Amazing Grace Nursery

Two named rooms give Amazing Grace Nursery a clear character: babies have Bambinos Baby Room, while older children have Tot's Discovery Zone Toddler Room. Based at St. Johns Church in Thornton Heath, the nursery has 52 places in total for children aged five months to five years. In March 2023, children also played and learnt in mixed-age groups, making the organisation of shared activities an important consideration for families.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in children's engagement and activities for the youngest children. Those concerns deserve attention alongside the positive judgement. They concern how children spend their day, especially indoors and when different ages share the large hall.

Attendance choices include full days, half days and flexible bookings, with additional evening hours offered separately.

Rooms and Ages

Bambinos Baby Room has a published room age band of three to 24 months, while Tot's Discovery Zone Toddler Room covers two to five years. These room bands describe the nursery's organisation; the setting's overall accepted age range starts at five months. For parents comparing baby care with toddler provision, the room names make the stages easy to distinguish.

In March 2023, children of different ages spent time together, including siblings during shared meals and circle time. That arrangement gave younger siblings familiar company as they settled. It also required activities to work for different developmental stages: experiences in the large hall did not consistently address the youngest children's individual needs.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, it connects play and practical experiences with developing communication, physical skills and early understanding of numbers and letters.

In March 2023, dough-making brought several of those strands together. Children counted while adding flour, and staff introduced descriptive vocabulary as they handled the mixture. Letter recognition also appeared in hands-on play, with children searching through glittery foam and identifying the initial letter of their name. These were concrete activities rather than learning confined to spoken instructions.

Storytelling and songs were another part of the day in March 2023. Staff used expressive delivery to hold children's attention, and children remembered favourite moments from stories. However, indoor activities did not keep every child involved: some older children became distracted, and some children stopped engaging with the opportunities around them.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2023, the outdoor space included steps and a grassy slope, giving children opportunities to climb, balance and roll. Running games added movement and social play. Children sustained their interest more consistently outdoors than indoors, making the contrast between the two environments an important part of the nursery's inspection-time picture.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2023, very young children sought affection from their key person, while staff used encouragement and reassurance to build confidence. Familiar routines also supported independence: children knew where to put their coats. For a parent considering settling, these examples show the role of a recognisable adult and predictable daily habits at that time.

Shared time with siblings was part of that March 2023 experience too. It gave younger children another familiar relationship during meals and group activities. The practical question is how that comfort is balanced with activities suited to their own stage of development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO team, regular SEN training and a sensory corner are part of the nursery's support arrangements. The sensory corner contains toys and activities intended to help children feel comfortable and engage. Support also involves occupational therapists, paediatricians and speech and language therapists, allowing families to discuss needs through specific professional relationships.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those learning English as an additional language, made steady progress, with professional collaboration supporting targeted help and preparation for school. This is a dated judgement about the support delivered then, alongside the current SENCO and sensory-corner arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Johns Church, Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7AG. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, a week at Christmas and a week during summer.

Fixed Days bookings and Flexible Days bookings both include full-day and five-hour half-day choices. Flexible Days covers non-contracted and term-time parents. This distinction matters for families choosing between a recurring attendance pattern and bookings organised around a different schedule.

For funded children, the meal arrangements identify part-time attendance from 9am to 2.30pm or 9am to 3pm, alongside sessions from 7.30am to 12.30pm or 8am to 1.30pm. Tea Time Only is a funded meal-charge category covering 1pm to 6pm. Extended hours from 6pm to 8pm carry an additional charge.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 8.45am, and After School Club from 3pm to 6pm, with a school-pick-up option. Holiday Club is for children aged four to eight, with full-day and part-time choices. These are separate attendance options alongside the nursery day.

Applications use a downloadable form returned by email. A virtual tour can be arranged by telephone, giving families a way to discuss the setting before committing to a booking.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are both offered. Meals for government-funded children are charged separately according to the attendance pattern, with a packed-lunch alternative; the nursery's food policy excludes nuts, chocolate and fizzy drinks.

Payments are made in advance, either weekly or monthly, with monthly billing reflecting the actual weeks in that month. An administration charge applies at the start date, with different charges for privately paying and funded children. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Mixed-age time in the hall. In March 2023, activities there did not consistently meet the youngest children's individual needs. During a tour, ask how baby activities are planned when older children share the space.
• Indoor engagement. The March 2023 improvement points included keeping children involved more consistently. Ask to see how staff adapt indoor activities when a child loses interest.
• Food and allergies. Funded meals carry a separate charge, and children can bring a packed lunch under the nursery's food policy. Families managing allergies should confirm current practice before agreeing meal arrangements.
• Settling into a booking pattern. Fixed Days and Flexible Days serve different attendance needs. Ask how settling sessions and key-person contact work with the pattern you intend to book.

Amazing Grace Nursery suits families seeking either recurring full-day attendance or shorter half-day sessions, with flexible and term-time booking choices also offered. Its named rooms, sensory corner and SENCO arrangements give parents concrete features to weigh alongside the March 2023 Good judgement.

The balance is clear: inspection-time examples include affectionate key-person relationships, practical learning and sustained outdoor interest, while indoor engagement and age-appropriate activities in the shared hall needed attention. For families with babies, the organisation of mixed-age time is the most useful point to explore.