Nutkins Nursery 2, 398 Brentwood Road

Garden play and growing independence give this church-based nursery its character. In October 2021, children used outdoor materials for imaginative games, practised climbing and balancing, and learnt to manage everyday tasks such as putting on their coats. These are concrete experiences for families who value play alongside preparation for school.

Nutkins Nursery 2, 398 Brentwood Road has capacity for 32 children aged 24 to 60 months at Gidea Park Methodist Church in Romford. At its October 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall. That judgement provides a dated assessment of the nursery, rather than a description of every aspect of its current operation.

Attendance is term time, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions. The practical choice is between a shorter session and a day extending across lunchtime.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this brings learning and everyday care together: developing language, making choices and learning to look after oneself belong alongside play.

In October 2021, children chose activities independently and brought staff into their games. Picture matching involved waiting for a turn, with older children helping younger children find the pictures they needed. That example combines learning with the social demands of playing together. Participation mattered more than finishing first.

Practical tasks offered another route into learning. During October 2021, older children persisted with scissors as they developed control, while younger children experimented with cups and soil to make their own creations. Staff encouraged further attempts. For parents, these examples show the place of trial, repetition and handling materials in the nursery day.

Language was woven into activities through questions and encouragement to try unfamiliar words. However, in October 2021, noise sometimes interfered with learning, and some group activities lacked organisation. The improvement action was to evaluate whether steps intended to develop communication and attention were working. This is the clearest caution alongside the positive examples of play.

Outdoor and Community Life

In October 2021, the nursery garden was used for substantial parts of children's learning, including climbing and balancing. Outdoor time therefore involved physical challenge as well as opportunities to explore materials.

A pretend ice-cream shop showed how those materials could become something else. In October 2021, older children used items collected from the garden as pretend money and ice creams, taking different roles in their game. The game gave children opportunities to explore different roles. Younger children also responded physically to songs and rhythms, giving them a different way to participate and express themselves.

In October 2021, children sought help and comfort from familiar staff, and newcomers learnt the nursery's routines. These observations give parents a useful picture of how relationships supported participation at that time: children could choose their own play while returning to an adult for reassurance.

At its October 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, made good progress; staff assessed development and worked with families and other professionals on individual support plans. Support included activities directed at speaking, listening and sustaining attention. The plans connected identified needs with practical help.

Everyday independence also featured in October 2021. Children practised handwashing, using tissues and putting on coats themselves, making personal care part of preparation for school. Healthy eating entered conversations too: younger children discussed fruit at snack time, while older children talked about the food in their packed lunches.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Gidea Park Methodist Church, 398 Brentwood Road, Romford, RM2 6DH. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. Opening days are Monday to Friday during term time, with closure in school holidays.

These patterns serve different routines. A morning finishes before the afternoon session begins; an afternoon starts at noon; the full day spans both. Families can therefore compare the actual session boundaries with their work and other care arrangements, rather than treating full-day care as an extended evening offer.

The branch telephone number is 07903 450082.

• Communication and attention. The October 2021 improvement action concerned checking the effect of support for these skills. During a visit, ask how staff assess whether those activities are helping your child.
• Group activity organisation. Noise and disorganisation sometimes interrupted learning in October 2021. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how staff organise group activities and maintain children's attention.
• Term-time routines. Sessions finish by 3pm and the nursery closes during school holidays. Families needing later or holiday care will need arrangements that fit around this timetable.
• Funding and everyday costs. What would a written quotation for your chosen sessions include for funded hours, food and non-food consumables?

Nutkins Nursery 2 suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a full day ending at 3pm. Its October 2021 examples of garden play, imaginative activity and personal independence give the nursery a recognisable educational character. The communication and attention improvement action deserves equal weight: families should use the visit to explore how that work now shapes the day.