Little Garden The Potters Bar Day Nursery & Pre-School

Feelings have a place in the curriculum here, alongside conversation and the small triumphs of doing things independently. The Colour Monster story supports work on recognising emotions, while self-service water stations give children something practical to master. These are useful details for parents who want nursery learning to connect with everyday life.

Little Garden The Potters Bar Day Nursery & Pre-School cares for children from 3 months to 5 years at 86 High Street, Potters Bar, EN6 5AT, with 53 places in total. Ofsted rated it Good on 3 August 2023. The current offer combines indoor spaces for play and rest with a garden for balancing, climbing and imaginative games.

Attendance can be built around full days, mornings or afternoons, subject to a minimum weekly booking. The practical distinction is between the nursery's opening hours and the shorter standard sessions it sells.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: conversation, play, physical exploration and growing independence belong together in the nursery day. Alongside that framework, the branch curriculum gives these experiences named emphases with concrete examples.

Super Self-Regulators uses the Colour Monster story to help children recognise feelings and learn to manage them. Respectful Citizens centres on boundaries and taking turns. These connect learning with the moments children encounter while sharing space, toys and adult attention.

Confident Communicators develops vocabulary and relationships through conversation. Independent Explorers puts self-help into practice through water stations and learning to manage coats, while Resilient Learners introduces challenges, exploration and opportunities to take manageable risks. The useful point is the connection between each heading and something a child actually does.

In August 2023, children used non-fiction books to investigate a question about orcas after playing with toy sea creatures in shaving foam. That example shows how an interest arising during play became an opportunity to look for information. Babies explored flour, sand and mud, with adults using familiar sounds and introducing vocabulary; older children joined in with stories and actions.

There was a limitation too. In August 2023, some activities became overloaded with ideas, and children lost interest when the intended learning was unclear. Clearer purpose and simpler delivery were the improvement priorities. Parents should weigh those alongside the examples of child-led enquiry, rather than treating activity variety as enough by itself.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden includes natural shade and space for imaginative play as well as climbing and balancing. It gives physical exploration a place in the day, alongside the indoor areas for quieter play and rest.

In August 2023, toddlers practised on a balance beam and older children invented games involving running and hiding. Children also made self-portraits with mirrors and discussed how their features differed. These were practical experiences of movement, imagination and noticing other people, rather than abstract lessons.

At the August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified SEND support as a strength, with staff recognising additional needs promptly and coordinating strategies with parents and other professionals to support children's progress. That is a dated judgement, and the detail matters: support involved cooperation around the individual child, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

In August 2023, additional funding had paid for a spinning chair that children used to work on their core muscles. Staff and parents also worked together on toilet training, while children practised pouring water and wiping their own noses using a mirror. Care and learning met in these ordinary routines.

Current facilities include a sensory room and reading areas. Alongside the calmer indoor nooks and spaces for rest, these give the setting different kinds of space within the nursery day. Many staff have Makaton training, adding another communication resource to the team.

Meals are cooked at the nursery each day with seasonal ingredients. For private sessions, meals and consumables are included in the fee; during funded hours, food, consumables and enrichment are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day bookings run from 8am to 6pm; Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon sessions from 1pm to 6pm. Full Week bookings use the same 8am to 6pm hours across Monday to Friday. Early Start and Late Finish additions cover 7.30am to 8am and 6pm to 6.30pm respectively.

The minimum is two full days or four morning/afternoon sessions each week, including a Monday or Friday. That requirement is important for families planning care around a working week: the shorter sessions still carry a recurring booking commitment.

The nursery operates for 51 weeks, closing for public holidays and a Christmas week. Bank holiday charges continue, and sickness or holidays do not attract exchanges, refunds or credits. Permanent session changes and cancellations require one calendar month's notice.

Getting There

The High Street address has onsite parking and a buggy store. The latter allows a buggy to remain at nursery during the day, which can simplify onward travel after leaving a child.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged 9 months to 4 years through the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements, normally stretched over the nursery's operating weeks; the nursery also accepts 2 Help funding. Funded hours can be taken alone or combined with paid hours, and can be used within the 8am to 6pm day, morning or afternoon patterns, subject to availability.

The Essentials Package covers food, consumables and enrichment during funded hours. Parents can opt out by contacting the manager before term starts; suitable alternatives or arrangements for disposing of consumables may then be required under the nursery's policy. Consumables include wipes, nappies, nappy bags, cream and suncream.

A registration charge and a deposit apply, with both waived for fully funded places; the deposit is credited against the final invoice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Enquiries can be made directly by telephone or email.

• Activity planning. In August 2023, some activities included too much information and lost children's attention. During a visit, ask how staff now choose a clear learning purpose and adapt an activity when engagement fades.
• Weekly commitment. Two full days or four morning/afternoon sessions must include Monday or Friday. Families needing a smaller pattern or only midweek care should weigh that requirement before joining.
• Funded extras. The Essentials Package is optional during funded hours, with an opt-out deadline before term begins. Discuss what suitable alternatives would involve for your child's booked sessions.

This nursery suits families seeking either recurring full days or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with care continuing across most of the year. Its most useful curriculum details are practical ones: naming feelings through the Colour Monster story, building conversation and practising self-help at water stations.

The Good judgement dates to August 2023, and the activity-planning concern deserves a direct conversation during a visit. For families whose week fits the minimum booking rule, the combination of everyday independence, a garden and clearly separated funded extras makes this a useful option to consider.