Fennies Purley, Christchurch Road

Three gardens, a miniature race track and an art-led programme give this Christchurch Road nursery a recognisable character. Babies have their own outdoor space, older children can move between play indoors and the garden, and creative activities extend from books to drumming. The physical setting matters here: outdoor play has several separate spaces rather than one shared garden.

Fennies Purley, Christchurch Road takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 113 children in total. At its July to September 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and identified good developmental progress, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities. That judgement needs to be read alongside a later regulatory action concerning the condition and upkeep of the premises.

Standard days and an additional Early Start serve different morning routines.

Rooms and Ages

Explorers, for children aged 3 to 18 months, combines sensory exploration with a dedicated baby garden and an area for rest and sleep, keeping early movement and quieter routines within the room's provision.

Discoverers, for ages 18 to 24 months, has two recognisable sections that staff can rearrange, garden access and a dedicated milk kitchen, supporting independent exploration as children's interests develop.

Creators, for children aged 2 to 3 years, emphasises communication and growing independence, with its reading corner hosting Chatterbox, a programme that develops vocabulary and conversation.

Inventors, for ages 3 to 5 years, occupies two connected rooms with direct garden access, resources for role play and a space for discussing feelings, alongside activities involving Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM).

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the learning and care framework: children develop communication, physical and creative skills through play and exploration. The group-wide Fennies Curriculum adds an emphasis on practical experiences, creativity and critical thinking; at Purley, named activities give that broad description substance.

Artist of the Month is a group-wide initiative using artists' work to inspire children's art activities. Purley's own Genre of the Month explores music, literature and creative expression.

A Playdough Disco session has combined music with different ways of rolling playdough, giving children practice in listening and small hand movements. Art work has also included nature collages made with foliage, pipettes and watercolour.

During July to September 2025, staff repeated words with babies and extended children's conversations by responding to their speech. Older children encountered unfamiliar vocabulary and explanations of its meaning. Language learning therefore included exchanges during ordinary activities, alongside the more structured Chatterbox work.

Outdoor and Community Life

The main garden contains a sandbox, a race track, a den and a mud kitchen; separate baby and toddler gardens give younger children their own outdoor spaces. These resources support different kinds of play, from movement and taking turns to making and imaginative activity. Direct access from rooms also connects indoor interests with outdoor exploration.

Community experiences have included a dentist discussing dental care, firefighters talking about safety and djembe drumming with Mango Tree Kids. Ceramics sessions and a Holi paint festival have added further creative experiences. These are examples of activities the branch has hosted, rather than a fixed weekly timetable.

A multicultural day has invited families to share food and objects associated with their cultures. For Eid, children visited Sainsbury's to buy ingredients for baking. Such experiences connect learning with families' lives and familiar places beyond the nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Personalised settling sessions build towards attendance gradually, with parents and staff agreeing an introduction plan. During July to September 2025, children sought their key person when they needed comfort, and older children practised talking about feelings.

Communication has several routes. The parent app shares moments from children's days, while monthly online parent forums take place at lunchtime and include development plans and parents' ideas. Monthly stay-and-play sessions allow siblings to join, giving families an opportunity to participate together.

Quarterly showcase evenings cover the next stage's routines and learning programmes. Staff training includes communication and language and support for additional needs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A regional SENCO and inclusion role supports the branch with additional needs and English as an additional language, including work with children and meetings with staff. In July to September 2025, assessment led to targeted learning plans, with parents and other professionals involved. Children learning English also heard songs and phrases in their home languages through recordings.

Two improvements were required during that same inspection period. Changes between activities needed clearer preparation so children could understand what came next, and staff needed to help children express their needs and grasp how their behaviour affected others. These are practical concerns about the nursery day, especially for a child who finds changes difficult.

Following its 8 July 2026 regulatory visit, Ofsted identified a failure to meet a premises requirement and required premises monitoring and maintenance to meet health, safety and hygiene standards consistently, with any identified issues addressed promptly, with action due by 27 July 2026. The latest published position is that action and planned monitoring of the response; it does not establish the action's subsequent outcome.

An on-site chef prepares the food, and menus change twice yearly with the seasons. The nursery's food arrangements include accommodating allergies, intolerances and preferences; families affected by allergies should discuss the current arrangements in detail.

Sessions and Attendance

The standard day runs from 7.45am to 6pm. Early Start extends it with a separately charged period from 7am to 7.45am.

Attendance runs across the year, Monday to Friday, with closure for bank holidays and the Christmas period. Enquiries go through the admissions team by telephone on 0208 770 3222 or email at enquiries@fennies.com. Personal tours can also be booked.

Joining the waiting list is free. Securing a place involves a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit credited against the first month's fees; funded-only attendance is exempt from the registration charge.

Getting There

The address is Christchurch Road, Purley CR8 2NL, and Purley Train Station is a 7-minute walk from the nursery. An on-site car park and buggy shed support families travelling by car or with a pushchair.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted, including 15 and 30 hours free childcare for working families. Private childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Private fees include food and drinks across the day, together with nappies, wipes, suncream and personal care consumables. For funded attendance, food and consumables attract separate voluntary supplements, already incorporated into the quoted package; parents wishing to supply their own items can arrange a meeting with the manager about the relevant policies.

Payment is due before the month's first day; late payment attracts an administration charge. Annual fee changes are calculated in July and applied to September invoices.

In July to September 2025, preparation for school included wearing uniforms and a physical education day following feedback from local primary schools. The purpose was independence and familiarity with school routines, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Premises upkeep. The July 2026 action required consistent health, safety and hygiene standards, with prompt attention to problems. Before joining, ask for the action's outcome and an explanation of the maintenance checks now used.
• Changes during the day. The 2025 improvement points concerned preparation for activity changes and helping children express themselves. During a tour, discuss how staff support these moments, especially if your child needs predictable routines.
• Funded attendance costs. Food and consumables have voluntary supplements on funded hours, with a route to supplying your own items. Request a written quotation separating funded hours, private attendance, Early Start and those supplements, including how funded hours are spread through the year.
• Dietary arrangements. Food is prepared on site and individual dietary needs are accommodated. Allergy-affected families should confirm the current preparation and communication procedures before agreeing attendance.

Fennies Purley, Christchurch Road suits families choosing the standard day or extended days with Early Start, and those who value creative learning, separate gardens for younger children and regular opportunities to participate. Chatterbox, Genre of the Month and visiting drumming sessions give the offer substance beyond its broad curriculum language.

The July to September 2025 inspection outcome was Good. The July 2026 premises action materially affects the decision, alongside the gardens, room layout and parent communication.