CC's Nursery

A garden used daily, weekly French and cooking sessions, and time for woodland exploration give CC's Nursery a clear identity: play reaches beyond the indoor activities. Based at St Michael at Bowes Church on Palmerston Road in London, it has capacity for 32 children, with a current age range of six months to five years. That is a whole-nursery figure, rather than the size of any child's group.

At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated CC's Nursery Good and found its safeguarding arrangements effective. The practical appeal combines outdoor play with a key-person relationship and regular contact with parents. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings offer different ways to use the nursery.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides learning through play, covering communication, movement, relationships, early reading and writing, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. These are the foundations of the nursery day, rather than an additional programme. Activities give children opportunities to talk, experiment, make choices and practise new skills; staff use what children can already do to identify their next steps.

Weekly additions bring a different rhythm. French session introduces a language element, Sports session adds organised physical activity, and Cooking classes give food preparation its own place in the week. Yoga, breathing and relaxing time combines movement with quieter activity. These additions sit alongside the EYFS, rather than replacing it. The learning page explains the areas used to plan children's activities.

In November 2023, storytelling, singing and conversation were used to extend language. Early writing took different forms according to children's stage: younger children drew marks with twigs in sand, while older children practised letters from their names. The progression matters. Children could begin with making marks before attempting more controlled writing.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: giving children longer to think before answering questions, and strengthening their mathematical vocabulary across the subject. Those points qualify the positive picture of learning. A conversation can introduce new words, but children also need time to form an answer and opportunities to use mathematical language themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large garden is part of daily life. Children can grow fruit and vegetables, enjoy picnics and take activities usually done indoors outside. Its value is practical: outdoor time has a regular place in the day, with opportunities for both movement and quieter exploration.

Woodland exploration time and nature walks are weekly activities, adding experiences beyond the garden. Parents are welcome to accompany outings, so involvement can extend beyond meetings about a child's progress.

In November 2023, the outdoor mud kitchen supported shape-making with natural materials. Leaves, stones and twigs became resources for investigating patterns and shapes; sand offered another surface for making lines. Indoors, cutting fruit and vegetables with safety knives gave older children practice in controlled hand movements. These examples show how ordinary materials were used for learning rather than simply occupying children.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins before admission, with visits for children and parents. Families can spend time with the key person and talk through their child's routines and individual needs. That gives the relationship a concrete starting point: the adults caring for a child have information from home, while parents get to know the person they will speak to about development.

Regular meetings with key persons create space to discuss progress. Weekly emails share updates and plans, while a newsletter goes out each term. Coffee mornings, events and open days provide other opportunities for parents to spend time at the nursery. Communication therefore includes both individual conversations and information about the wider nursery day.

In November 2023, babies and children sought comfort from staff and showed affection towards them. Older children shared resources, and babies comforted friends who were upset. Parents were also involved through an online system, workshops and activity packs for home. Those were specific ways to connect learning across nursery and home, rather than leaving parent involvement at the level of a general invitation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Staff responsibilities include a safeguarding lead, a behaviour management officer and an equal opportunities and inclusion officer. Recruitment checks and regular training form part of the nursery's arrangements. These are organisational mechanisms; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection position above.

For full-day attendance, breakfast, lunch, tea and two snacks are provided, with menus rotated and shared with parents. Dietary preferences, allergies and special health needs are discussed before a child starts, giving families a defined opportunity to explain individual requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year. Full Day Care runs from 8am to 6pm; Morning Session runs from 8am to 1pm; Afternoon Session runs from 1pm to 6pm. A family can therefore choose a morning or afternoon booking rather than using the entire opening day.

Closures cover bank holidays, a week at Christmas and a week at Easter. These breaks matter when arranging care across the year, especially for families whose work continues through school holidays.

Getting There

The address is St Michael at Bowes Church, Palmerston Road, London N22 8QX, and on-site parking is available. Nearby stations include Bowes park station, Bounds green station, Palmers green station and Wood green station; bus routes include 34, 102, 121, 232, 329 and 141.

Funding and Paid Extras

CC's Nursery accepts children using the 15/30 hours a week government funding entitlement alongside paid childcare. The prices page sets out the session structure.

The application process includes a deposit following the application form. Treat that as part of the joining arrangements when considering the booking, alongside the attendance pattern that fits your family.

• Learning conversations. November 2023 brought two clear priorities: more thinking time after questions and broader mathematical vocabulary. During a visit, ask how staff now give children time to respond and build those words into play.
• Funding and extras. The nursery accepts the 15/30 hours entitlement. Request a current written quotation covering your chosen sessions and any extras, including meals and non-food consumables, and ask how funded hours are distributed.
• Settling and joining. Visits precede admission, and applying involves an appointment, an application form and a deposit. Use the visit to discuss your child's routines with the key person and how settling will work for them.

CC's Nursery suits families looking for morning, afternoon or full-day attendance with daily garden use and weekly activities that include French, cooking and woodland exploration. The key-person arrangements and regular parent communication give families several ways to stay involved.

The November 2023 Good judgement is a useful anchor, with specific improvements in questioning and mathematical language to weigh alongside it. The strongest reasons to consider CC's are concrete: outdoor activity, varied weekly experiences and a settling process that brings parents into the relationship from the beginning.