Conservatoire Nursery & Pre-school

In November 2021, sensory discoveries for babies, science conversations for older children and a compost bin for a wormery characterised children's learning at Conservatoire Nursery & Pre-school. Its strongest inspection detail concerns children taking an active part in their learning, rather than simply following adult instructions. At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, with children choosing activities independently and practitioners building learning around their interests.

The nursery has capacity for 45 children and accepts children from birth to five. Based at 21 Lee High Road in London, it offers all-year-round full-day booking plans. Families should weigh the November 2021 picture of learning alongside the care arrangements they encounter now.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday experiences together with support for growing skills. In November 2021, practitioners planned learning in a sequence that connected children's interests with what they were ready to learn next. Choice had a practical role: preschool children helped plan their own learning, giving them a say in the activities they pursued.

Different ages explored in different ways in November 2021. Babies used a large tray for mark-making, exploring a mixture of water and corn flour; toddlers reached into muddy water for toys; older children discussed an experiment involving a fizzy drink. These examples connect physical exploration with conversation. Children could investigate something directly, then develop the words to describe it.

Books also prompted discussion in November 2021. Practitioners connected stories with children's experiences and introduced words about how books are made. With younger children, they repeated children's spoken words and supported them with Makaton signs, pairing speech with signs during communication. Older children had time to practise speaking and explain their ideas. Language ran through activities rather than being confined to a separate lesson.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2021, toddlers practised climbing on an obstacle course, while children recycled bottles and cardboard and helped construct a compost bin for a wormery. Sustainability became something children did with materials, rather than an abstract topic. Trips to local markets also gave children opportunities to build confidence beyond the nursery.

These are useful examples of the nursery's inspection-era day: movement, investigation and community experience sat alongside indoor play. They give parents concrete subjects to explore on a visit, especially how activities change as children become more independent.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that children made outstanding progress from their individual starting points; this included children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Practitioners used assessment to identify where additional help was needed, connecting knowledge of each child with the next steps in their learning.

In November 2021, children turned to familiar staff for comfort when they needed reassurance. Practitioners knew their personalities and learning needs in detail, and parents received updates about progress and support for learning at home. For families, the significant point is the connection between relationships and teaching: knowing a child's interests helped staff choose experiences that would engage them.

Managers also worked alongside practitioners in November 2021 and encouraged further study and engagement with educational research. This describes how staff development operated at that time; the strongest parent question is how that knowledge is translated into today's everyday care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 21 Lee High Road, London SE3 9RQ. Full Days run from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, with all-year-round plans covering two, three, four or five days. Full-day plans require at least two consecutive days and must include a Monday or Friday. That condition matters for parents arranging work around a shorter nursery week: the days need to fit the booking rule as well as the clock times.

The nursery operates across the year and closes at Christmas. Its branch fee sheet also provides for purchasing individual extra days, allowing an occasional addition to the usual plan.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes Working Parent funded hours, Two Year Old Offer funded hours, Universal funded hours and Extended Entitlement funded hours, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements. For all-year-round bookings, funding is stretched over 51 weeks: the 15-hour schemes provide 11 hours per week and the 30-hour scheme provides 22. Any remaining private hours are paid for separately.

Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in the quoted booking-plan fees, including the plans shown with funded hours. Private-place offers carry a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit; the deposit is credited towards final payments, while its return before starting depends on the cancellation notice given. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

An optional Green LEYF fee supports sustainability programmes. Families comparing costs should consider the complete booking plan and its conditions alongside the funded hours, rather than treating the entitlement as covering every hour of attendance.

• A dated Outstanding judgement. The assessment is from November 2021. On a visit, explore how children's choices, language development and individual support work now.
• Consecutive-day booking. The minimum full-day plan includes two consecutive days and a Monday or Friday. This is a material consideration if your working week centres on midweek days.
• Care from birth. With children accepted from birth, ask how settling, sleep and the key-person relationship are organised.

Conservatoire suits families seeking an all-year-round routine, whether they need a shorter nursery week or attendance across five days, and who value learning through conversation and practical exploration. The November 2021 assessment gives that educational picture substantial weight. Its consecutive-day booking condition is the clearest practical constraint, so the fit depends on both the child's care needs and the family's weekly schedule.