Splash Day Nursery

Treasure baskets for babies and daily walks to nearby parks give Splash Day Nursery a character built around discovery. Indoors, children explore materials and make choices; outdoors, nature walks and mini beast hunts extend that exploration beyond the classroom. This Enfield nursery takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 46 places in total.

At its December 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement: it provides a useful assessment of care and education at that point, rather than a fresh verdict on today's practice.

Current arrangements combine learning through play, a key person for each child and flexible settling sessions. Families can choose term-time or year-round attendance, with School Day and Full Day bookings serving different routines.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the framework for learning here: children develop language, movement, relationships and early understanding through play. It is the shared foundation for nursery education. Development Matters guides staff as they observe children, assess development and plan support around individual needs.

Montessori adds an emphasis on children choosing activities and progressing at their own pace. The environment includes materials on low shelves, making resources accessible to children rather than dependent on an adult handing them out. Clearly organised activity areas give different kinds of play their own space. For babies, treasure baskets bring together natural materials with contrasting textures, making discovery something they can handle and explore.

The emphasis changes with age. For babies and toddlers, observations concentrate on communication, physical development and emotional and social growth; preschool learning also brings in early reading, number, creative expression and understanding the world. Books and storytelling introduce words and sounds, while practical activities explore shape and measurement. Art, role-play, dance and music give children other ways to communicate their ideas.

Circle time begins sessions with opportunities to talk together and introduce the week's topic. Smaller groups take part in cooking, movement, music and craftwork, with free play following a shared snack. The balance matters: children have opportunities to join an organised activity and to pursue their own interests.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily walks to nearby parks are part of the offer, alongside football, nature walks and mini beast hunts. These give physical activity and outdoor exploration a place in the nursery day, rather than keeping learning inside.

In December 2021, an outing included discussion of how a barge moved through a lock and attention to a red kite overhead. Staff used children's questions to develop conversations about their surroundings. The value of that example is its immediacy: machinery, wildlife and the local environment became subjects for learning during an ordinary walk.

Regular themed days explore countries and continents through stories, food preparation, music and creative work. Charity activities also introduce helping others. These experiences put cultural learning into things children can hear, make and discuss, rather than leaving it as an abstract idea.

A key person provides continuity for each child, while flexible settling sessions allow the beginning of nursery life to be supported. Planning follows children's interests, so care and learning are connected to the individual rather than organised solely around a fixed activity list.

The Parent App provides daily messages and updates. Families also receive feedback about the day, including sleep, meals and nappy changes for younger children. Termly written progress reports allow parents to contribute, and the key person prepares an individual learning plan each term. These are different forms of communication: immediate care information sits alongside a longer view of development.

At the December 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that the manager's SEND coordinator role helped staff support children needing additional help, and that babies received sensitive interactions which extended their exploration. In December 2021, staff prepared room moves by sharing what they knew about each child's life and stage of development; yoga preceded lunch as a calming activity.

There were also weaknesses to address that December. Movement between activities sometimes left children restless or disconnected from what was happening, and monitoring teaching needed to become more established, including staff observing one another. Some parents wanted online updates to arrive more promptly and consistently. Those points concern the daily experience, not just administration: a well-planned activity loses value if the transition into it leaves a child disengaged.

Staff training and mentoring are part of the current team's development arrangements. Fresh food accommodates individual dietary needs, and the daily routine includes a period for sleep or quieter activity. Rest therefore has a place alongside active play.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Units 70-74 Island Centre Way, Enfield, EN3 6GS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates for 51 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

A School Day runs from 9am to 3pm; a Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm. Extra hours can be added before or after the child's booked day. Term-time and year-round attendance are both offered, so the choice involves both the length of each day and the pattern across the year. Opening hours and the Full Day booking are separate: the earlier opening allows extra time before the Full Day booking begins.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01992 763 500. Tours can be arranged around the time a family has, from a brief visit to an hour.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is accepted for children from 9 months to 5 years, subject to eligibility. This sits alongside paid childcare and the option to add hours to a booking. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Daily transitions. In December 2021, changes between activities sometimes disrupted children's engagement. During a tour, ask how staff now help children move between play, meals and rest, and how teaching is monitored.
• Communication. Daily Parent App updates and termly reports offer different kinds of information. Discuss how the key person combines these, given the concerns about update timing raised in December 2021.
• The complete booking cost. School Day, Full Day and added hours create different attendance patterns. What does the written quotation include for meals and consumables, and how are funded hours fitted into the chosen booking?

Splash suits families seeking either a School Day or a Full Day, with the further choice of term-time or year-round attendance. Its strongest practical character comes from accessible materials, Montessori choices, daily park walks and learning that follows children's interests. Key-person care and several forms of parent communication add continuity.

The December 2021 Good judgement is useful context, with daily transitions and teaching monitoring the important reservations. For families drawn to exploration indoors and outdoors, the combination deserves consideration, provided the chosen attendance pattern and support arrangements fit the child.