Nursery on the Hill

Growing cucumbers for lunch, making paint tracks with toy trains and balancing on an obstacle course give Nursery on the Hill a practical, hands-on character. These were features of daily life during August to November 2024, with children taking part in food preparation and learning to attempt tasks independently. At its August to November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found children happy, settled and closely attached to staff.

At 37 Morley Hill in Enfield, the nursery takes children aged six to 60 months and has 72 places in total. Current facilities include a Sensory Room, Reading Areas and a Buggy Store. Full-day bookings run from 8am to 6pm, with funded hours also usable on their own or alongside paid childcare.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the shared framework for children's learning, development and care: here, that means learning through play, with activities supporting communication, movement and growing independence. Alongside it sits Family First's group-wide WE CAN approach, which connects exploration and communication with self-care, problem-solving and safe risk-taking. Its practical emphasis is on children trying things for themselves, rather than simply completing an adult's task.

During August to November 2024, learning took different forms for different ages. Babies rolled trains through paint to experiment with marks. Older children worked with chalk, pens and clipboards, while cutting flower petals and handling dough gave them practice using their hands. The activities linked early writing with the physical movements children need to control tools.

Language also grew through songs, stories and a bag game that prompted toddlers to name objects and imitate a dinosaur. There was a clear limitation alongside that activity: during August to November 2024, some exchanges with staff stopped short of sustained conversation. Extending vocabulary through more back-and-forth discussion was an improvement priority. For parents, the distinction matters: hearing and repeating a word is one step; having time to use it in conversation is another.

Outdoor and Community Life

During August to November 2024, outdoor play included an obstacle course for climbing, jumping and balancing, and imaginative treasure searches using torches. Weekly yoga added another opportunity to practise coordination. These experiences brought movement into both energetic play and more controlled physical activity.

Food preparation made independence tangible. During the same period, babies and toddlers helped prepare fruit, while older children harvested cucumbers from the vegetable garden and helped get them ready for lunch. Books, music, outings and festivals also introduced children to their community and different cultural backgrounds. The day extended beyond table activities.

During August to November 2024, staff encouraged older children to attempt tasks independently and modelled safe use of tools and utensils. Handwashing before food and learning about teeth brought everyday health habits into nursery life. These are useful foundations for children beginning to manage more of their own routines.

At the August to November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported that observation-led planning supported good progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, with additional funding providing one-to-one help for some children. That finding concerns the support delivered at the time, rather than a promise of a particular package for every child.

Communication had strengths and shortcomings. During August to November 2024, an online app carried information to parents, and staff shared ways to support learning at home. Some parents nevertheless felt their concerns were not heard and lacked a private opportunity to speak with staff. Better access to conversation was therefore an explicit improvement priority, alongside stronger teaching of spoken language.

Meals are cooked fresh on site each day using seasonal ingredients. That places food preparation within the nursery itself.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the full-day session uses that same window. The minimum booking is two full days each week, including either Monday or Friday. This is a substantial attendance commitment for a family considering occasional childcare.

Funded hours can be taken without additional paid childcare or combined with paid sessions. The funded Essentials Package distinguishes morning, afternoon and full-day categories. The nursery operates for 50 weeks, closing for public holidays, a week in August and a week at Christmas, so families need a separate plan for those breaks.

Permanent session changes and cancellations require one calendar month's notice. Fees are paid monthly in advance, and normal charges continue during bank-holiday closures; sickness and family holidays do not attract refunds, credits or replacement sessions. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

The address is 37 Morley Hill, Enfield, EN2 0BL, with street parking nearby. A dedicated Buggy Store provides somewhere to leave a buggy during the day, which is useful for families travelling on foot.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements, each based on 38 weeks, as well as 2 Help funding. The standard arrangement stretches entitlement across the nursery's operating weeks. Additional hours beyond a child's funded allocation are charged separately, so the funded allocation and the total attendance pattern need to be considered together.

For private childcare, meals and consumables are included in the fee, with nappies and formula excluded. During funded hours, food, consumables and enrichment are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package; parents can opt out by contacting the manager before term begins. Its consumables cover suncream, nappy bags, cream and wipes. Opting out may involve supplying suitable alternatives or taking responsibility for collecting and disposing of consumables, depending on the nursery's policy.

A registration charge and a deposit apply, both waived for fully funded places; the deposit is credited against the final invoice. The distinction between private fees and funded-hour extras matters more than the headline entitlement when assessing the household budget.

• Time for conversation. During August to November 2024, private parent discussions and sustained conversations with children both needed attention. On a visit, ask how private meetings are arranged and how staff now extend children's spoken exchanges.
• The weekly commitment. The minimum is two full days, with Monday or Friday included. Discuss how that rule applies to your proposed funded-hours pattern before choosing attendance days.
• Closures and billing. The nursery opens for 50 weeks, while fees are calculated using 52 weeks and normal bank-holiday charges continue. Have the written quotation explain how the closure weeks affect your annual bill.
• Food and funded extras. Funded-hour food and consumables sit within an optional package. Families managing allergies should confirm current meal practice, and those considering opting out should establish which alternatives they would need to supply.

Nursery on the Hill serves full-day attendance as well as morning and afternoon funded sessions, with funded hours usable alone or alongside additional paid childcare. Its practical learning character is the strongest draw: the 2024 examples connect movement, early writing and food preparation with children doing more for themselves.

The Good judgement gives that account a clear inspection context, but the two improvement priorities deserve equal weight. Families who value detailed daily discussion should make access to private conversations a deciding point, while the minimum booking, closure pattern and funded extras need to fit the family routine and budget.