Wonderland Day Nursery

Mud-filled buckets, balancing on cup stilts and making play dough from ingredients gave Wonderland Day Nursery’s October 2024 nursery day a hands-on character. Children had opportunities to choose, experiment and persevere. At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while asking staff to make their interactions more consistently challenging so children stayed engaged and extended their learning.

At 165 Turners Hill in Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Wonderland has capacity for 48 children aged six months to five years. Its current approach combines learning through play with a key person for each child, gradual settling and daily communication through a Parent App. Those arrangements give families a regular connection with the people caring for their child.

Term-time and year-round attendance include Full Day, School Day and Half Day bookings.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room has activities shaped around individual children’s interests and needs, while the Toddler Room emphasises growing independence through a Ball Pool, group stories and garden exploration. Pre-School (3-5 Years) combines creative activities with opportunities to practise coordination, confidence and social skills.

For babies and toddlers, language, movement and managing feelings receive attention in observations and progress reporting. Preschool learning extends into books, early number work, creative expression and understanding the surrounding world.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning here: children explore language through conversation and books, practise movement and coordination, and encounter numbers, shapes, art and role-play through activities. Development Matters guides staff’s observations and assessment of individual development. The practical value lies in connecting what a child enjoys with what they are learning.

Alongside that framework, In Their Hands names the nursery’s curriculum, with themes covering relationships, expression, wellbeing, community and curiosity. Its aims include children expressing choices, managing personal care, taking turns and understanding emotions.

In October 2024, sensory exploration included handling feathers, rice and pasta, experimenting with foam and mixing paint. Children also made play dough, working through ingredients and controlling how they poured water into the mixture. Such examples show how an ordinary activity can involve several skills: handling tools, following a sequence and thinking about what should happen next.

In October 2024, staff did not always recognise when children needed more interaction and challenge to sustain their attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

Wonderland has its own secure garden for free play. In October 2024, children used herbs and spices in pretend soup-making, talking about their choices as they handled ingredients and tools. Younger children worked at filling a bucket with mud; older children concentrated on balancing with cup stilts. The garden supported imaginative play and physical activity within the same space.

Free Toddler Stay & Play Sessions run on Thursdays from 3pm to 4pm, offering families a recurring toddler event.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with information about a child’s usual routines, comfort objects and favourite activities. Gradual sessions allow exploration with a familiar adult nearby, and parents can remain involved as their child adjusts. This makes the introduction responsive to the individual child’s pace, with practical knowledge from home informing the process.

A key person supports each child’s development and emotional wellbeing. Daily updates and messaging through the Parent App maintain contact between nursery and home, alongside conversations with staff.

In October 2024, practitioners used observations and assessments to track development, and parents took part in regular meetings. At that inspection, Ofsted found effective support for children learning English as an additional language and effective partnerships with parents.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Children’s small steps towards independence receive attention, including selecting an activity, putting on a coat and sharing with a friend. The nursery aims to develop confidence through these everyday choices. Its curriculum also includes recognising emotions and considering other people’s feelings, connecting personal development with learning to be part of a group.

The admissions policy gives priority to looked-after children, followed by children known to the local authority to have SEND whose needs can best be met at the nursery, then vulnerable children receiving specified support. Siblings and families living locally follow in the priority order.

In October 2024, the nursery employed nine childcare practitioners.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day bookings run from 8am to 6pm; School Day bookings run from 9am to 3pm. The two Half Day options are 8am to 1pm and 1pm to 6pm. Extra time can be added at the beginning or end of a child’s day, with pre-booked early or late extensions subject to availability.

Term-time and year-round attendance are both offered. Wonderland opens for 51 weeks, closing on bank holidays and for a week over Christmas and New Year, with two INSET days as well. The scheduled INSET closures for the current cycle are Friday 9 October 2026 and Friday 19 March 2027. Families need to account for these closures when arranging care around work.

Applications require a signed contract and registration form. A waiting list operates, and a full-time application may receive preference over a part-time one depending on work commitments, occupancy and room availability. These are application rules, not an indication of vacancies.

Getting There

The address is 165 Turners Hill, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN8 9BH. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01992 627 727 or by email to manager@wonderland-nursery.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted for eligible children from nine months to five years. Funded bookings are subject to availability and staffing arrangements, and the nursery may restrict them to particular sessions. Eligibility and the agreed booking pattern therefore need to be considered together.

Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in privately paid session fees. For funded sessions, families can pay separately for meals or provide food from home free of charge. Non-food consumables, extra services, products and additional hours fall outside funding and incur additional charges if families choose them. Uniform is an optional part of the school readiness programme from age two, and families can choose nursery-branded clothing or their own.

Private bookings require a refundable deposit, subject to terms, and a non-refundable registration charge that includes an Essentials Pack containing a bookbag and uniform bundle. Funded-only bookings require neither payment once a valid funding code has been checked; a refundable advance payment applies when reserving before funding eligibility begins, returned after the child starts and funding is confirmed.

Invoices reflect the booked days in each month, with payment due in advance. Private fees remain payable across 52 weeks, including absences on booked days. That charging period differs from the weeks the nursery opens, which matters when comparing the whole-year cost of attendance. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Adult interaction. The October 2024 improvement point concerned keeping children engaged and extending their learning. During a tour, ask how staff develop an activity when a child is ready for more challenge.
• Funded attendance. Particular funded sessions may be set, and optional extras carry additional costs. Discuss how the proposed funded booking fits your routine and which extras you would choose.
• Part-time applications. Full-time bookings may receive preference under the admissions policy, depending on work commitments, occupancy and room availability. This matters for families seeking a shorter weekly pattern.
• Closure and charging calendar. Fees cover 52 weeks, while the nursery opens for 51 weeks and also closes for bank holidays and INSET days. Include alternative care for those dates in your family budget.

Wonderland suits families seeking School Day attendance, either Half Day option or Full Day care, with term-time and year-round patterns both offered. Gradual settling, a key person and daily app communication provide useful continuity between nursery and home. The practical choices are substantial.

The October 2024 picture was one of children exploring materials, practising independence and making use of the garden, balanced by a clear need for more consistent adult challenge. Families who value learning through active play have plenty to consider here; the quality of staff interaction and the exact funded booking arrangement deserve close attention alongside the timetable.