Colets Nursery

A refurbished nursery with 82 places gives Colets Nursery a substantial presence in Thames Ditton. It takes children from 3 to 59 months, spanning baby care through the preschool years. The whole-setting capacity is a useful measure of scale, rather than a description of the group an individual child will join.

At its 9 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Colets Good and found safeguarding effective. Learning built around children's interests, outdoor exploration and conversations about stories gave that judgement concrete substance. There were also clear priorities: helping children do more for themselves and giving parents more regular contact with their child's key person.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. For parents, that means a day in which play and everyday interactions contribute to learning, alongside the practical care children need.

In December 2022, children's interest in their own names shaped an activity about letters and sounds. Staff started with what children recognised, introduced unfamiliar letters and then extended the activity to friends' names. The example matters because the starting point was something personally meaningful to the children, rather than an unrelated exercise.

Stories also prompted conversation in December 2022. Children studied illustrations, listened to adults reading and contributed their own ideas. During a discussion about the nativity story, they practised taking turns and hearing other children's contributions. These were opportunities to use language socially as well as to listen.

Outdoor and Community Life

In December 2022, outdoor exploration included frosty grass and pinecones beneath a tree. Staff encouraged children to describe the feel of frosty grass, linking an outdoor experience to new vocabulary. Children collected pinecones beneath a tree and brought their discoveries to adults.

Bats and balls added movement to that December 2022 outdoor play. Children experimented with throwing, kicking and balancing, giving them different ways to investigate what the equipment could do. Experiences beyond the nursery included visits to a park, a farm and a school; parents also came in to read and play musical instruments. Those examples broadened the people and places involved in children's learning.

In December 2022, adults adapted activities to accommodate children's interests safely. Running was directed towards marked spots on the floor, while buckets provided targets for throwing. The practical value was that children could continue an activity they enjoyed with clearer boundaries around it.

Communication in December 2022 combined a parent app with meetings each term. Families received updates about development and ideas for supporting learning at home. Organised social occasions offered another opportunity to build relationships with staff, but some parents wanted more direct conversation with their child's key person. Digital updates and personal contact serve different purposes.

School preparation also had a practical weakness in December 2022. Adults did not consistently prompt children to find their shoes and put them on themselves. This is a small daily task with a larger implication: preparation for the next stage includes opportunities to practise managing ordinary routines, not just activities involving letters or stories.

Sessions and Attendance

Colets Nursery is on St Nicholas Road, Thames Ditton, KT7 0PW. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays. It operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, a week at Christmas and an inset day. Those closures matter for families arranging care around working commitments outside school terms.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. The funding policy includes 30-hour funding, for which parents must supply an eligibility code and National Insurance number; codes must be renewed and a Parent Declaration Form completed each term. Eligibility remains something families must establish, rather than something nursery attendance itself confers.

Families using funded hours complete a Registration Form and discuss their preferred attendance pattern with the admissions team. The policy requests a voluntary contribution towards additional services beyond government funding and provides an Opt In/Opt Out arrangement. That distinction matters when considering the cost of a funded attendance pattern: the entitlement and additional services are separate elements.

Funding is allocated by term. Once the headcount has gone to Surrey County Council, it cannot transfer to another provider within that term under the nursery's policy. A move during the term therefore affects when a new setting can claim funding. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Everyday independence. In December 2022, children were not consistently encouraged to manage tasks such as putting on their shoes. At a visit, ask how staff now build these opportunities into ordinary routines.
• Contact with the key person. More regular opportunities for these conversations were a December 2022 improvement priority. Ask how personal discussions fit alongside app updates and termly meetings.
• Funded attendance. The funding policy separates entitlement from a voluntary contribution for additional services and includes an Opt In/Opt Out arrangement. Request a written explanation of how your proposed attendance pattern, meals and non-food consumables would be treated.

Colets suits families seeking year-round weekday childcare in Thames Ditton, from the baby stage through preschool. Its refurbished premises and extended opening window are practical attractions. The December 2022 picture adds substance through interest-led activities, outdoor exploration and parental involvement, while the priorities around independence and key-person contact give families specific points to weigh. For funded attendance, the contribution arrangements and termly funding rules deserve equal attention.