Kido St Patrick's

A garden room devoted to discovery gives Kido St Patrick's a concrete point of difference in Waterloo: children can investigate science, technology, engineering and maths in a space set aside for exploration. Rooms occupy two floors, with a substantial outdoor area extending the possibilities for play. This is a nursery where the physical setting deserves as much attention as the curriculum.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding overall. The current age range runs from 3 months to 5 years, making it an option from babyhood through the preschool years. Its address is 91 Cornwall Road, London, SE1 8TH, and the branch also uses the name Kido Waterloo.

Full days, morning sessions and afternoons give families different ways to organise attendance. The educational offer combines projects, languages and outdoor exploration, while communication through the parent app keeps everyday care visible to families.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning and care, with children developing skills through play, exploration and activities guided by adults. Here, projects add opportunities to investigate a subject and follow children's questions, rather than treating learning as a sequence of disconnected tasks. French and Spanish sessions take place throughout the week, adding language experiences alongside the everyday nursery programme.

The garden room gives STEM learning a physical home. Discovery and investigation are its purpose, so the surroundings support children in testing ideas as well as hearing explanations. Explorer Day activities also use projects and discovery; they belong to the group-wide Kido curriculum described at this branch. For parents, the useful distinction is between the shared programme and the spaces in which children actually experience it.

Kido Club, a group-wide online platform, provides activities tailored to individual learning goals for use beyond nursery. It gives families a way to continue learning at home. That is a practical addition for parents who want something more specific than a general suggestion to practise with their child.

In January 2023, language learning was woven into practical investigation. Staff used weighing scales with feathers, fruit and corks, introducing vocabulary as children explored balance. The value lies in the connection: a new word accompanies something a child can handle and test. During pretend restaurant play, ingredients such as ginger and cinnamon prompted conversations about smell and colour, bringing sensory experience into imaginative play.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area complements rooms arranged around children's developmental stages. Indoor and outdoor activities both contribute to the curriculum, giving movement and investigation a place alongside quieter play. The garden room adds another setting for exploration rather than making outdoor learning depend entirely on the open play area.

In January 2023, younger children practised coordination by running in the garden, while older children climbed and worked out how to move across equipment. These were different challenges for different stages. Outdoor play also introduced children to nature, linking physical activity with learning about their surroundings.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is planned around the individual child. Parents share information about their child's needs and routines, then work with the key person and management on a suitable plan. This gives the family a role in shaping the start of nursery life, rather than expecting every child to follow the same timetable.

In January 2023, babies received prompt attention when distressed, and children had close relationships with their key persons. Those observations matter most for families considering an early start: the relationship with a familiar adult is part of the care experience, alongside activities and surroundings.

The Kido app sends updates about eating, sleep and toileting during the day, and allows secure messages to the team. Conversations with staff also accompany collection and drop-off. The two channels serve different purposes: routine information can be read during the day, while a conversation allows parents and practitioners to discuss something that needs more explanation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified prompt, targeted help for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by collaboration with parents and other professionals. These are dated judgements, relevant to assessing the nursery's care alongside its educational offer.

In January 2023, children speaking English as an additional language used both English and their home languages with staff. Children also practised everyday independence, including looking after their teeth and personal needs. Preparation for school therefore included managing daily life and relating to other children, as well as learning activities.

An onsite chef prepares food, with breakfast, snacks, lunch and afternoon tea forming the day's meals. The nursery publishes a nut-free food policy and offers dietary adaptations, including vegetarian, pescatarian and vegan choices; Halal and Kosher meals are excluded.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-day sessions run from 8am to 6pm. Families can instead book mornings from 8am to 1pm or afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, within the half-day offer. These are genuinely different attendance patterns, useful for parents balancing work, home care and shorter nursery days.

Opening extends from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, with an additional charge for the earlier start or later collection outside the standard day. Care runs across the year, with closures for public bank holidays, a Christmas week and two staff training days. Those closures belong in a family's childcare calendar.

Getting There

The Cornwall Road address is near Waterloo Station, making the location relevant for families whose commute passes through Waterloo. The nursery's rooms are spread across two floors, an arrangement worth considering alongside the outdoor space when choosing care for a baby or a more mobile child.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts funding for 15 and 30 hours, as well as childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare. Meals, snacks and milk are included in the fees, as are nappies and wipes. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

A deposit is credited against the final month's account when the two-month leaving-notice condition is met. Leaving requires two calendar months' notice, so changes to childcare arrangements need planning ahead as well as a preferred finishing date.

• Funding and the final bill. Both 15- and 30-hour funding are accepted. At a visit, how will funding be scheduled for your chosen sessions, and how will meals and consumables be treated within that funded package?
• Food requirements. Dietary adaptations sit alongside a nut-free policy, but Halal and Kosher meals are excluded. Families managing allergies should confirm current kitchen practice and the arrangements for their child.
• The nursery day. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings serve different routines, with paid extensions at either end. Discuss how settling and the garden room activities fit the attendance pattern you plan to use.

Kido St Patrick's suits families seeking either shorter morning or afternoon attendance or full-day care, with language sessions and project learning alongside outdoor play. The garden room and tailored home activities give that offer concrete substance. Its January 2023 Outstanding judgement adds weight, while the individual settling plan and everyday care updates offer practical reasons to consider it for younger children. Funded-package arrangements and dietary needs deserve attention before joining.