Chiswick Nursery and Pre-School Academy

A garden set aside for babies, cots in separate sleep rooms and evening meals to take home give Chiswick Nursery and Pre-School Academy a practical character. Care extends beyond activities to the small arrangements that shape a family's day: somewhere to leave a buggy, space for a parent to stay during settling, and food ready for a child after nursery.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, with two clear areas for improvement: making better use of activities to deepen learning, and giving children more varied learning outdoors. These deserve attention alongside the facilities.

The nursery has 74 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Its Marlborough Road address is in Chiswick, and the current offer combines age-based rooms with the group-wide Bee Curious curriculum, which organises playful learning around children's interests and development. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings serve different family routines.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means learning and care belong together: conversation, play and growing independence are part of education, rather than pauses between formal activities.

Alongside that framework, the group-wide Bee Curious curriculum brings planned activities together with purposeful play. Storytelling and role play support communication; counting, patterns and practical problems introduce mathematical ideas. Mark-making and phonics sit alongside these experiences. For parents, the useful distinction is between a curriculum name and its everyday content: here, there are concrete activities to connect the two.

Book of the Moment gives afternoon activities a shared book as their starting point. Curious Mind covers mathematical activities, sensory exploration or problem-solving in the toddler and preschool day. These group-wide elements provide recognisable threads through the routine, while the activities themselves can respond to what interests the children.

Babies' day includes exploring texture and colour, stories and outdoor play with staff. Older children's routine adds a morning song, learning outdoors and a reflective story period before lunch. Quiet play or a nap follows the midday meal, so active experiences share the day with opportunities to rest.

In May 2023, babies explored scented dough using tools to shape it, while older children talked about relatives using a shared album of family photographs. Piano music accompanied singing and dancing, with bells and tambourines for children to play. These examples show how conversation, movement and handling materials were woven into activities at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Separate gardens serve the nursery's rooms, with a dedicated baby garden giving the youngest children their own outdoor space. That matters for families comparing baby care: outdoor play has a place in the arrangement, rather than being described solely through the older children's activities.

In May 2023, garden activities included balancing along an obstacle course and counting during hide-and-seek; regular yoga sessions added another form of movement. The same assessment called for more varied outdoor learning. Physical activity and a broad outdoor curriculum are different things, and the latter remained an improvement priority at that visit.

Relationships and Communication

A dedicated parent suite allows families to remain on site during settling. This gives the transition a practical base: a parent can be nearby while a child becomes familiar with the nursery. Separate sleep rooms contain cots, and babies' naps follow their home routines, with one or two sleeps according to their needs.

The Busy Bees App provides updates on a child's progress during the day. It gives parents a way to keep connected with nursery learning while they are elsewhere. The parent suite and app address different needs: being physically close during the early transition, then staying informed as the routine becomes established.

In May 2023, children's relationships with their key person were central to their nursery experience, and staff spoke with parents about how children were feeling that day. A lending library allowed families to borrow books and resources for use at home. This linked nursery activities with things parents could continue together with their child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with families and other professionals to arrange early, targeted help, and that children with SEND received effective support and made good progress. The practical mechanism matters here: support involved joint work around identified learning needs, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

In May 2023, staff helped children discuss emotions through games and taught sharing and taking turns calmly. Everyday independence also had a clear place: older children helped with tables and plates, while younger children practised using cutlery, drinking from an open cup and putting on outdoor clothing. These were manageable tasks within the day, rather than a separate school-preparation lesson.

Staff development was part of the May 2023 picture too, with monitoring, coaching and opportunities for professional development. The improvement priority was specific: staff needed to extend learning more consistently during activities. For parents, that puts the quality of adult interaction alongside the choice of toys or planned experiences.

Current physical arrangements include controlled building access and CCTV. They describe how entry is managed; the dated safeguarding judgement above remains the assessment of effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank holiday closures. A full day runs from 8am to 6pm; mornings run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. A full-week pattern covers Monday to Friday within the same daily hours.

The minimum weekly booking is one full day or two morning or afternoon sessions. Childcare is sold through these patterns rather than by the hour, so a family needing a shorter spell must still fit its arrangements to a session. Morning and afternoon options make this a broader offer than full-day attendance alone.

Charges are based on 52 weeks and paid monthly in advance. Bank holidays remain chargeable, and sickness or family holidays do not bring an exchange, credit or refund. Minimum notice requirements apply, and collecting after the agreed session incurs an additional charge. These terms make the booking pattern a financial commitment as well as a timetable.

Getting There

The address is 4 Marlborough Road, Chiswick, London W4 4ET. Gunnersbury's London Overground service provides a nearby rail option, while buggy storage supports families travelling with a pushchair.

Car parking is limited, which matters when planning regular collections. The Chiswick contact form and central enrolments team provide enquiry routes, and visits can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid sessions are offered. The 15 hours scheme and 30 hours scheme are stretched over 50 weeks, giving maximum weekly allocations of 11.4 and 22.8 funded hours respectively. The local authority's 15 hour scheme for eligible two-year-olds is also recognised in the funding terms. Eligibility remains a condition of using funded childcare.

Additional hours beyond entitlement are charged at the standard rate. The two non-funded weeks fall on 5–9 April and 3–7 May 2027, with 31 August 2027 also a non-funded day. These dates affect the annual childcare budget even when a regular booking uses funding during the rest of the year. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; its funding and fees calculator gives illustrative estimates.

For private sessions, meals, drinks and snacks are included in the fee, as are nappies, wipes, formula and bottles. On funded sessions, food and consumables such as nappies, wipes and sun cream carry separate, optional charges through Busy Bees One, a package combining those items according to the session attended.

Food is cooked daily by the on-site nursery chef, with two seasonal menus accredited by NHS Startwell; the dietary policy provides for discussion of allergies, cultural preferences and suitable alternatives. Grab and Go supplies breakfast and hot drinks for parents, while children attending all day can take home a free evening meal.

A non-refundable registration charge applies, with part credited to the first invoice after starting. Fully funded places use a refundable deposit credited to that first invoice; the deposit is waived for two-year-olds accessing the local authority's 15 hour scheme.

• Outdoor learning and adult interaction. In May 2023, broader outdoor experiences and more consistent extension of learning were improvement priorities. On a visit, ask how today's garden activities and staff interactions address those two points.
• Settling and sleep. The parent suite, cots and separate sleep rooms are useful practical features. Discuss how settling and naps would fit your child's home routine.
• The funded-year budget. Funding is stretched across 50 weeks, with optional food and consumables charges and specified non-funded periods. Request a written quotation separating these from any additional private hours.
• Dietary arrangements. An on-site chef and take-home meals may simplify family routines. Families managing allergies should confirm current food preparation and suitable alternatives before agreeing their child's arrangements.

This nursery suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with baby care receiving concrete attention through its garden and sleep facilities. The parent suite and take-home food add practical value around the childcare itself.

The May 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific priorities for outdoor learning and staff interaction. For a family whose routine fits the session times, the strongest reasons to consider Chiswick are its arrangements for rest and settling, its explained learning activities, and the everyday support that continues beyond the nursery day.