Miss Daisy's Nursery School, Chelsea

A church crypt gives Miss Daisy's Nursery School, Chelsea a recognisable setting; practical experimentation gives its nursery day substance. In January 2025, children built a car ramp from discarded materials, were encouraged to solve a construction problem when glue did not hold their materials together and explored a question about a sea creature with a tape measure. These are useful examples of learning that starts with a child's idea and develops through conversation and making.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 8 January 2025 inspection. It has 41 places in total for children aged two to five years. This is provision for toddlers and preschool children, rather than babies.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions arranged into weekly patterns. The combination matters: families can start with mornings and include afternoons, rather than treating the nursery as a single all-day booking.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and practical activity help children develop their communication, physical skills and understanding. It is the shared foundation for early years provision, rather than an extra programme unique to this nursery.

In January 2025, making a car ramp became an opportunity to practise cutting and try alternative ways of joining materials. A book about sea creatures prompted children to measure the length of an orca's tooth. The useful connection is between an interest and an action: children could test an idea, rather than simply receive an answer.

Weekly Spanish classes were part of the January 2025 nursery day, alongside cooking that included making pesto with pestles and mortars. These added experiences with language and food to the children's practical learning. They also illustrate the difference between the EYFS framework and activities used to extend it.

The group-wide enrichment menu attached to Chelsea's fee arrangements names Little Kickers, Studio Cultivate, Blueberry Music, Tarka Sports and Eco Forest School as examples of additional activities. Participation in enrichment is optional, with EYFS activities continuing for children who do not join in. For parents, the relevant distinction is between the core nursery education and separately chosen extras.

Outdoor and Community Life

The nursery occupies St. Lukes Church Crypt on Sydney Street. In January 2025, children went outdoors each day, with activities planned to connect outdoor exploration with their learning indoors. Outdoor time was therefore part of the educational day, rather than simply a break between activities.

At that time, children also explored sustainability and took part in fundraising. Parents shared aspects of their cultural backgrounds, and religious celebrations introduced children to differences between families. These examples give the wider-world element of the curriculum a concrete shape: caring for the environment, thinking about other people and learning from family experiences.

In January 2025, practitioners had close relationships with their key children while also building connections across the nursery. Staff noticed children who needed encouragement to join an activity, and older children discussed ways to help younger children who were upset. Those examples show how relationships and participation worked together during the nursery day.

At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the adjustments and collaboration with physiotherapists that supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These are dated judgements, rather than a promise about every child's future experience.

The current SEND policy applying to Chelsea gives each nursery a SENDCo and sets out a process involving the child's key person and parents. Support is assessed, planned, put into practice and reviewed, with individual plans identifying intended outcomes and a review date. Parents receive the plans so that suitable strategies can also be used at home.

Reviews take place after six to eight weeks of support. Depending on the child's needs, the next step may be revised targets, specialist referrals or an application for additional support. This gives families a defined process for discussing what is working and what needs to change.

Transition arrangements include contact with the next setting and sharing information such as one-page profiles. Meetings involving parents and relevant professionals can support the move. The practical benefit is continuity: the next setting can receive information about the child and the support already used.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Lukes Church Crypt, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NH. The nursery operates during term time and closes for school holidays, so its calendar needs to fit the family's arrangements beyond the nursery term.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to noon, afternoon sessions from noon to 3.30pm, and full days from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Friday closing is 12.30pm. Weekly patterns begin with five mornings, with afternoons added as children settle. In the year before Reception, the minimum pattern is five mornings and three afternoons, with a fourth afternoon optional. Friday afternoon remains outside these session arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Chelsea offers funded childcare, including the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and the extended 30-hour entitlement for eligible families in the age groups it accepts. Its attendance is term-time. Additional private hours are charged separately from funded childcare, and the fees page provides access to the Chelsea fee arrangements; current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

During funded hours, meals, snacks and nursery supplies carry separate voluntary charges that parents may decline; enrichment participation is also optional. The distinction matters when comparing quotations: funded childcare, extra hours and selected services are separate parts of the arrangement.

A non-refundable registration charge and a deposit apply outside funded-entitlement-only attendance; neither is required for children taking only their funded entitlement. Deposit repayment depends on the relevant notice and return conditions. These terms deserve attention alongside the weekly attendance pattern.

• Attendance progression. Children begin with five mornings and add afternoons as they settle; in the year before Reception, the minimum becomes five mornings and three afternoons, with a fourth afternoon optional. At a visit, discuss how that progression would fit your child's readiness and your family's timetable.
• Friday and holiday cover. Friday closing is 12.30pm and attendance is term-time. Families needing afternoon care throughout the working week or care during school holidays need arrangements that fit those boundaries.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funded childcare is separate from voluntary food, supplies and enrichment charges. Before joining, establish the exact funded-only booking pattern and which services your quotation includes.
• Individual support. The SEND process involves parents, the key person and SENDCo, with planned reviews. Families whose child needs adjustments should discuss the proposed support and how it would work in the crypt premises during their visit.

This Chelsea nursery suits families seeking regular term-time mornings or a combination of mornings and afternoon sessions, including full days. Practical making, language experiences and outdoor learning gave its January 2025 nursery day clear substance, while the current SEND arrangements provide a structured route for individual planning.

The decision rests on fit as well as educational appeal. Five-morning patterns, Friday lunchtime closing and school-holiday closures shape the care this nursery can provide. Families comfortable with those boundaries have a Chelsea setting with an Outstanding January 2025 judgement and concrete examples of learning through children's interests.