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Our article on choosing a nursery provides insight on the differences between types of setting as well as advice on what to look for and questions to ask.
On top of the chain offerings, below are a few recommended independent options in each area.
St Peter’s Prep has a wonderful nursery, very much the initial stepping-stone into this idyllic school, taking children from age three. To secure a place, the school recommends registering within the first 12 months after birth. Devon Nurseries, owned by the same proprietor as the prep school, has four settings around Exeter and Exmouth that take babies from three months. The Grosvenor Day Nursery in central Exeter is also highly recommended. For all of these, it is sensible to register at least six months prior to your required start date.
Best primary schools in Exeter
Best private schools in Exeter
Best secondary schools in Exeter
Plymouth College Prep takes children from age two into its new purpose-built early years setting and advises registering at least an academic year prior to start. Bumblebees Day Nursery has an excellent local reputation and takes babies from three months, Kings School and Nursery takes children from age two; both are oversubscribed and hugely popular and recommend putting names down at birth to secure a place.
Best primary schools in Plymouth
Best private schools in Plymouth
Best secondary schools in Plymouth
Alongside the chain nurseries for young babies on offer in this area, four of the best independent all-through schools here have nursery offerings for children aged two or three: Shebbear College, Blundell’s Preparatory School, West Buckland School and Kingsley School.
Best primary schools in North Devon
Best private schools in North Devon
Best secondary schools in North Devon
Ark in the Park in Newton Abbot has resident donkeys and pigs and is a firm local favourite for young babies and toddlers alongside Mama Bear’s Day Nursery in Paignton. Once you have passed the baby stage, Stover School has a fabulous nursery on the edge of Dartmoor from age three or Chagford Montessori Nursery is highly regarded.
Best primary schools in South Devon
Best private schools in South Devon
Best secondary schools in South Devon
Families across East Devon use the wonderful nursery at St Peter’s Prep and the Devon Nurseries options, as detailed in the Nurseries in Exeter section of this review. The Folly in Axminster and Caterpillar’s in Colyton are both independent favourites, along with Puffins in Beer.
Best primary schools in East Devon
Best private schools in East Devon
Need help? Perhaps you suspect your child has some learning difficulty and you would like advice on what you should do. Or perhaps it is becoming clear that your child's current school is not working for him or her, and you need help to find a mainstream school which has better SEN provision, or to find a special school which will best cater for your child's area of need. Our SEN consultancy team advises on both special schools, and the mainstream schools with good SEN support, from reception through to the specialist colleges for 19+. Special Educational Needs Index
Find top international, British, IB and American schools in over 40 countries. The Good Schools Guide International publishes impartial and forthright reviews of international schools across the world.
We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision. It's a lot to ask any child to take on, but for those with exceptional performing ability this kind of education can be transformative.