While it's reassuring to know there are many good primary schools which have nurseries attached to them, there are other factors which can affect your child’s application. Leon Hady from Guide Education adds: “If final places for a primary school are being decided, in which two students do not meet any of the criteria, there is no doubt that your child attending that school's nursery will play to their advantage. That said, if the relationship between the school and the parent/guardian is poor, or the child's behaviour isn’t ideal, this can then have a detrimental impact on the decision to offer them a place.”
So, while it seems a reputable nursery name on your application doesn’t hurt, the idea of strict 'feeder nurseries' appears to be a bit of a myth. “If there was such a thing as working the system, I’d tell everyone to move to Richmond and Twickenham, which have some of the best nurseries and primary schools in the country,” admits Leon. “But, joking aside, there is a responsibility for parents at any educational establishment to be part of creating the culture. Outstanding nurseries and primaries aren’t suddenly made, they are crafted by teachers, parents and students working together.”
