Childlink Day Nursery & Pre School

A nursery pony called Bobby and a Baby Room with its own sleep room give Childlink two memorable points of difference: countryside experiences for older children and a separate place for babies to rest. Childlink has 46 places in total at The Phygtle in Chalfont St. Peter, accepting ages from three months to five years. Its purpose-built premises are used solely by the children, with outdoor space designed for play.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Childlink Good and found safeguarding effective, with a well-established key person system and a curriculum supporting progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There were also two clear priorities: responding faster to children's spontaneous interests and helping younger children put away their toys. Warm relationships and the organisation of the day need to be considered together.

Attendance choices include full-day, half-day, school-day and shorter Stay and Play sessions.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves children aged three months to two years, combining sensory activities involving textures, sounds and light with messy and quiet play areas, dedicated outdoor space, a separate sleep room and a milk kitchen. That physical separation gives rest its own space rather than making it part of the main play area. Walks and park trips also feature in the baby offer, taking exploration beyond the room.

The Family Room caters for ages three to five, with separate sessions for two- to three-year-olds emphasising language, early print awareness, number concepts, movement and consideration for others; its main space includes messy play, a home corner and a nappy-changing area. Mixed-age learning is deliberate here. Younger children can learn by watching older ones, while older children explain and share what they know. Continuity matters too: children can retain relationships with their key worker as they grow within this room.

Separate sessions in the Pre-School Room concentrate on reading, writing, mathematics, language and knowledge of the wider world in a more formal setting, preparing children for school.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning and care: children build language, early literacy and mathematical understanding through activities suited to their development, from babies' sensory play to more structured preschool work.

Bobby, the nursery pony, adds an unusual physical experience. Optional weekly pony sessions give children time in the countryside, and preschool children can practise balance, coordination and making decisions through riding. The activity itself is included in the fee, with a separate minibus charge. That distinction matters when comparing the overall cost of attendance.

Music sessions with Kiddy Divy are also included in the fee, alongside yoga and language lessons, adding activities to the room-based learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor provision includes a dedicated area for babies and purpose-designed play space for the setting. In March 2025, children across the age groups had opportunities outdoors each day, practising running, balancing and other movement. Physical activity was part of the routine, rather than confined to a special outing.

Community experiences also had a practical purpose in March 2025. Children visited a local dentist, learned how to brush their teeth and discussed how toothpaste protects them. Visiting professionals talked about their work, while local outings gave children opportunities to practise social skills beyond the nursery. These examples connect learning to people and experiences children can recognise.

Relationships and Communication

Care in the Baby Room is organised around an individual relationship with a key worker, with activities planned around each child's development. During March 2025, staff noticed when newly attending babies needed comfort and held them while they settled. That is a concrete example of responsive care, although it should be read alongside the separate concern about responding to babies' requests to go outside.

The electronic baby diary covers feeding, sleep and nappy changes, while pictures, audio and video share learning observations during the day. Parents receive both practical care details and glimpses of activities.

The wider online learning journal links observations to EYFS and allows parents to add information from home. A new interest or achievement can therefore become part of a conversation between home and nursery. Families can also receive electronic and printed copies of the journal when their child leaves, preserving the account of their time at Childlink.

In March 2025, regular social events helped parents understand their children's learning and support it at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff knew children's care routines and next learning steps, and that the curriculum supported children with SEND to progress from their individual starting points. The relevant strength is that knowledge of the individual child, rather than a general promise that one approach will suit everyone.

Staff undertake external training covering first aid, safeguarding, food hygiene, health and safety, management and work with children with special educational needs.

Fresh meals are cooked on the premises by an in-house chef, and breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in the fee. Milk is included except for formula, alongside nappies, wipes and bedding, reducing the everyday supplies families need to account for within the standard package.

Sessions and Attendance

Childlink is at Childlink Learning Centre, The Phygtle, Chalfont St. Peter, Gerrards Cross, SL9 0JT; its contact address is also given as 1-3 The Phygtle. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6.30pm. The nursery operates for 51 weeks of the year, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures.

The Daily Rate covers 7.30am to 6.30pm. Half A Day runs from 7.30am to 1pm or 1pm to 6.30pm, while the School Day runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

Stay and Play runs from 9am to 11.45am or 2pm to 4.45pm. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 9am with school drop-off, and After School Club from 3pm to 6.30pm with school collection.

Full-time, part-time, term-time and flexible attendance are offered. Additional days and changing work schedules can be accommodated where possible, which is a conditional flexibility rather than a promise that every change can be accepted. Enquiries go through the contact page, telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Childlink accepts 15 and 30 hour funding and also offers privately paid childcare. Meals and snacks are included in its standard fee package, as are nappies, wipes, bedding and milk excluding formula. Yoga, language lessons and Kiddy Divy music sessions are included too; pony riding carries a charge for minibus transport.

A non-refundable registration charge applies, with no deposit required. Fees are calculated across 52 weeks and divided into 12 monthly payments, producing a fixed monthly amount; payments fall due on the first of the month. The calculation period is a billing arrangement, distinct from the nursery's 51-week operating year. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the fees page sets out the charge structure.

• Responding to children's interests. In March 2025, babies signalling that they wanted to go outside did not receive a prompt response. Ask how practitioners now adjust planned routines when a child initiates something different.
• Space for younger children. In March 2025, inconsistent support for putting toys away left clutter that reduced movement space. During a visit, look at how tidying is built into play and transitions.
• The funded package. Childlink accepts 15 and 30 hour funding, while its standard fee includes food and everyday supplies. Ask for a written breakdown of the funded attendance pattern and how meals, consumables and additional hours are treated within your proposed booking.
• Pony sessions and transport. Bobby's sessions are optional and weekly, with riding included but minibus transport charged separately. Factor that transport charge into comparisons if this activity is part of the appeal.

Childlink suits families seeking a full day, a school day or a shorter half-day or Stay and Play pattern, with term-time and flexible attendance also part of the offer. The Baby Room's separate sleep space, detailed electronic updates and continuity within the Family Room give the care arrangements practical substance. Bobby adds optional weekly pony sessions and time in the countryside.

The March 2025 Good judgement supports the choice, but the two improvement priorities deserve attention. For families, the strongest test is whether responsive care extends from comforting a baby to adapting the routine, and whether younger children's play space stays usable throughout the day.