Little Leaf Nursery

A Wow Tree gives achievements at home a place in nursery planning at Little Leaf Nursery in West Drayton. Parents share milestones, from first steps to new skills, and staff use them to celebrate progress and shape activities. That makes family knowledge part of the learning day.

Little Leaf accepts children from six months to five years and has capacity for 48 children. Its home is on the first floor of Ivy Leaf Memorial Club on Wimpole Road. At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The strengths included children's interest in learning and support for their development; outdoor teaching and helping children understand feelings needed further work.

Two open-plan age areas, an enclosed outdoor space and freshly prepared food give the day its practical shape. A key person links each child's care with their family, while the Family App carries learning journals and daily information. Full days and shorter morning or afternoon attendance sit alongside term-time and across-year arrangements.

Rooms and Ages

The 6 Months - 2 Years Area combines an open-plan layout with painting, stories, messy play and pretend play, with staff guiding children's next steps and a private changing area supporting personal care.

In the 2 Years - 5 Years Area, children have spaces for sand and water, technology exploration and sleep, alongside a mixture of activities chosen by children and led by adults. The layout accommodates active exploration and rest within the older children's room. A key person follows their interests and shares progress with parents.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides speaking and listening, numbers and shapes, and expression through art, music and imaginative play. Daily observations help staff build activities around children's interests.

The older area's routine combines circle time, adult-led maths and literacy, garden play and afternoon rest. Babies have stories, songs, group activity, messy play and music and movement.

In June 2023, paint mixing and mark-making encouraged experimentation, while filling differently sized containers linked movement with mathematics. Babies chose books to share or explore independently; older children joined familiar stories. Regular library-bus visits extended their reading choices.

Outdoor and Community Life

An enclosed outdoor play area provides equipment for movement and exercise, and outdoor provision runs through the morning and afternoon. Regular outings are planned to help children learn about their communities. This gives exploration a place beyond the indoor activity areas.

In June 2023, garden climbing and ball games supported movement, but staff needed clearer intentions for children's learning outdoors.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, introduced during settling sessions, who becomes the family's main contact and keeps records up to date. All About Me gathers preferences, needs and favourite activities so that staff can establish suitable routines. A Settling in Report follows within the first four weeks, giving the family a defined opportunity to discuss how their child is adjusting.

The Family App lets parents view daily activity and learning journals, send messages and contribute observations. Photographs of children's work include explanations of the learning, helping families understand the skills involved.

Families can also communicate in person, by email or telephone. Parents acknowledge accidents and incidents through the app; policies are accessible at nursery reception.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff tracked development, worked with families and relevant professionals when extra help was needed, and supported good progress for children with SEND. Pictures and story props helped children understand routines, express choices and participate in stories at that time. Language activities were also shared with parents, connecting support at nursery with home.

Current registration arrangements invite parents to explain additional support needs and identify professionals already involved with their child. Permission is sought before referrals, and an individual health-care plan can set out medical needs, daily care and emergency responses. This gives families with ongoing health needs a specific mechanism for discussing care.

In June 2023, staff helped children with sharing and taking turns, but did not consistently explain emotions or how behaviour affected others. Children needed more help to begin managing their own responses. That finding deserves attention alongside the nursery's emphasis on emotional development.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Leaf opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. Private attendance can follow a 38-week term-time arrangement or a 51-week pattern. The private session choices include 7.30am to 6pm and 8am to 6pm full days, a morning from 7.30am to 12.45pm, and an afternoon from 12.45pm to 6pm.

Funded attendance has its own choices. These include 8am to 1pm mornings, 1pm to 6pm afternoons, and days from 8am to 6pm or 7.30am to 5.30pm. Working-parent arrangements for the older age band also include 8.30am to 2.30pm and 9am to 3pm. The application includes additional older-child funded choices from 8am to 2pm and 7.30am to 1.30pm. For shorter term-time attendance, the parent information gives 8.30am to 11.30am or noon to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

The nursery closes on statutory holidays and may close for up to one staff training day each year. Its terms require a month's written notice to end a place or change sessions. Applications enter a waiting list and do not guarantee a place; families are contacted when a suitable place arises.

Getting There

The address is First Floor, Ivy Leaf Memorial Club, Wimpole Road, West Drayton, UB7 7RJ. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01895 438 876. Registration forms are submitted by appointment.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible two-year-olds can access up to 15 funded hours a week under the relevant funding schemes, and the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds is up to 15 hours a week. These 15-hour arrangements run during term time over 38 weeks, within the nursery's funded session choices and subject to eligibility and availability. Eligible children aged nine months to four years can access the Working Parents Funding Scheme, choosing up to 30 hours a week over 38 weeks or up to 22.35 hours a week stretched across 51 weeks, within the funded session choices and subject to eligibility and availability.

Funded entitlement hours carry no registration fee, deposit, top-up or compulsory extras. Additional private hours are charged separately. A non-refundable administration charge and refundable deposit apply to private places, and to additional paid hours alongside funding; the deposit is returned through the final invoice when a month's written notice is given.

Parents may supply a packed lunch, and purchasing meals or consumables is not a condition of accessing funded hours. Nappies, wipes and creams come from home when needed, as does sun cream. These items belong on the family's daily packing list for both private and funded attendance.

A cook prepares meals on site, with snacks, lunch and tea following a four-week menu rotation and dietary requirements accommodated. The registration form asks families to detail allergies and special diets so these can be discussed as part of care arrangements.

For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Outdoor learning. In June 2023, garden activities needed clearer teaching intentions. During a tour, ask how staff now plan learning through climbing, ball games and other outdoor experiences.
• Emotional understanding. The June 2023 finding called for more consistent help with feelings and the effects of behaviour. Ask for an example of how staff support a child through a disagreement or difficulty sharing.
• Your attendance pattern. Private and funded sessions have different clock times, and funding can follow term-time or stretched arrangements. Discuss the exact weekly pattern and settling sessions together before choosing a contract.
• Food and medical needs. Parents can provide packed lunches, and individual health-care plans are available. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice and agree how dietary information will reach the adults caring for their child.

Little Leaf suits families seeking either full-day attendance across the year or shorter morning and afternoon arrangements, including funded term-time sessions. Its strongest practical features are the defined settling process, two-way learning journals and the use of information from home to shape care and activities.

The June 2023 Good judgement sits alongside improvement points for outdoor learning and emotional understanding. Parents who value a key-person relationship and active involvement in their child's learning record have clear reasons to consider Little Leaf.