The Nursery on the Green at Eltham

A mud kitchen, balance bikes and encounters with spiders give this Eltham nursery's October 2022 activities a practical, outdoorsy character. Children explored nature through play, with creative work extending from story characters to sessions with an artist.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding personal development, effective safeguarding and good progress for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These are dated judgements. The current age range is 3 to 60 months, with 58 places in total.

In October 2022, younger children filled containers in the mud kitchen and used herbs in their play. Older children drew characters from familiar stories and worked with a regular artist to develop creative techniques. The activities connected children's interests with opportunities to experiment and express ideas.

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its practical expression in October 2022 included singing with instruments, planting seeds and talking about pictures while adults wrote down children's descriptions. Conversation accompanied the activities, giving children words for what they were doing.

Outdoor play that month included climbing equipment, balance bikes and steps for younger children. Visits to local wetlands brought opportunities to feed ducks; babies also attended regular community sensory classes. Planting introduced life cycles, while celebrations of different beliefs and festivals encouraged children to recognise and respect differences.

In October 2022, staff knew children's preferences and individual needs, and babies formed close relationships with familiar adults. Information moved both ways between families and staff, including details of babies' sleep routines, which staff followed. That connected care at nursery with routines at home.

Regular baby clinics with local health visitors were among the nursery events parents could join that month. Staff also met the manager for supervision and received training and guidance. Safeguarding practice included recruitment checks, secure premises and assessments of potential hazards.

The address is 13 Eltham Green, London SE9 5LB. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas.

In October 2022, opening hours were 8am to 6pm on weekdays. At that time, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. These describe the arrangements at that date.

• Listening and expectations. In October 2022, older children sometimes ignored adults' requests, and staff did not consistently address this. Ask how practitioners now help children understand and follow instructions.
• Care across the day. Babies' home sleep routines informed care in October 2022. On a visit, ask how settling, sleep and communication would work for your child now.
• Attendance and costs. Year-round operation includes bank holiday and Christmas closures. Which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangements would fit your week, and what would the written quotation cover for meals and consumables?

This nursery merits consideration by families seeking year-round care. Its October 2022 strengths included nature activities, close relationships and communication with parents. The listening concern gives families a concrete point to explore alongside the arrangements for their child's daily care.