Blossom Years Chislehurst, Forest School Day Nursery & Pre-School

Forest School gives the Imperial Way branch its clearest character. The setting is for children aged two to five, with indoor and outdoor experiences built around older toddlers and preschool children. Its position beside Belmont Open Space adds a recognisable local edge, rather than a generic indoor nursery offer.

In August 2023, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall. Education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were each judged Good, and safeguarding arrangements were effective at that inspection. Children chose activities confidently, learned through conversation and stories, and used the forest area with a qualified leader.

The branch is at 2c Imperial Way in Chislehurst and operates Monday to Friday within a 07:30 to 18:00 opening window, across 51 weeks of the year. Its published attendance terms set a three-full-day weekly minimum, including a Monday or Friday.

Rooms and Ages

This is the pre-school and Forest School part of Blossom Years’ two-site Chislehurst provision, not the separately located Baby & Toddler Centre. The current branch card places the age range at two to five years, so families should be looking here for the later nursery and pre-school stage.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, is the statutory framework for children from birth to five. In daily nursery life, that means learning through play, talk, routines and planned experiences rather than a school-style timetable. In August 2023, staff linked children’s interests to activities, with older children predicting whether objects would float or sink, counting results and making tally charts.

Learning and Named Experiences

Forest School is more than a title here. In August 2023, older children spent substantial parts of the day in a large natural forest area, where a tree swing was used with staff support and children learned to assess risk and follow woodland safety rules. That makes outdoor challenge a documented part of the setting’s practice at that date.

The branch page also lists sport, French, music, dance and arts and crafts alongside Forest School. These sit alongside the EYFS rather than replacing it. For families weighing the Curiosity Approach, the evidence is more measured: a September 2025 Imperial Way post described work towards accreditation, using natural, open-ended materials such as wooden blocks, fabrics, shells and loose parts. It is a dated development project, not a completed accreditation claim.

Outdoor and Community Life

Belmont Open Space borders the Imperial Way site. Combined with the forest area described in the 2023 report, that gives the location a stronger outdoor identity than a nursery whose provision is confined to an indoor room and small yard.

In August 2023, practitioners were reported to build children’s vocabulary through meaningful conversations, narration during play and new words introduced in activities. Regular story sessions also gave children a route into making up their own stories. This matters most for families looking for language to be developed in the flow of play, not reserved for a formal group slot.

The same inspection treated SEND provision as a strength. It recorded individual support plans developed with parents and other professionals, with staff moving quickly to address gaps in development. It also recorded one improvement point: quieter or less confident children needed more consistently adapted opportunities to take part fully when more confident children dominated an activity. That is a focused question for families to explore, particularly where a child takes time to join a group.

Practice recorded in August 2023 included daily risk assessments, safer recruitment and refresher training, including children discussing safety in the woodland area. Parent Zone is the current named app for updates about a child’s day, giving families a practical communication channel alongside face-to-face contact.

Meals and snacks are prepared by on-site cooks. Families with dietary requirements should discuss current allergy and meal arrangements directly before joining.

Blossom Years Chislehurst, Forest School Day Nursery & Pre-School is at 2c Imperial Way, Chislehurst, BR7 6JP. The branch card lists children from two to five years and an opening window of 07:30 to 18:00, Monday to Friday. It describes an all-year pattern of 51 weeks.

Sessions and Attendance

The published attendance terms require a minimum of three full days each week, including a Monday or Friday. The provider’s written quotation is the route for current nursery-specific prices and for the precise arrangement of additional hours.

Funding and Paid Extras

The Chislehurst page states that the setting accepts funded hours. Families should obtain a current written quotation for the detail that applies to their child and chosen attendance pattern.

Age and branch. Imperial Way is the two-to-five pre-school and Forest School branch, separate from the Baby & Toddler Centre. This matters for a family deciding whether the child’s age and next-stage needs match this address.

Participation in groups. August 2023 findings identified a need to help quieter or less confident children join in when confident children take over. Ask how practitioners now adapt a shared activity for a child who needs more time or invitation.

Attendance pattern. The written terms set a minimum of three full days per week, including a Monday or Friday. Check how that pattern fits the days your family needs.

Curiosity Approach. The Imperial Way evidence describes work towards accreditation rather than a completed status. Ask how the natural, open-ended materials described in 2025 are used in the child’s current day.

This is a credible choice for families seeking an outdoor-led pre-school stage: Forest School, the neighbouring Belmont Open Space and the August 2023 account of confident woodland play give the Imperial Way branch a clear identity. The Good overall judgement and effective safeguarding finding are useful reassurance, while the dated participation point is specific enough to merit a direct conversation.

It suits families whose routine works with a regular minimum of three full days, including a Monday or Friday, and who want care across a 51-week year. Its strongest fit is for two-to-five-year-olds who will benefit from outdoor challenge, language-rich play and natural open-ended materials.