Aplomb Day Nursery and Preschool, Greenford

Weekly Tiny Mites music, a mud kitchen and a large garden give this Greenford nursery a recognisable character: children have space for messy exploration alongside organised activities. Based at the Rear Hall of Holy Trinity Church in Perivale, Aplomb takes children from 3 months to 5 years. Its appeal combines practical outdoor provision with music and an emphasis on learning through play.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The detail matters more than the label: children explored insects through modelling, practised conversation during play and used outdoor equipment suited to their stage of development. There were also clear improvement points concerning planned learning for older children and their understanding of behavioural rules.

Attendance choices include morning and afternoon half days, a full day and a shorter preschool day. That gives families more than one way to fit nursery around work and other commitments.

Rooms and Ages

Babies, toddlers and preschool children are catered for within the same setting, allowing families to consider care across several stages of early childhood. Apple Class is the preschool room, where play incorporates early phonics and creative problem-solving. These experiences connect everyday activity with preparation for later learning.

In January 2025, babies explored water, peg puzzles and toys with parts that responded to their actions. Outdoors, low apparatus gave babies opportunities to climb, while toddlers used wheeled toys and skittles. The distinction is useful: physical play was adapted to what children could attempt, rather than treated as a single activity for every age.

Older children worked with drawing materials and construction blocks in January 2025. Counting, comparisons of size and practice controlling a pencil were woven into play. A Chinese restaurant role-play area also gave children an opportunity to act out familiar social routines and experiment with using chopsticks.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care: children build communication, physical and social skills through play alongside early reading, number work and creative activity. It is the foundation of the day, rather than an extra programme. At Greenford, adult-planned experiences sit alongside opportunities for children to explore their own interests.

Aplomb's group-wide Birth to 5 Matters approach supports planning around each child's developmental stage. Alongside it, the group combines Montessori-style learning, which allows children to explore with increasing independence, with STEAM education; Apple Class pairs these approaches with creative problem-solving. Read Write Inc. supplies the named early-phonics element. These additions sit alongside the EYFS, rather than replacing it.

The group-wide reading routine includes five story sessions each day. That puts books into repeated contact with children, rather than reserving them for a single story time. For parents who value language-rich activity, the frequency is a useful practical detail.

Tiny Mites brings a weekly visiting music session to Greenford. Songs, movement and colourful props encourage children to take part in several ways, so joining in need not depend entirely on speaking. The combination gives music a regular place in the week. A child yoga instructor is another part of the branch's provision.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large garden and mud kitchen make outdoor exploration a substantial part of the setting. Children play outside daily in different weather, with families supplying suitable clothing. This makes getting dressed for outdoor play part of the practical routine, as well as allowing exploration to continue beyond fair-weather days.

Fine motor development is another explicit emphasis at Greenford. Sensory activity, play and resources chosen for a child's developmental stage help children practise hand control. That connects small movements with everyday independence and later drawing and writing, rather than treating pencil use as the starting point.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who becomes their main contact for care and communication about development. This gives parents a clear relationship within the staff team, rather than leaving updates dependent on whichever practitioner happens to be free. Progress and milestones form part of that communication.

Regular updates and parent meetings provide further opportunities to discuss how a child is developing. Families can also participate in nursery activities. The practical benefit is a continuing conversation between home and nursery, with room for parents to contribute information about their child beyond the initial introduction.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The deputy manager also holds the SENCo lead role, working with parents and staff around children who need additional support. At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found good support for children with SEND, including individual plans developed with families and professionals, and good progress from children's starting points. That finding concerns the care delivered at that date, not a promise about any particular child's future experience.

In January 2025, staff observed children at play and used those observations when planning individual learning. Meetings about key children's development and tracking helped identify gaps. For families considering additional support, the important mechanism is the link between observing a child's needs and deciding what to do next.

A chef works on site daily, preparing meals fresh, with menus checked by a nutritionist. The allergy policy includes individual care plans, a plate-colour system and visible dietary information in the kitchen and playrooms; these are procedures for managing children's needs, rather than a guarantee against an allergic reaction.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Morning half days run from 8am to 1pm, afternoon half days from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 8am to 6pm. The separate preschool pattern runs from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, with funded hours. It is a shorter attendance option than the full day.

Early bird sessions can be requested, and more flexible arrangements may sometimes be possible. Neither is an unconditional offer. The enquiry form specifies a minimum of two days, so the basic booking expectation is more substantial than an occasional single day.

The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. That holiday closure matters for parents whose own annual leave does not cover the same period.

Getting There

The address is Rear Hall, Holy Trinity Church, Medway Drive, Perivale, Greenford UB6 8LN. Parking and a shelter for buggies or car seats add practical options for families transporting equipment as well as children.

Enquiries can be made through the interest form, by telephone on 020 3196 1697 or by email at greenford@aplombchildcare.com. Families can use these routes to begin the joining process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15-hour entitlement for children aged 3 and 4, support-based funding for eligible 2-year-olds, and 30-hour funding for eligible working families, usable from the term after their child turns 9 months until school age. Eligibility depends on the relevant scheme and family circumstances; participation by the nursery does not establish an individual family's entitlement.

The 15-hour offer is delivered during term time, with food and consumables charged separately and attendance outside funded weeks charged for. Eligible families using 30-hour funding can stretch their hours across the year. That distinction matters when comparing a term-time entitlement with the attendance needed through school holidays.

Additional private childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; for a 15-hour funded booking, the childcare hours and separate food and consumables charges need to be considered together.

• Older children's planned learning. In January 2025, some activities lacked a sufficiently clear learning purpose. During a visit, ask how staff decide what a preschool activity should teach and adapt their support to help children gain those skills.
• Understanding behaviour. The January 2025 improvement points included helping children understand why rules matter, alongside more consistent reminders. Ask how practitioners explain boundaries and help excited older children regulate their behaviour.
• Funded attendance across the year. The 15-hour arrangement is term-time and carries separate food and consumables charges, while 30-hour funding can be stretched. Compare the written quotation with the weeks and sessions your family needs.
• Individual care needs. The allergy policy uses care plans and colour-coded plates, while the SENCo lead works with families and staff. If either is relevant to your child, use the visit to discuss the proposed support and confirm current allergy practice.

Aplomb Greenford suits families looking for morning or afternoon half days as well as full-day care, with a shorter preschool pattern adding another useful choice. Weekly Tiny Mites sessions, outdoor exploration and frequent stories give parents concrete reasons to consider it.

The January 2025 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific work on older children's planned activities and behaviour. The strongest decision will bring those teaching questions together with the attendance pattern and funded-charge structure your family actually needs.