Penge East Day Nursery

A train-viewing platform in the garden and an indoor slide in the conservatory give Penge East Day Nursery a recognisable character. Children can watch trains coming and going, then explore outdoor play and activities shaped around their interests.

At 202 Venner Road, London, SE26 5HT, the nursery accepts children from three months to five years. No Ofsted inspection has been published for this setting yet.

Rooms and Ages

Children use four rooms: the baby room, toddler room, nursery room and preschool room, moving between them according to their physical and emotional readiness as well as their development. The preschool room has a quiet space for stories, alongside circle time and Italian classes.

Learning and Activities

The Learn Through Play Approach follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework: children learn through stories, language activities and physical play, with activities shaped by their interests and individual next steps. This makes play the route into learning rather than a break from it.

Italian classes are led by staff from Italy. Boogie Mites sessions also form part of the enrichment offer, while Bilingual beats is a Spanish music and movement class. These give families specific activities to weigh alongside the everyday play programme.

Outdoor and Community Life

A mud kitchen, art wall and climbing apparatus give the garden several different uses, with bikes and scooters for movement and a quieter area for downtime. The train-viewing platform adds a connection to the neighbourhood.

Outings include Penge East station, a local park and visits to the library, charity shop and music shop. Community members also visit the nursery, bringing experiences beyond the playrooms into the day.

Room changes follow children's readiness rather than age alone. Settling-in sessions and a settling-in pack form part of the enrolment arrangements, giving the start its own preparation.

A SENCo role supports children with additional needs. Parents receive activity photographs and updates about meals and the day through the nursery app, providing concrete starting points for conversations with staff.

Breakfast, a cooked lunch, tea and snacks are included in the total childcare fee through Everyday Essentials, with vegetarian and vegan choices. Suncream and wipes are included through the same package; during funded hours, catering and care products are charged separately.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day bookings have a minimum of two full days per week, so the attendance commitment matters as much as the opening window.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas; Christmas Eve closes early, at 4.30pm. Penge East station is a two minute walk away, while the stated journey from Sydenham station is a five minutes walk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and support for eligible two-year-olds. Eligible working families can access working-parent funding from the term after their child turns nine months, with a valid code required before that term starts. Funding is stretched across 51 weeks, with funded hours delivered between 7.30am and 5.30pm; additional private hours are charged.

Everyday Essentials separates catering, care products and enrichment charges. Fully funded sessions can be taken with no additional charges. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

A non-refundable administration charge applies, except for funded-hours-only attendance, which uses a refundable deposit instead; children with an Early Learning For 2s code have separate refundable-deposit terms.

• Weekly commitment. The minimum is two full days, with priority given to full-time working families. Discuss how the proposed attendance fits that rule during a visit.
• Funding and extras. Funded hours end at 5.30pm, before closing time. Request a written breakdown separating private hours, Everyday Essentials and the arrangement for sessions with no additional charges.
• Languages and music. Italian classes, Bilingual beats and Boogie Mites sit alongside play-based learning. During a visit, ask how these sessions fit your child's age and attendance days.

Penge East suits families planning either a two-day weekly commitment or attendance throughout the working week, with interest-led play, language activities and neighbourhood outings. The garden's train-viewing platform and conservatory slide give the physical setting character; the minimum booking and funded-hours window are the practical decisions to weigh.