The Willow Nursery

English and Spanish run through songs, stories and everyday play at The Willow Nursery in Clapham Old Town. Outdoor exploration and learning to manage feelings give the bilingual offer substance beyond language exposure. The emphasis is on participation: children hear and use language while doing things that interest them.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 19 September 2023. That judgement belongs to the provision assessed then; the current offer welcomes children aged 1 to 5 and includes bilingual learning, Forest School and preparation for Reception. The nursery has 48 places in total.

Attendance follows the school calendar, with full-time and part-time childcare. For families, the important combination is educational choice and a term-time timetable: English-Spanish immersion sits alongside outdoor activity and practical preparation for school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the foundation for children's learning, development and care. In daily life, that means building communication, physical skills and an understanding of feelings and relationships through play and routines. Willow adds English-Spanish exposure, outdoor learning and creative movement to that foundation.

Bilingual Classes means everyday contact with both languages through conversation, music, games and storytelling. Despite the name, this is an immersion approach rather than formal language instruction. Children do not need to arrive speaking Spanish. Familiar routines give words a context, so language is connected to an activity or relationship rather than a vocabulary test.

The detail extends beyond songs. Spanish features in greetings, picture-supported stories, creative work involving shapes and counting, and outdoor exploration. This gives families a clear picture of what bilingual provision involves: repeated contact with another language across the nursery day, with responses suited to each child's confidence.

Creative Dance & Movement brings planned dance into the weekly routine. Rhythm and movement give children opportunities to practise balance, follow patterns and express ideas physically. It adds a structured opportunity for movement to the stories, conversations and creative play elsewhere in the day.

In September 2023, small-group book sharing and conversation included explanations of unfamiliar words and time for children to answer. Mathematical language also emerged during water play, when older children discussed quantities and measured what they needed. These examples show how everyday materials became opportunities for talking and thinking at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School centres on learning through exploration outdoors. Willow's activities include building, climbing, investigating natural materials and observing nature. The practical value is straightforward: children can test ideas through movement and hands-on investigation, alongside the language and creative work indoors.

Regular garden sessions provide another outlet for active play. Sports Days & Active Play includes relay races, obstacle courses and sensory games, with participation taking precedence over intense competition. These experiences give children ways to practise cooperation while moving, rather than making physical activity solely about winning.

The garden also featured in September 2023: older children worked together on a block tower, agreeing whose turn came next, while others waited to use the climbing frame. Cooperation was visible in ordinary play, rather than confined to an adult-led activity.

Relationships and Communication

Daily updates, observations and regular conversations connect nursery and home. That matters when a child's confidence or routines differ between the two: parents have an ongoing route for sharing information, rather than relying only on occasional discussions.

In September 2023, practitioners gathered information about children when they started and used it alongside observations to plan learning. Staff worked consistently with their key children and helped newcomers understand routines through gentle guidance. Familiar adults and predictable expectations were practical parts of settling at that time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

RULER is Willow's approach to recognising and managing emotions. It addresses noticing feelings, understanding them, giving them names, expressing them and choosing a response. For a child hesitant about joining a game, the approach makes room to identify the feeling and take a manageable step with adult support. Emotional learning therefore has a concrete place alongside language and physical activity.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and strong support for children learning English as an additional language, alongside excellent progress across children's learning. These are dated findings, rather than guarantees about an individual child's experience.

Preparation for Reception includes listening, early literacy, self-care and solving problems. Willow introduces new challenges through familiar relationships and play. The emphasis is useful for families who want school preparation to include asking for help, coping with change and managing everyday routines, alongside early reading and number work.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 55 Grafton Square, Clapham Old Town, London, SW4 0DE. Full-time and part-time childcare are offered within a term-time model. Following the school calendar makes holiday care a separate consideration for families whose working commitments continue throughout the year.

Enquiries can be made by email to admin@thewillownursery.co.uk or by telephone on 0207 498 0319. The minimum admission age is 1, even though the national working-parent funding entitlement can start younger. The two ages should not be treated as interchangeable.

Funding and Paid Extras

Willow participates in the 15 and 30 hours funded childcare schemes, with funded attendance following the school calendar. The working-parent entitlement depends on eligibility; it is not an automatic allocation to every family. Funded hours cover the core educational offer, including bilingual learning and Forest School sessions.

For eligible working families, maintaining the funding code also matters: details must be reconfirmed every three months. Funding and the child's weekly attendance pattern need to fit together, so the term-time model remains a practical consideration even when entitlement covers part of the childcare requirement.

• School-calendar attendance. Full-time and part-time childcare both sit within a term-time model. Families needing care during school holidays should build that requirement into their decision.
• Starting from age 1. Willow's admission age is later than the youngest age covered by the national working-parent entitlement. Funding eligibility alone does not make the nursery suitable for a younger baby.
• Bilingual care in practice. English and Spanish are used across play, stories and routines. During a show round, ask how practitioners adapt that exposure and settling support to your child's age and communication needs.
• The complete cost. Bilingual learning and Forest School form part of funded core provision. Request a written quotation for your chosen attendance pattern.

Willow suits families seeking English-Spanish immersion, outdoor exploration and practical emotional learning, whether they want full-time or part-time attendance during school terms. RULER gives the emphasis on feelings a named method; weekly dance and garden activity bring movement into the offer.

The September 2023 Outstanding judgement is a substantial reference point, while the school-calendar timetable is the clearest practical constraint. The strongest reason to choose Willow is the combination of everyday bilingual exposure and preparation for school that includes independence, relationships and managing feelings.