Enchanted Wood Preschool, Old Road

A large garden and dedicated woodland give Enchanted Wood Preschool, Old Road a clear outdoor identity. Based at VCD Athletic Club in Crayford, it combines daily outdoor access with weekly Forest School sessions for each room, giving children regular opportunities to explore and learn in a natural setting.

At the 6 May 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard in achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. These are area judgements rather than an overall grade.

There are 61 places in total, for children aged 9 to 60 months. Full Day and Short Day patterns sit alongside an Early Bird extension and a limited term-time attendance option, although the minimum booking requirement deserves careful attention.

Rooms and Ages

Bunnies accommodates babies aged 9 to 18 months; Fawns & Rabbits groups children from 18 months with two-year-olds; Hedgehogs is for three-year-olds, and Owls for four-year-olds. The age groupings give families a clear picture of the stages children move through. They should not be read as a measure of how many children share a room on any particular day.

Across the groups, themes develop from children's interests. That gives staff a starting point in something a child already enjoys, rather than requiring every child to engage with the same subject in the same way.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation, physical exploration and growing independence belong together in the nursery day. It is the common foundation for provision, rather than an extra programme unique to Old Road.

In May 2026, babies explored stories by handling books and responding to questions, while older children used planting activities to think about space and measurement. Toddlers also explored people's jobs through pretend play. These examples make the learning tangible: books invite interaction, gardening gives mathematics a practical purpose, and role play brings everyday situations into children's conversations.

Sign language was taught across the age groups in May 2026, giving children another way to communicate their wishes and emotions. This sat alongside spoken language rather than replacing it. For a young child still developing words, the practical value is having another means of joining in.

External providers deliver sessions including Phonics Stars, Jo Jingles and Bexley Kids Cookery.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School, an approach centred on learning through outdoor exploration, takes place weekly for each room in the dedicated woodland. Children also use the large garden and Forest School area daily. The combination matters: outdoor time is part of the ordinary routine, with a separate recurring woodland session alongside it.

In May 2026, children handled gardening tools, searched for insects and grew plants. Foam, mud and paint also provided opportunities for sensory exploration. This is a practical, hands-on account of the day, with activities that invite children to investigate materials and try things for themselves.

Relationships and Communication

Keyworkers help children build relationships as they begin spending time away from home. Photos are sent to parents during the day, and staff give feedback about children's experiences. For families making that first separation, those updates create a useful connection between nursery and home.

In May 2026, staff took account of babies' familiar routines, including the care of breastfed babies, and worked with families around sleep. Rest was treated as part of the child's day. The practical emphasis was on understanding the baby, rather than expecting every family to arrive with an identical routine.

Toddlers practised sharing and waiting for a turn in May 2026, while staff helped children put feelings into words and offered reassurance when emotions became difficult. These are everyday care tasks with a learning purpose: children need support both to communicate a feeling and to manage what happens next.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made sustained progress, supported by reviewed interventions, professional advice and collaboration with specialist settings. The useful detail is the adjustment of support to individual needs, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

In May 2026, staff used advice and training to adapt their work with children, including additional help with physical development. Leaders' next step was to extend the sharing of effective practice beyond the preschool. That development priority concerned their contribution to other provision, rather than a prescribed change to children's daily activities at Old Road.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm, while Short Day is 8.30am to 4pm. Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am and carries an additional charge. A minimum of two full days is required, so the shorter pattern needs to be considered alongside that rule rather than assumed to be a standalone alternative.

Old Road operates throughout the year and also offers a limited term-time attendance option. Closures include bank holidays, Easter weekend and one week at Christmas. Those breaks matter for families arranging childcare around work: the year-round pattern still includes planned closures.

Getting There

The address is V C D Athletic Club, Old Road, Crayford, Dartford, DA1 4DN. The nursery operates within the club premises.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 and 30 hours, with term-time and stretched funding arrangements. Funding and private charges need to be considered separately when comparing attendance patterns; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The branch's fees and supplements page provides the route to its charging information.

• Minimum attendance. Short Day runs alongside a requirement for two full days. Discuss how the shorter day fits the booking you intend to make, including any term-time arrangement.
• Visit arrangements. Families must join the Old Road waiting list before being offered a visit. Use the visit to discuss how settling and communication would work for your child.
• Baby-room care. Bunnies serves children aged 9 to 18 months. What are the usual group size and staff deployment, and how would your baby's sleep and feeding routines be accommodated?
• Enrichment and costs. Weekly woodland sessions sit alongside externally delivered activities. Discuss what Phonics Stars, Jo Jingles and Bexley Kids Cookery involve, and which meals, consumables and activities belong in your proposed quotation.

Old Road suits families who value regular outdoor learning and want to consider both Full Day and Short Day attendance. A limited term-time attendance option broadens that choice, while the two-full-day minimum shapes the practical decision.

The large garden, weekly woodland sessions and communication through keyworkers give the setting a recognisable character. Its May 2026 area judgements provide a strong inspection position; the deciding questions for an individual family concern the booking pattern, youngest-room arrangements and the complete cost of the chosen package.