5 Steps Community Nursery

Sunflower Room, Sunshine Room and Rainbow Room give 5 Steps Community Nursery a clear progression from its youngest children to those preparing for school. Its purpose-built premises are in Rotherhithe, with 32 places in total and an accepted age range beginning at six months and extending to five years. The room names are cheerful; the more useful detail is how the nursery connects movement, communication and growing independence.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children were progressing well from their initial stages of development. That judgement belongs to that visit. The same assessment identified uneven support for mealtime independence and for handling disagreements, two practical points for families to explore.

Full-day attendance and morning or afternoon sessions provide different ways to organise the nursery week. The shorter sessions matter for families who need part-time care rather than the whole opening day.

Rooms and Ages

Sunflower Room serves children from birth to two, Sunshine Room covers ages two to three, and Rainbow Room takes children aged three to five; the nursery's overall accepted age range starts at six months. These are age bands, rather than statements about the number of children together on any particular day.

The Baby Room aspirations combine following each child's routine with movement, early communication and using spoons and cups, while the Toddler Room aspirations for two- to three-year-olds connect play with early literacy, maths, friendships and increasing independence in personal care. This makes everyday actions part of learning: feeding oneself, communicating a need and joining another child's play all receive attention.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this means learning through play and everyday experiences, with attention to language, movement, relationships and increasing independence.

Basic Makaton is included among the Baby Room's ways of encouraging children to communicate, alongside pointing and early words. Talking, songs and books also feature in its aspirations. There is a practical emphasis here on helping a young child express a need before conversation becomes fluent.

In February 2023, children worked with play dough and made marks, giving their hands useful practice before more demanding tasks. Preschool children listened to stories and had opportunities to question and discuss them. An activity involving ice and animal figures prompted conversation about temperature and melting, linking new vocabulary to something children could examine.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2023, the outdoor space offered climbing equipment, balls and ride-along toys. Children used it for running and practising coordination, adding larger movements to the hand skills developed indoors. The physical offer was concrete rather than confined to an ambition about active play.

That February, experiences beyond ordinary room activities included visits to a local farm and park, a visiting football coach and an annual outing involving children and their families. These were different ways to introduce new places and skills; the annual family trip also brought parents into a shared nursery experience.

Relationships and Communication

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that settling arrangements helped children form secure relationships with their key person, and that staff used parents' knowledge of children's interests and existing abilities to inform learning. For a family beginning childcare, that connection between home information and nursery planning is more useful than a general promise of individual attention.

In February 2023, practitioners sought children's permission before nappy changes or wiping noses. They also modelled respectful conversation. Those small interactions gave children a role in their own care and examples of how adults treat one another.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In February 2023, dolls, songs and materials introduced cultures represented among the staff, while books and posters reflected the children attending. Cultural festivals were also explored. These resources gave children recognisable starting points for learning about themselves and other people.

The limits were equally specific. In February 2023, older children could pour drinks at snack time, but lunchtime arrangements offered fewer chances to practise handling drinks and cutting food. Support during disagreements was also uneven: breathing techniques, listening to each child's account and recognising feelings were used, but not consistently. Both concerns relate to skills children need to practise repeatedly, rather than hear about once.

The staff team includes a cook and administrative support, alongside nursery practitioners; staff qualifications span level three to degree level. This describes the team's structure, rather than promising a particular daily deployment in each room.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens on weekdays between 8am and 6pm. Full-day and full-time patterns use that window, while morning attendance runs from 8am until 1pm and afternoons from 1pm until 6pm. The separate grant timetable offers 9.30am to 12.30pm or 1pm to 4pm.

Attendance runs across the year, with closures on bank holidays, for two weeks at Christmas and for one week in August. Those planned breaks matter when arranging care around work. Enquiries can be made by telephone, and the application route includes an application form.

Getting There

The address is 15 Lambourne Grove, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 2RR.

Funding and Paid Extras

A 15-hour educational grant offer covers children aged two, three and four. Private full-time, daily and part-time attendance are also offered, so funded entitlement and privately paid care should be considered separately when planning the week. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Meals are charged separately. This is an additional cost to account for alongside attendance, rather than food included in the childcare fee.

• Mealtime independence. In February 2023, opportunities to pour drinks and handle food varied between snack time and lunch. During a visit, ask how children now practise these skills throughout the day.
• Handling disagreements. The February 2023 assessment identified inconsistent help with recognising feelings and resolving conflict. Ask how practitioners give children a consistent response when play becomes difficult.
• Funded attendance. The grant timetable differs from the longer morning and afternoon sessions. How would a funded booking fit your preferred hours, and what would you need to supply or pay for alongside it?
• Holiday cover. Christmas and August closures sit alongside bank holidays. Families needing care throughout the working year will need to plan around those breaks.

5 Steps suits families seeking either full-day care or a morning or afternoon pattern, with an age-based room structure and practical ambitions for children's communication and independence. The February 2023 picture included outdoor activity, discussion around stories and experiences beyond the nursery rooms. Its two improvement points deserve equal weight: everyday independence and emotional support depend on consistent practice. For parents, those are useful subjects for a visit alongside the choice of attendance pattern.