Wishing Well Preschool, Nursery

A garden for the youngest children and carefully planned moves between rooms give Wishing Well its character. Based at Poplar Shaw in Upshire, Waltham Abbey, the nursery has capacity for 40 children aged one to four. Its appeal lies in the connections between care and learning: a key person follows each child's development, room routines are shared with parents, and outdoor play extends beyond the indoor activities.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, highlighting close relationships between children and staff and a curriculum shaped around individual learning needs. There were also clear improvements to make in storytelling and teaching children about healthy food choices. Those details matter more than the grade alone.

Morning sessions, other daytime patterns and full-day care give families several ways to organise attendance. The practical differences, including age-specific hours and separately charged food, deserve attention before choosing a pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Little Lambs is the youngest room, with a stated room band from birth to two, an emphasis on development at each child's pace and access to its own garden. The garden extends opportunities for the youngest children to play outdoors. A sleeping area and bedding allocated individually support the balance between activity and rest.

Bouncing Bunnies, for ages two to three, centres on imaginative and creative play, with the key person observing children and recording their achievements. Communication, movement and personal development guide this stage.

The Smart squirrel’s room has a stated band of three to five, with practical resources for exploring literacy, mathematics and science. Children can use the nursery garden and the secure play park beside the nursery. The current intake is aged one to four; these wider room bands describe the room organisation rather than extending that accepted age range.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, exploration and active involvement, with language, movement and relationships forming the foundations for later learning. It is the shared framework for early years provision. Here, the daily routine combines activities chosen by children with adult-led work, stories, songs and opportunities for individual support.

Children choose indoor or outdoor activities and contribute ideas for role play and room changes. Visual prompts help those not yet using speech express preferences, so participation does not depend on spoken language.

In December 2023, number work appeared within physical games: children counted while aiming balls into a net, balanced on beams and used a road track with pedal tricycles. Early writing preparation included making marks in sand and drawing broad circles on paper. The useful connection was between movement, hand control and learning, with practice taking place through play.

Outdoor and Community Life

The adjoining play park includes swings, a climbing frame, a roundabout, a seesaw and balancing beams, giving children opportunities to practise balance, climbing and coordination alongside garden play.

Diwali and Chinese New Year are among the celebrations used to introduce children to different traditions. Role-play clothes and books also represent different cultures. This makes learning about other people part of familiar activities, rather than confining it to an occasional discussion.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a dedicated key person who records achievements and shares them with parents regularly. Families can arrange a conversation about development or concerns through the nursery's open-door appointment policy. The arrangement gives parents a continuing contact for discussing both learning and everyday care.

Short, repeated visits prepare children for their next room and key person. Developmental readiness guides moves; friends may transfer together, and siblings are encouraged to maintain contact. This gives children familiar relationships during change.

In December 2023, staff and parents worked with health visitors on developmental assessments for children between two and three. Information from home and staff observations helped identify learning needs and the potential need for further professional involvement. The important practical point is the connection between nursery observations and a child's development beyond the setting.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, good learning progress for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and effective support for children learning English as an additional language. Current staffing arrangements include SENCO and designated safeguarding lead roles, while the daily routine allows individual support for children with additional needs.

Staff hold first-aid certificates and childcare qualifications, and continuing training is part of the nursery's approach to staff development. These are practical arrangements, alongside the specialist roles, rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

In December 2023, staff helped children identify emotions and manage disagreements through patient conversation and child-friendly resources. Clear boundaries were paired with explanations about feelings. That gives children support with understanding a difficult moment as well as responding to an adult's instruction.

Sleep arrangements are discussed with parents, and older children can rest according to their needs using mats or wicker baskets. Bedding is supplied individually. Rest therefore remains part of care beyond the youngest room, which matters for children whose stamina varies across the day.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday and operates for 50 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. For the two-to-five age category, morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm; other daytime choices run from 9am to 3pm or from 8am until 3.30pm or 4pm, alongside full-day care from 8am to 6pm. The afternoon routine begins at 1pm and finishes between 3pm and 6pm.

For the younger age category, full-day patterns run from 8am to 6pm or 8am to 4pm. These are age-specific booking arrangements, so the shorter options for older children should not be assumed to apply to the youngest intake.

A pre-start visit is required to meet staff and discuss policies. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or contact form; an application-to-join form is also provided.

Getting There

The address is Poplar Shaw, Upshire, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3NJ; the entrance address is identified as between houses 15 and 17. That detail is useful when locating the nursery within the residential street.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged nine months and over, two-year-olds, and three- and four-year-olds, with entitlement described as 15 or 30 hours weekly across 38 weeks. Extra hours or weeks are paid for separately when required, so the funded pattern and the nursery's longer operating year are different commitments.

Snacks and hot meals carry additional charges, including a food charge for funded sessions; milk or water, session snacks and a hot lunch are provided. Food allergies must be identified on the enrolment form, making the child's dietary information part of joining arrangements.

Payments are made a month ahead, and fees remain payable for absences caused by illness, appointments or holidays; bank holidays are chargeable too. Deposit and registration charges apply to the under-two and over-two categories and must be paid before a place is held. Notice is one month, beginning on the first day of the week, and prices increase each January. Families should obtain a current written quotation through the fees and joining information.

• Storytelling participation. In December 2023, some reading activities did not give every child a clear view or encourage a response. During the required pre-start visit, ask how shared stories now involve children across the group.
• Understanding food choices. The December 2023 improvement priorities included stronger teaching about healthy eating. Ask how staff explain food choices during meals and play, alongside arranging any allergy requirements.
• The cost of the attendance pattern. Food is charged separately, including during funded sessions, and payments continue through specified absences and bank holidays. A written quotation should match the exact days, hours and funded arrangement your family intends to use.
• Youngest-room organisation. Little Lambs combines garden access with a sleeping area. Ask how activity and rest are organised together, and what group size your child would usually experience.

Wishing Well suits families choosing morning sessions, shorter daytime patterns or full-day care. Key-person relationships, gradual room transitions and outdoor spaces give it practical appeal, supported by the December 2023 Good judgement. Families should weigh food charges and funded weeks against their attendance needs, with storytelling and healthy-eating teaching the inspection's improvement priorities.