Melrose Nursery School, Acton

A conservatory art room, wooden beds upstairs and an enclosed garden give Melrose Nursery School, Acton a recognisable character. The setting at St Gabriel’s Church Hall on Noel Road combines spaces for busy play with a separate place to rest. That separation matters for children who still need an afternoon nap while others continue their activities.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children were progressing well overall. The strongest examples were practical: manipulating small objects, experimenting outdoors and developing independence through everyday routines. These are useful foundations for later learning.

The nursery has capacity for 36 children, with a current age range of three months to five years. Its present nursery provision centres on children aged 24 to 48 months, while Mini Melrose is a separate setting across the road for younger children. Core and extended days provide different finishing times for families.

Rooms and Ages

The current layout includes two classrooms, a conservatory art room and an enclosed garden. The conservatory gives creative work its own space; the garden provides somewhere to take exploration outside.

An upstairs sleep room contains wooden beds and sits apart from the activity downstairs. For a child who needs rest, the physical distinction between sleeping and playing is a useful part of the arrangement. Afternoon naps are offered to children over two when needed, rather than being a requirement for everyone.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the educational framework: children develop their communication, physical skills and understanding through play and everyday experiences. It is the common foundation for early-years provision. At Melrose, the additional detail is in the daily activities and the way a key person plans each child’s next steps.

Circle time begins the day, followed by stories, number work, creative play and practical skills. Cooking, sensory exploration, letter formation, phonics and music give children opportunities to make, talk, listen and use their hands.

External teachers lead physical activities each weekday: Monday dance, Tuesday football, Wednesday tennis, Thursday Mini Olympics and Friday yoga. Mini Olympics is part of this physical-activity programme, making movement a daily part of nursery life.

In December 2022, younger children practised hand control with magnetic grids; older children lifted objects from sand using forceps and worked with shapes and counting. Handling objects provided practice for later writing and mathematical work.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children over two use the garden twice daily and take part in three physical activities in the park each week, combining nursery outdoor exploration with organised movement beyond it.

In December 2022, children explored frozen water, combined ice with mud and used the playhouse for story-based pretend play. Younger children practised riding scooters. Outdoor learning extended beyond exercise to investigation and imagination, with different activities drawing on different skills.

Sports day, Graduation and the Christmas party happen annually. Farm visits and chick hatching add encounters with animals, while recurring charity events involve dressing up. These occasions give the year recognisable milestones and introduce experiences beyond the ordinary daily timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person works within a small team and is the family's regular contact, with daily conversations and longer meetings by agreement.

Parents can read and contribute to their child's learning Journey journal. The key person observes development and uses those observations to plan subsequent activities, so communication covers what the child is learning as well as how the day has gone. A home visit can help establish the relationship when a child is anxious about starting.

Settling sessions take place over the week before attendance begins. The key person supports that introduction, offering a familiar point of contact while the child becomes used to the setting. In December 2022, families also received individual photo booklets showing activities, giving children and parents something concrete to discuss together.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised additional needs promptly and involved specialists, but asked them to adapt activities further so children with SEND could participate more fully and develop their learning.

A designated safeguarding lead is on duty throughout opening hours, and parents can view the safeguarding policy. All staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates; the main nursery has a defibrillator.

The fee includes the chef-prepared vegetarian meals and fruit snacks.

Illness and collection procedures are explicit. When a child becomes unwell, parents are contacted and the child is kept comfortable pending collection; a head injury triggers a call even when minor. For another adult to collect, a parent must email a photograph and authorisation, specifying whether permission is for one occasion or ongoing.

Sessions and Attendance

The core day runs from 8am to 3.30pm; the extended day finishes at 6pm after the same 8am start. Attendance requires at least three days each week, and half-day sessions are not offered. The shorter core day can fit an earlier collection, while the extended day provides a later finish.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year, with Christmas and bank-holiday closures. This is a year-round attendance model rather than a term-time-only nursery. Families reducing attendance must give a full calendar month's notice, starting on the first day of the month.

Children over two wear a nursery T-shirt and sweatshirt, purchased through the setting, with older leggings or tracksuit bottoms suited to messy activities and toilet training. A sleep comforter needs to withstand washing in the nursery's machine. These small requirements shape what families prepare for the day.

Getting There

The address is St Gabriel’s Church Hall, Noel Road, Acton, London W3 0JE; the main nursery has a free car park for collection and drop-off. It is four minutes’ walk from Acton Main line for the Elizabeth line and eight minutes’ walk from North Acton Station.

Three small sheds accommodate pushchairs and children's bikes, with pushchairs folded for storage. That provision is useful for families combining nursery attendance with walking or public transport.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from the term after they turn three, and 30 hours for eligible working parents from the term after their child turns three. Funding is spread across the nursery's 51 operating weeks, and funded attendance requires at least three days weekly. Entitlement and the nursery's attendance pattern therefore need to be considered together.

Food, nappies and additional activities are included in the fee. Government funding does not cover meals, activity materials or non-food consumables; the nursery's fees page distinguishes those costs from funded childcare itself. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

Fees are annualised into a regular monthly payment. Registration involves a tour, a completed form and a non-refundable registration charge for waiting-list entry; places are allocated by registration date, but registration and payment do not guarantee a place. This is a booking rule, not an indication of current vacancies.

• Age and setting. Melrose's present nursery provision is for children aged 24 to 48 months, with Mini Melrose across the road caring for younger children. At a visit, establish which setting and age group your child's proposed start would involve.
• Participation with SEND. The December 2022 improvement concerned adapting activities so children with SEND could engage more fully. Ask how that adaptation now works within circle time and the physical-activity timetable.
• Attendance commitment. Both core and extended days sit within a three-day weekly minimum, including funded attendance. Compare the collection times and stretched funding arrangement with your working week.
• Allergies and daily preparation. Food from home is prohibited and children over two wear nursery uniform. Discuss allergy management and the practical preparation for meals, messy play and rest before joining.

Melrose suits families seeking either an earlier-finishing core day or an extended day, with a regular commitment of at least three days a week. Its appeal is concrete: creative space in the conservatory, a separate upstairs resting area, outdoor play and a weekday timetable of physical activities.

The Good judgement dates from December 2022, and the SEND improvement deserves attention alongside the positive findings. For families comfortable with the attendance minimum and uniform requirement, the combination of practical learning, key-person communication and year-round care makes this an appealing option to explore.