Crafty Wizards Nursery, New Eltham

A wizarding theme, an outdoor sandpit and visits to an allotment at Greenwich University give Crafty Wizards Nursery, New Eltham a recognisable character. The emphasis is on exploration: children have opportunities to choose resources, investigate living things and take learning beyond the nursery itself.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding overall, with the same judgement for education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. That is a strong assessment, but it belongs to that visit rather than a fresh judgement on today's practice.

The nursery caters for children aged 2 to 5 and has 40 places in total. Morning, afternoon and full day attendance sit within a term-time calendar. For parents, the combination is worth weighing together: the learning offer has an outdoor dimension, while the attendance model follows school terms.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, so everyday play sits alongside opportunities to practise communication, independence and physical skills. Crafty Wizards adds a wizarding theme and resources that children can choose for themselves. An interactive touch screen provides another way to explore alongside physical materials and outdoor play.

In May 2023, activities and resources were selected with particular learning intentions. Children used magnifying glasses to investigate the wormery and searched the garden for small creatures. These were concrete opportunities to look closely, describe discoveries and follow an interest. A worm or snail became something to investigate rather than simply something to spot.

Communication also ran through the day in May 2023. Staff used signing and pictures to involve children, including those learning English as an additional language, while stories, songs, reading and writing featured indoors and outside. This matters for children who need more than spoken instructions to participate: pictures and gestures offered additional ways into an activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor provision includes a sandpit, a mini beast area and soft play flooring. These give children different materials and surfaces to explore, with opportunities for physical play as well as close observation. The setting is surrounded by fields, adding to its outdoor character.

Greenwich University is a named partner, and children regularly visit the nursery's allotment there. The practical attraction is straightforward: growing plants gives children something to tend and revisit, rather than a single activity that ends when the session finishes. Links also extend to Royal Borough Greenwich Council and NDNA.

In May 2023, weekly forest school sessions, meaning learning through outdoor exploration, accompanied regular allotment visits where children cared for vegetables and plants. Outdoor play took place daily at that time. The combination made the natural world part of ordinary nursery life, with experiences both in the garden and beyond it.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2023, familiar adults helped children separate from their parents and settle into the setting. Children formed close relationships with staff. For a child starting nursery, that continuity matters as much as an appealing activity: a familiar adult provides someone to return to while the child becomes more confident about joining in.

Daily conversations and secure online communication kept parents informed about learning in May 2023. Families also received resource bags selected to support learning at home. Those bags gave parents something practical to use, connecting nursery activities with experiences outside the setting rather than relying only on a progress update.

Self-care was another part of the day in May 2023. Staff encouraged children to attempt tasks themselves and stepped in when help was needed. The value lies in giving children time to try, while keeping support close enough for a task to remain manageable.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with SEND highly successful, with a SENCo, collaboration with families and professionals, and tailored interventions helping children participate and progress. These findings give parents a substantial dated assessment of both protection and inclusion.

In May 2023, children could communicate their emotional state by putting their name on a feelings board. This provided a starting point for staff to respond to how a child felt that day. It also gave children a way to express something that might be difficult to explain in a conversation.

Parents supplied packed lunches in May 2023, and staff encouraged healthy food choices while helping children connect eating with growth and health.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Forty Foot Way, New Way, New Eltham, SE9 2EX. Opening hours are 8am to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays.

Families can choose morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full day attendance. That gives a meaningful choice between a shorter part of the day and a longer nursery day, although the 4.30pm closing time remains an important boundary for working parents. The opening window and the choice of attendance patterns should both fit the family's weekly routine.

Enquiries go directly to the New Eltham team on 020 8355 3002 or managerneweltham@craftywizardspreschools.com. Tours can be booked through the nursery's enquiry route.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers 15 hour and 30 hour funded entitlement places within its term-time provision. Funded childcare and the choice of morning, afternoon or full day attendance are separate parts of the planning decision; the entitlement offer does not guarantee a particular place or attendance arrangement.

• Term-time calendar. The nursery closes during school holidays and finishes at 4.30pm on weekdays. Families whose work continues through the holidays need to factor those boundaries into their childcare plans.
• Choosing a session. Morning, afternoon and full day attendance offer different lengths of nursery day. At a tour, ask for the precise session times and how funded hours, lunch and consumables would work within your preferred pattern, alongside a current written quotation.
• Outdoor learning. Allotment visits at Greenwich University add an experience beyond the nursery garden. During a visit, discuss how these outings work for your child, including any support they need to take part.

Crafty Wizards Nursery, New Eltham suits families seeking term-time childcare with a choice of morning or afternoon sessions and full day attendance. Its wizarding theme has tangible surroundings: a sandpit, a mini beast area and a university allotment connection give the learning offer substance.

The May 2023 Outstanding judgement carries weight, especially alongside the dated findings on inclusion and safeguarding. The practical trade-off is the calendar and closing time. For families whose routines fit those limits, the combination of outdoor exploration and shorter-session choices makes this a compelling option.