345 Springfield

A woodland play area, an allotment and a weekly cooking club give 345 Springfield a recognisable outdoor character. Its setting at The Grove, on the edge of Alexandra Park, combines a spacious indoor room with a large garden that children can use throughout their session, whatever the weather. Outdoor play has room to develop here.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding in July 2022, finding that carefully planned learning, strong conversations with staff and opportunities for independence supported children's development. That judgement belongs to the inspection date. The nursery has capacity for 27 children; those attending in July 2022 were aged three to four.

Attendance is term-time only, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions. This makes the distinction between a preschool timetable and year-round childcare important from the outset.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, communication and practical experiences help children build skills for their next stage. At Springfield, the weekly cooking club adds a recurring practical activity, alongside woodwork and tending the allotment. These give children reasons to make things and care for their surroundings.

In July 2022, scientific exploration included a miniature volcano experiment, with staff encouraging predictions and problem-solving. Children used precise words while handling a pipette and investigating tea leaves. The interest lay in working out what happened, as well as watching the result. These examples show how everyday activity could become an opportunity for conversation.

Early writing also had a purpose in July 2022: children recorded the dinosaurs they discovered during a fossil dig. Books were distributed across activity areas, rather than confined to a single reading space. Children retold familiar stories and made books of their own, connecting listening, speaking and mark-making.

Outdoor and Community Life

The woodland area extends the choice beyond the indoor room and garden. Children can move outdoors throughout a session in all weather, so outside time does not depend on a single scheduled break. Indoors, a book corner and home corner provide different starting points for quiet activity and imaginative play, with space for both independent choices and organised groups.

In July 2022, woodland experiences included insect searches, painting with mud and making clay models using natural materials. Garden drumming gave children opportunities to experiment with sound and contribute ideas to shared play. These were concrete uses of the outdoor space, rather than simply time spent outside.

Physical activity in July 2022 included riding bikes, using ladders and hanging from a climbing frame. A sand timer helped children take turns on the rope swing. The combination matters: children were practising movement and managing the social demands of sharing equipment.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities identified promptly and supported individually. Staff understood how to raise welfare concerns, while risk assessments addressed the indoor, garden and woodland environments. These are dated findings, rather than a current assurance based on the outdoor facilities.

The Springfield team includes SENDCo and designated safeguarding lead roles. For a family whose child needs additional support, those roles provide an identifiable point of responsibility. The practical question is how support will work for that particular child, alongside the nursery's ordinary session pattern.

In July 2022, learning-journey books helped staff share children's development with families, and children revisited those books during the year. Key-person relationships were part of the care described at that time. Communication therefore had a tangible form: families could see examples of what their child had been doing, while children could return to their own experiences.

Independence in July 2022 also appeared in small routines. Children prepared fruit for snacks, gathered materials for their own play and put their artwork on displays they could reach. Those details make independence understandable: it meant children doing manageable tasks themselves, with adults supporting the next step.

Sessions and Attendance

Springfield's address is The Grove, Alexandra Park, London, N22 7AY, opposite Little Dinosaurs Softplay. The setting operates Monday to Friday during term time. Applications and tour bookings go directly to the preschool manager through the Springfield contact email, manager@345springfield.co.uk.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. Full-day collection can be extended to 3.30pm for an additional charge. These are separate booking choices: an afternoon session ends later than the ordinary full-day option, so the collection time deserves attention when planning the week.

Half-day sessions are also part of the attendance offer. Paid fees are due in advance each term, and absence without notice does not remove the payment obligation. That makes the chosen pattern a financial commitment as well as a timetable decision.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside private sessions. Eligible working parents can claim all or part of their 30 hours of childcare entitlement with 345 Preschools; delivery is term-time only. The entitlement's wider age conditions do not establish Springfield's current accepted ages or guarantee a funded place.

Parents supply a packed lunch when their child's attendance requires one. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the services and fees page sets out the attendance and payment structure.

Requests for contributions towards activities, resources or events are voluntary. Choosing whether to contribute does not affect a child's place or treatment, and donations remain separate from ordinary fees. This distinction matters when comparing the cost of a session with additional requests during the year.

• Term-time childcare. Morning, afternoon and full-day options fit different weekly routines, but all operate within school terms. Families needing care through the holidays need to weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Outdoor expectations. Children can use the garden throughout their session in all weather, with woodland play adding another outdoor setting. At a visit, discuss clothing and how the indoor and outdoor choices work for your child.
• Individual support. Springfield has SENDCo and safeguarding lead roles, while the detailed support findings date from July 2022. Use a visit to discuss settling, current communication arrangements and any specific support your child needs.
• Lunch and session costs. Families provide packed lunches as needed, and extending full-day collection attracts a separate charge. Ask how snacks and non-food consumables are handled within your proposed funded or private pattern.

345 Springfield suits families seeking term-time preschool education with a choice between morning, afternoon and full-day attendance. The woodland area, allotment and weekly cooking club give its current offer substance, while the July 2022 judgement provides a dated assessment of the education and care.

The strongest practical attraction is the freedom to use substantial outdoor space alongside an indoor room equipped for reading, imaginative play and group activities. The main decision is whether the term-time calendar and collection options fit family life, together with any individual support a child will need.