Peek A Boo Nursery

Islamic values, an enclosed garden and early literacy give Peek A Boo Nursery its character. Based at Browns Field Youth & Community Centre in Cambridge, it welcomes families of any faith, including those with none. Religious teaching is part of the educational approach, rather than a separate occasional activity, making the ethos a central consideration for parents.

At its July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and highlighted effective phonics teaching and strong relationships with parents. The practical examples are memorable: children explored spices in dough, handled outdoor building materials and learnt about the work of firefighters. Learning had a clear connection to everyday life.

Children can attend from age two. Opening hours are 9.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Wednesday during term time, and the current contract requires enrolment for the whole 15-hour week.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, covering language, physical development, relationships and later skills such as reading and mathematics. Activities take place indoors and outside, with children's interests helping to shape their learning. Islamic teaching sits alongside this framework, with respect, generosity and responsibility among the values emphasised.

The curriculum information explains how exploration, sustained effort and thinking through ideas contribute to learning. In practical terms, the day combines child-led play with group activities that may include gardening and cooking, number work, songs and movement. These offer different ways to participate, from handling materials to listening and talking.

During July 2024, literacy activities included recognising written names, attempting to write them and listening for sounds at the beginning of words. Children also discussed firefighters and how to summon help in an emergency. These examples connect early language work with a useful understanding of the world beyond nursery.

Two named additions broaden the offer. The language club uses teachers who speak the language they teach as their first language and are also fluent in English. The ICT club introduces early computing through practical activities led by a professional with programming and media-design experience. Neither needs to replace ordinary play to give children another way to explore and learn.

Outdoor and Community Life

An enclosed garden and a purpose-built building in a park setting provide the physical backdrop. The daily routine includes opportunities to move between indoor and outdoor play, alongside stories and group activities. Outdoor time is woven into the day.

In July 2024, children used tricycles and substantial construction materials outside, while mud and vine leaves supplied a different kind of hands-on exploration. Visiting adults also introduced religious celebrations through objects and traditional foods. These experiences brought physical activity, sensory discovery and encounters with different cultures into the same nursery day.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2024, children had close connections with their key person, and conversations with parents helped staff establish what each child already understood and could do. Activity ideas were shared for use at home, while communication with other settings supported children who attended more than one provider. That creates a useful connection between the different parts of a child's week.

Settling arrangements recognise that children respond differently to starting nursery. Parents are encouraged to stay nearby during initial attendance, and staff will contact them if difficulties arise. The registration process gathers medical, dietary and support information, so these conversations can begin before attendance becomes routine.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described activities adapted to children's needs, including special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The registration form asks about the support a child will need and any professionals involved; this gives families a concrete starting point for discussing individual arrangements.

Staff have first-aid and child-protection training, and authorised collection uses a password. Potty training is coordinated with parents, including using an approach that is already working at home. Parents supply nappies for children who need them; the nursery provides ordinary sun cream, with families supplying a specific product where their child requires one.

Milk is free, while parents provide healthy snacks and packed lunches with an ice pack; lunches are not reheated. The nursery's food policy excludes nuts and restricts sugary products, so lunch preparation needs to fit those rules.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Browns Field Youth & Community Centre, 31a Green End Road, Cambridge, CB4 1RU. The nursery opens from 9.30am until 2.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, during term time. School holidays therefore require a separate family arrangement.

Flexible funded sessions include morning, lunch and afternoon sessions. The 2026 contract, however, requires enrolment for all 15 operating hours each week, with funding claims and invoices based on that commitment even when a child attends less. This is an important distinction between the parts of the day and the booking obligation.

Closures include statutory holidays, the final week of Ramadan and a day for Eid 'Ul Adha, with the religious closure dates reviewed annually. Reducing or ending a booking requires at least one calendar month's written notice, starting on the first day of a month. Private fees are based on the booking rather than actual attendance, including absences for illness or family holidays.

Enquiries can be made by email to hello@peek-aboo.co.uk or by telephone on 07857152815. Families can request a registration pack, and there is no catchment restriction within Cambridge. Parking for collection and drop-off is limited.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes Free Entitlement (FE), with up to 15 hours each week over 38 weeks, delivered during term time. The funding offer also names the government's 30 hours funded childcare provision, but the nursery's own operating week and minimum enrolment remain 15 hours. Participation in a funding scheme does not extend its opening hours.

A voluntary contribution is requested for continuous-provision resources, and additional activities during funded attendance can attract a separate charge. Parents provide food and nappies on funded attendance as well as private attendance; ordinary sun cream is supplied, with a parent-supplied alternative where needed. A non-refundable registration charge applies only to non-funded children. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• The weekly commitment. The 2026 contract requires all 15 weekly hours, while morning, lunch and afternoon funded sessions are also described as flexible. Ask how those session choices work within the whole-week enrolment requirement before committing.
• Following children's interests. In July 2024, some routines interrupted activities children wanted to continue, and opportunities to develop spontaneous play were sometimes missed. During a visit, ask how staff now preserve sustained play while extending learning.
• Faith in everyday learning. Islamic teaching shapes the nursery's values, while families of every faith and none are welcome. Discuss how religious learning forms part of the daily routine to judge whether the approach fits your family.
• Food and allergy arrangements. Parents prepare snacks and lunches under a policy excluding nuts and restricting sugary foods. Families affected by allergies should confirm current handling arrangements and suitable packed-food choices.

Peek A Boo suits families seeking an Islamic ethos, outdoor play and early language activities within a term-time, three-day routine. Its July 2024 strengths sit alongside specific improvements needed in spontaneous learning and continuity of play.

For parents considering morning or afternoon funded attendance, the whole-week minimum is decisive. The best fit is a family comfortable with that commitment, the religious calendar and providing packed food, rather than one whose plans depend on independently booking shorter parts of the day.