Cheeky Chums Day Nursery Edgware, Under 3's

Morning yoga, signs woven into songs and duck eggs hatching into living things to care for give Cheeky Chums at North Parade a recognisable character. This is the babies-and-toddlers setting, with capacity for 78 children from birth to three years. Its emphasis is on early communication, movement and exploration, with quiet areas for rest.

At the inspection on 29 August 2025, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children made good progress, including within a curriculum planned for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The practical examples matter more than the label: children practised preparing food, explored stories through play and used physical activities to develop independence.

North Parade and South Parade's preschool sit across the road from each other and have separate inspections. Full days and half-day attendance are offered, alongside funded arrangements.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care through play, conversation, movement and everyday routines. North Parade adds the activities below.

Yoga takes place each morning for 15 minutes, with bright lights switched off and gentle music accompanying movement. It gives children a quieter interval for physical activity.

Makaton combines speech with signs and symbols to help children communicate. Everyday routines, greeting and farewell songs, and a song of the month give children repeated opportunities to use signs.

Shaker Sessions use instruments and props for music and dance, encouraging experimentation with sound and movement. Galaxy Sports Sessions add structured physical activities.

In August 2025, older babies climbed slides and experimented with using hammers to crush cereal inside bags. Toddlers peeled bananas during pretend cooking and prepared sandwiches, including cutting cucumber and spreading soft cheese. These examples connect physical development with practical tasks. Children were doing things for themselves, rather than simply watching an adult demonstrate them.

The August 2025 teaching priorities were: allowing children more space to respond and develop their own ideas in conversation, and tailoring challenge more consistently to what each child already knew, especially for more able children. Language activities therefore deserve a close look alongside the appealing programme of songs and signs. Adult enthusiasm needs to leave room for children's voices.

Outdoor and Community Life

Ducklings is a life-cycle activity involving incubated eggs, hatching and supported feeding and handling. Children progress from observing to caring for living creatures.

North Parade's environment includes sensory and exploratory resources alongside quiet areas for resting. In August 2025, a sensory room also gave children who benefited from fewer distractions another space for learning. A quieter setting can make participation more manageable for a child who finds a busy activity difficult.

Community experiences were part of the August 2025 nursery day too, with children visiting a local school to use its facilities. This was an opportunity to explore another setting. It should be understood as an activity, rather than an admissions advantage.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2025, staff exchanged information with parents about how a child's morning had begun and worked with families on eating and sleeping routines. Those conversations linked home care with nursery care. For babies and toddlers, familiar expectations around rest and food can be as significant as the planned activities.

Children were accustomed to everyday routines, including handwashing before eating, and consistent expectations helped them understand how to behave. Settling was supported through staff knowing the children and making time for families. The useful picture is of care built around repeated interactions, rather than a single introductory session.

Parent involvement extends beyond daily conversations. North Parade's Communication and Language Parent Workshop runs each term, with topics shaped by family requests; its communication session shared activities and information packs for use at home, with translation support for parents who needed it. This gives families something practical to repeat between nursery days.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A private Speech and Language Therapist supports children and parents through targeted activities. Alongside daily Makaton, this provides practical support for communication needs.

In August 2025, multilingual staff brought home cultures into play: Hindi-speaking children shaped sand into ladoos, an Indian sweet. Familiar language and experiences helped connect home and nursery.

For food allergies or medical conditions, families must give the nursery the relevant information and complete its care forms before joining. Meals are charged separately for children aged two to three; menus include lentil-and-spinach curry and leek-and-potato soup.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 14-15 North Parade, Mollison Way, Edgware, HA8 5QH. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks, with closures for bank holidays, Christmas and two staff training days; families receive at least four weeks' notice of the training dates.

The standard under-three booking commitment is at least four half-day sessions or two full days each week. Sessions cannot be exchanged for other sessions, so this model suits families who can maintain a regular pattern. Early starts and later collections can be arranged at an extra charge, subject to availability.

Under-three funded bookings have their own rules. The 30-hour arrangements with additional paid sessions require at least five sessions weekly and stretch funding over 51 weeks. Fully funded 30-hour arrangements run during term time, Monday to Friday, with six sessions weekly and no additional sessions attached to that booking.

Low-income funded places for two-year-olds comprise three five-hour slots during term time. The weekly commitment and holiday coverage matter when comparing packages.

Families can select Edgware on the enquiry form for sessions, fees and funding. Payment is monthly in advance by direct debit. Ending a place requires at least one calendar month's written notice, with fees payable throughout.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30-hour arrangements from nine months and from two years, plus low-income funded places for two-year-olds. Term-time and stretched packages have different conditions.

Meals attract a separate charge for children aged two to three, and meals are payable under the fully funded 30-hour arrangement for children aged two and over. The funded arrangements with additional sessions specify nursery-provided meals and snacks, except formula; low-income funded two-year-old places also specify nursery-provided meals and snacks.

A non-refundable registration charge and refundable deposit apply to standard bookings and the funded arrangements with additional sessions; low-income fully funded two-year-old places have neither. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure also set out on its Edgware fees page.

Superstar Sports and Shakers are optional classes charged directly by their providers. Parents can choose whether their child takes part, so these extras should be considered separately from the core childcare booking.

Getting There

Free parking is available at North Parade. That gives families using a car a practical option alongside the fixed session commitments.

• Conversation and challenge. The August 2025 priorities concerned children's opportunities to speak and the consistency of individual challenge. During a visit, ask how staff leave time for responses and choose the next step for a child who has mastered an activity.
• A fixed weekly commitment. Standard under-three bookings require four half days or two full days weekly, while funded arrangements have different minimums. Match the exact package to your working week, including the rule against swapping sessions.
• Allergies and food charges. Meals are separately charged for two-to-three-year-olds, and the nursery restricts food brought from home apart from formula. Families affected by allergies should confirm how the current arrangements will meet their child's needs before joining.
• Moving between premises. North Parade serves younger children, while South Parade is the separate preschool nursery across the road. Ask how a future move between the two is planned and how care information is shared.

Cheeky Chums North Parade suits families seeking either regular full days or half-day attendance for a baby or toddler, with separate term-time and stretched funded options. Daily yoga, Makaton and the Ducklings activity give its programme substance, while communication support and parent workshops connect nursery learning with home.

The balance is clear: there are appealing, practical experiences for young children, alongside specific teaching priorities around conversation and individual challenge. Families comfortable with a fixed booking pattern have a useful combination of care routines, communication activities and physical exploration to consider.