Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery Schools, Fulham Broadway

A large garden and a mud kitchen give this church-hall nursery a clear physical character. Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery Schools, Fulham Broadway occupies St John’s Church on North End Road, with four named age groups spanning babies from 3 months through to children aged 5. It has capacity for 70 children in total. That whole-setting figure should not be confused with the size of an individual group.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The findings give substance to that judgement: children practised independence at meals, chose their own learning experiences and took part in activities involving books, plants and animals. They also identify two matters families should weigh: younger children sometimes waited too long between activities, and some staff missed opportunities to extend conversations. Both findings belong to February 2022.

The setting’s strongest practical features are its outdoor space, its on-site chef and its age-based organisation. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm over 50 weeks of the year.

Rooms and Ages

Crystals Group caters for children aged 3 to 17 months, with an emphasis on gentle routines and consistency. For a family choosing care for a young baby, that emphasis makes the handling of familiar daily routines an important part of assessing the group.

Diamonds Group covers 18 to 24 months and emphasises language, curiosity and growing independence. Rainbows Group, for children from 26 months to 3 years, gives greater prominence to imaginative activity and social participation. Indigos Group serves ages 3 to 5, with preparation for school and multilingual development among its priorities.

These are different stages of nursery life, rather than one programme applied identically to every child. The church hall provides the indoor setting; the garden and mud kitchen add space for outdoor exploration. The age-group structure helps parents think about the next stage as well as the point at which their child would start.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and daily routines are used to build communication, independence and wider learning. Language experiences add another layer. In February 2022, education took place in English, Spanish and Mandarin; younger children heard familiar words repeated in Spanish and English, with songs, puppets and stories supporting vocabulary.

Older children explored stories by imagining what could happen next. There was a limitation alongside that activity: in February 2022, some practitioners relied on questions with short, fixed answers instead of inviting children to explain their thoughts. For parents drawn to the language offer, the important distinction is between hearing languages and having sustained opportunities to speak, reason and share ideas.

Choice was part of the day in February 2022. Children selected activities themselves, while staff used observations to plan what they would learn next. Practical independence also featured: younger children were encouraged to eat for themselves, and older children served food and practised manners. Learning therefore extended beyond a planned activity into ordinary routines.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2022, a garden allotment and planting space introduced children to the origins of food. Children voted on vegetables to grow, connecting a practical gardening decision with taking turns and recognising other people’s preferences. Caring for fish and tortoises brought another responsibility: looking after living things and learning about their development.

A pop-up library also featured in February 2022, extending access to reading materials. Cultural celebrations across the year gave children opportunities to discuss differences and similarities. These examples explain the nursery’s character more clearly than a general promise of learning through play: stories, growing and caring all gave children something concrete to think and talk about.

Relationships and Communication

Fulham Broadway’s settling arrangements proceed across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The first session runs from 9.15am to 10.15am with a parent present; on the second day, the parent stays for that initial hour and the child then remains until 11.15am. Thursday extends to lunch, from 9am to 11.45am, provided the child is comfortable with staff and the other children.

That sequence gives separation a gradual structure. It also requires a parent to plan time across consecutive days, rather than assuming settling will follow the child’s usual attendance days. On Wednesday, the parent must remain nearby and leave a contact number. The first separation is therefore short, with the parent still close at hand.

In February 2022, children built relationships with their key people through gradual familiarisation. Parents received regular information about development, and questionnaires provided a route for feedback that led to changes. These were inspection-time practices, but they give families concrete subjects to explore when considering how communication works for them.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND provision good, with children receiving support to participate and make progress. One practical adaptation in February 2022 was the use of sound boards to lessen echo for children with hearing impairments. Work with outside agencies supported adjustments to the environment, showing that inclusion involved physical changes as well as adult help.

Daily transitions needed more attention in February 2022. Younger children could become unsettled while waiting for the next activity to begin. This is a useful care question because the organisation of small gaps in the day matters alongside the activities themselves.

An in-house chef prepares food at the Fulham Broadway setting. For families organising nursery around working hours, having food preparation on site is a concrete part of the daily arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St John’s Church, North End Road, Fulham, London SW6 1PB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, and the nursery operates for 50 weeks each year. The opening window gives the span of the nursery day; the settling sessions described above are introductory arrangements rather than regular attendance sessions.

In February 2022, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of participation, rather than a promise about a particular family’s entitlement or attendance arrangement.

Getting There

Fulham Broadway Station is five minutes from the setting. The church-hall address is the useful reference point for planning the journey, rather than the nursery name alone.

• The youngest group. Crystals Group serves babies aged 3 to 17 months, while 70 places is the capacity of the whole nursery. At a visit, ask how many babies usually share the group and how their feeding and rest routines are organised.
• Time for settling. Fulham Broadway’s introductory sessions run Tuesday to Thursday, with a parent present initially and nearby during the first separation. Plan who can attend across those days and discuss how the sequence would work for your child.
• Conversation and waiting. In February 2022, younger children sometimes waited too long between activities, and some staff needed to draw out children’s ideas more effectively. Ask to hear how transitions and open-ended conversations work now, especially in the younger groups.

Peques Fulham Broadway suits families attracted to a church-hall setting with substantial outdoor space, an on-site chef and a progression through named age groups from infancy to preparation for school. Its language experiences and practical learning were meaningful parts of nursery life in February 2022, rather than isolated descriptions of an educational approach.

The Good judgement comes with specific cautions about conversation and younger children’s transitions. Those make the choice more precise: families should weigh the garden, age-group structure and gradual settling arrangements alongside how staff organise the quieter intervals between activities.