at The Elms. Good to see this magnificent but once sad looking house coming back to life!

[ladywotlunches]

DulwichGirl2 - good question. However the property was the family home for some time before it became a nursery (still is). And the option from Ofsted to have 'childcare on domestic premises' (rather than just childminding) has only been available for a couple of years. Perhaps, when they bought it, they didn't have plans to run a nursery, and these plans changed.

ClareC - indeed, but that also shows that although the covenants are in place for pretty much every property in the Tewskesbury lodge area, not all neighbours have seen fit to enforce it to the letter - mainly because it has become very outdated in our service industry era - its not like we have vehicle body shops, scrap metal merchants and the like opening up, which I think is what the covenants were there to protect against.

[buggie]

We had a covernant like this on our old flat - seem to remember being told the history of them were to prevent homes being turned into houses of ill repute (which I'm guessing could be more disruptive than a nursery!).

The thread on the SE23 forum leaves a bad taste in the mouth as there were obviously residents gunning against the nursery & trying to scare others onto their side from the off :(

Fingers crossed all goes well in ED for them & those families left nursery-less are able to sort out alternate arrangements.

Is there any chance of Piplings appealing?

[dulwichgirl2]

Did anyone explain to the residents the vast increase in the value of their houses that could result from FH becoming an increasingly desirable area to exactly the people who would use the nursery - respectable, dual income families wishing to send their children to a quality nursery? It seems to me that, rather than attacking the legality etc., the answer here was to explain to the residents that the nursery was in their own interests(!).

This area lives or dies by the families who are attracted to it. The quality of school provision is extremely important and we need to continue to attract families even earlier, ideally at baby stage when they are not thinking about schools. THis nursery, and other similar quality ones, was part of the attraction.

The residents have rather foolishly shot themselves in the foot by failing to understand the shifting dynamics of the local housing market.

Btw, I am not interested in day-care or Piplings nursery in any way. (I am interested in the value of my house, though!)

[ladywotlunches]

Buggie - does this imply then that, in the eyes of the objectors, a nursery is on the same level as a Brothel? ;-) It does seem insane in 2012 that a nursery doesn't fall under the acceptable businesses list

[pipling]

This issue is not a completely done deal yet, but it?s very, very near. As someone has posted elsewhere this is a shoot yourself in the foot scenario for the community on the hill. The TLERA residents association ?executive? headed by Valerie Ward took it upon themselves to drive this Nursery into the ground from even before day 1 and took it upon themselves to research into Restrictive Covenants and to identify ?someone? who they could use to enforce it ? the ?someone? they eventually found after trawling local Land Titles? dates was the very willing John and Caroline Fossey at No. 3 next door to the Nursery on Liphook Crescent. This is now entirely the Fosseys? legal action ? to destroy the Nursery ? egged on by some very anti-community neighbours and of course, still manipulating behind the scenes, the TLERA executive.

If you care about excellent childcare provision in the area?please?.you really need to stand up and be counted. If you didn?t know what the secretive TLERA have been up to? stand up and be shouting! Many Parents and those we count among our precious friends on the hill (are there more of you out there ? we hope - Please say hello?!) are in tears about the demolition of this quiet gentle Nursery.

[alice]

it's not fair to name people who have objected to a nursery business being opened next door to them. I certainly am glad there are not 24 screaming kids next door to me.

[buggie]

L-w-l - All I know about the situation is what I've seen on here & the SE23 thread you linked to, although the tone o the other thread makes me wonder if a brothel would've been more welcome! The covernant on our flat dated back a bit further than 1938 (but only by 30 odd years).

Fingers crossed to Piplings. Can't see the harm in naming those involved in the court action - surely unless there was a super injunction in place the information is in the public domain to anyone interested anyway.

[pipling]

alice - who are these 24 screaming children you refer to? They certainly do not attend my nursery.Why on earth do you assume there are screaming children?

As for its not fair to name people who have objected to a nursery next door - buggie is correct - the Fossey's names, address and their objections are on the public record and have been for almost 2 years.

[ladywotlunches]

As a parent from the nursery, AND a local resident, I can vouch for the fact that this nursery is a very calm environment, where children have lots of fun. But one of the key factors in us making our original decision to send our child there was that in the 90 minutes we spent for our introductory visit, we never heard a single tantrum/fight/upset. Of course babies and young children cry, but not all 24 "screaming" at once.

And if you walk past the nursery during the day, you would be hard pressed to know it was there. People who I have spoken to who should know where it is (as they have voiced objections) still don't actually know where on Liphook Crescent they are referring to,

[ClareC]

I agree with Buggie, it's all public information anyway.

If the people doing this feel so strongly as to do what they are doing, being identified shouldn't be an issue to them. I would be interested to hear their reasons. Surely some kind of compromise could have been agreed.

Their actions have effected numerous families and Potentially have a knock on effect for the 100 or so other businesses in the area. They are setting a precedent which can be applied to the other businesses. Once they have effectively driven out 100+ businesses from the area, where does that leave Forest Hill?

I don't have children at the nursery but wouldn't have any issue having a nursery for 24 next door. Heber School is @100m from me, has significantly more children yet is barely audible other than playtime. Even then it's barely noticeable and not unpleasant.

I think it's sad this has happened, unnecessary and wonder if it's been thought through fully.