Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Southgate

A water wall and race track for older children, a gazebo and mirrors for babies: outdoor play gives Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Southgate much of its character. Separate gardens let the youngest children explore sensory activities while older children have space for movement and imaginative games. Gardening and cooking bring practical tasks into the nursery day.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. That dated judgement sits alongside two important improvement points: language support for some children learning English as an additional language, and greater physical challenge for older children.

The nursery accepts children aged 3 months to 5 years and has 119 places in total. It is on Burleigh Parade in Southgate, London, with care organised around babies, toddlers and preschool children. Attendance requires at least two full days; this is a substantial booking commitment rather than a short-session arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care. In everyday terms, children learn through play, with communication, movement and emotional development alongside early reading, mathematics, creative activities and exploration of the world. This is the shared foundation for early years provision, rather than an extra programme unique to Southgate.

The additions are concrete. Hartbeeps combines sensory exploration with rhythm and live music, in sessions led by parents or carers. Sports sessions use games involving catching, running, throwing and jumping. Gardening involves tending plants and watching them grow, while Cooking & Baking introduces ingredients, food handling and simple kitchen tasks. These experiences give children different ways to practise movement, language and independence; the activities serve a purpose beyond keeping the timetable busy.

In March 2023, planning followed children's interests. Babies explored rice and spaghetti with pots, while children chose containers to develop their water play. Song choices involved homemade props, including stars and rockets. These examples show how an interest could become an activity that required handling objects, making choices or joining in with words and actions.

Early writing also had practical preparation in March 2023: threading, tools for play dough and tweezers used to pick up pom-poms. Preschool children experimented with writing their names, while babies made upright marks with brushes and cars. The useful distinction is between practising the small movements needed for writing and expecting young children to complete formal written work.

Outdoor and Community Life

The baby garden contains chalk boards, a planting area, mirrors and an outdoor gazebo. For older children, the garden adds a water wall, race track and sheltered area, as well as planting spaces and chalk boards. These are specific resources for exploration and imaginative play, with shelter extending the ways the space can be used.

Physical equipment alone does not establish how challenging a child's day will be. In March 2023, older children had too few opportunities for demanding physical play, despite access to a thoughtfully arranged outdoor space. The present sports activities and garden resources describe the offer; they do not establish that the inspection concern has been resolved.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, who maintains a Learning Journey covering their development. Parents can discuss and view those records and contribute experiences from home. Updates through the learning journal also provide a connection with the child's nursery day, giving families something concrete to discuss rather than only a general account of how things went.

Settling and transitions were personalised in March 2023, with parents involved in discussions about the approach. Regular meetings covered children's learning, and an online application carried day-to-day updates. These are dated examples of communication and settling practice, rather than a promise about the exact arrangements a new family will receive.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCo, or special educational needs coordinator, works with families and professionals. There is an EAL Coordinator role, and current language-support methods include gestures, visual prompts and simplified language. Home languages and cultures are also included in nursery life.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that some children learning English as an additional language needed more effective help with vocabulary and communication, and that older children's gross motor development needed greater challenge. The current support roles and methods are useful mechanisms, but should not be read as a later judgement on their effectiveness.

Staff hold enhanced DBS checks, and ongoing training covers first aid, safeguarding and child development. Behaviour support uses encouragement and gentle guidance around kindness, respect and emotions. School preparation has a designated School Readiness Officer role.

A nursery chef prepares meals, with an approach that caters for allergies, intolerances and food preferences. Families affected by allergies should discuss the practical arrangements for their child before starting.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, with closure between Christmas and New Year. The booking pattern requires a minimum of two full days, and half-day sessions are not offered. The opening window and the minimum attendance rule answer different questions: how long the nursery operates and how much care a family must book.

Requests for extra sessions go through the manager and depend on staffing and space on the requested day. They are a conditional addition to an existing pattern, rather than guaranteed flexibility. Fees continue to apply when a child is absent, which matters when comparing the booking commitment with a family's likely attendance.

Getting There

The address is 2-16 Burleigh Parade, Burleigh Gardens, London, N14 5AD. Southgate Underground Station is a 2 minute walk away, with access to the Piccadilly Line.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can use 15 or 30 hours funded childcare, and funded hours can be combined with paid care. Entitlement is stretched across the year. Funding therefore contributes towards an ongoing attendance pattern, rather than removing the need to consider additional hours and charges.

For funded childcare, meals and consumables are charged separately, including nappies, sunscreen and wipes; trips and hours beyond the entitlement also attract charges. The fees page explains the funding structure, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Joining involves completing a registration form, a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit credited back when the child starts. These have different purposes and refund terms, so the distinction matters before committing to a booking.

• Two full days minimum. Half-day sessions are not offered, and extra sessions depend on staffing and space. On a tour, discuss how the required pattern fits your working week and whether additional days would be occasional requests or part of your regular booking.
• Language and physical challenge. March 2023 brought improvement points in both areas. Ask for practical examples of vocabulary support and demanding movement activities, especially for an older child or one learning English alongside another language.
• Funding leaves additional charges. Meals, consumables, trips and extra hours sit outside the funded entitlement. Compare the complete written quotation for your attendance pattern, including the registration charge and deposit terms.
• Food allergies. The chef's approach includes allergies and intolerances. Discuss how your child's requirements will be recorded and handled in meals and Cooking & Baking activities before agreeing a start date.

Southgate suits families who can commit to at least two full days and value separate outdoor spaces, practical cooking and gardening, and individual learning records. The baby garden and older children's water wall and race track give its environment a clear identity.

The Good judgement dates to March 2023. Language support and physical challenge deserve careful attention alongside the current activities and support roles. For families seeking this attendance pattern, the deciding details are how those approaches work for their child and the complete cost after funding.