Nursery consultants are charging £350 an hour to get toddlers on the right track for Harvard Successful London parents with elite universities in their sights see a competitive nursery as an important first step Credit: Getty Images In between howls of pain and anxious consultations with midwives, Sabine Hook’s clients usually find the time to text her from the labour ward. Once the baby has arrived, she’s often the first person they call, bumping family and any potential godparents down the list. Welcome to the cutthroat world of London’s elite nurseries, where children have to be registered on the day of birth or risk losing their place - and parents fear the wrong pre-primary will harm their chances of an Oxbridge degree. Now, consultants are charging £350 an hour to get newborn babies into the right establishments - many of which have 17 applicants per place - and assess tiny potential pupils on their intellect and social skills.