Colville Nursery & Pre-School

Vegetables used for painting, experiments with oil and water, and toddlers practising skateboard movements give Colville's nursery life a memorable character. These were concrete features of its October 2022 provision: learning through handling, trying and talking, rather than simply watching adults demonstrate.

Colville Nursery & Pre-School cares for children aged 3 to 60 months at 4/5 Colville Square, London W11 2BQ, with 46 places in total. Ofsted rated it Outstanding on 3 October 2022. That dated judgement is a strong starting point for families considering the nursery, while the practical choice centres on its year-round full-day booking plans.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this means that play, conversation and everyday routines contribute to learning alongside planned activities; education and personal care belong to the same day.

In October 2022, babies explored paint using broccoli and Pak Choi, while older children used pipettes to investigate coloured liquids and the separation of oil and water. These activities combined hand control with discovery. Children could test what happened themselves, with materials that invited another attempt rather than a single correct finished product.

Language also threaded through the October 2022 day. Adults paired speech with signs, giving babies ways to communicate before fluent talking. Older children practised detailed vocabulary during their explorations. Books supported this work: babies handled pages independently, while toddlers listened to stories outdoors and studied the adults' expressions. Reading extended beyond sitting together indoors.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play in October 2022 included tyres, boxes and wooden planks for babies to move around with adult support. Toddlers copied skateboard movements demonstrated by staff. These examples show physical exploration pitched at different stages, from supported early movement to more demanding balance and coordination.

The neighbourhood was part of the October 2022 programme too. Children visited parks and the library routinely, explored market stalls on walks and visited places of worship. Participation in the carnival and Easter Bonnet Parade brought local celebrations into their experience. Such outings connected stories and conversation with people and places beyond the nursery.

In October 2022, a key-person arrangement helped staff build detailed knowledge of individual children, and activity plans changed with their interests and needs. Adults sought babies' agreement before personal care and other interactions. That small practice gave even the youngest children a part in what happened to them.

Independence developed through ordinary routines during October 2022. Older children managed coats and handwashing; walking babies moved their chairs into place and practised feeding themselves. Everyday care offered opportunities to participate, rather than leaving every task to an adult.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified individual SEND support programmes developed with parents through the SEND coordinator. Dietary information was displayed where food was prepared in October 2022, helping staff account for individual requirements, and supervised dry toothbrushing formed part of the daily routine.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Days run from 8am to 6pm. The All Year Round Booking Plan offers two, three or five days, with full-day bookings requiring at least two consecutive days and including either Monday or Friday. This is a structured weekly commitment, so the choice of days matters as much as the daily hours.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas. The nursery's address is 4/5 Colville Square, London W11 2BQ.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both privately paid care and funded childcare are offered. Funding categories include Working Parent, Two Year Old Offer, Universal and Extended Entitlement. For all-year-round bookings, funded entitlement is spread over 51 weeks: the 15-hour schemes provide 11 hours weekly, and the 30-hour scheme provides 22. Eligibility conditions apply, including a valid code for working-parent funding and a signed parental declaration for funded childcare.

The booking-plan fees include snacks and breakfast, tea and lunch; food charges for funded-only sessions can be opted into or out of. In October 2022, meals were prepared by the nursery chef, with vegetables, fruit and fish among the ingredients.

Acceptance of a private place carries a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit; these also apply when moving from a free funded place to private care. Deposit refunds before starting depend on giving at least six weeks' cancellation notice, and the deposit is credited to the fees account when attendance ends. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Consecutive-day commitment. Full-day plans require at least two consecutive days, including Monday or Friday. During a visit, discuss how that pattern fits your working week and your child's settling period.
• Care for your youngest child. The October 2022 examples include supported climbing and babies participating in personal care. Ask how today's baby group, sleep arrangements and key-person handovers would work for your child.
• Individual dietary needs. Dietary information supported meal preparation in October 2022. Families managing allergies should confirm current kitchen practice and how their child's requirements will be communicated.

Colville suits families choosing a regular year-round pattern of two, three or five full days, especially those drawn to practical exploration and learning connected with the neighbourhood. Its October 2022 examples give substance to the Outstanding judgement: children participated in experiments, everyday care and outdoor challenges. The consecutive-day rule is the key practical consideration when weighing that offer against a family's weekly routine.