Horizons Day Nursery & Pre-school

Small scale and unusually detailed learning are the defining combination at Horizons Day Nursery & Pre-school in Hither Green. The Lewisham branch has capacity for 35 children aged three months to five years. Ofsted rated it Outstanding in October 2023, with the same top judgement across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership.

The strongest evidence is in what children actually did. At the inspection, babies tackled tunnels and a ball pool, older children predicted what would happen while making model volcanoes, and spontaneous counting on the stairs became simple addition and subtraction. Full-time and part-time places are published.

Rooms and Ages

The provider accepts children from three months to five years. A key person works with each family to tailor care and development and help a child become familiar with the nursery.

In October 2023, baby care followed children's home rhythms. Staff adjusted feeding and naps to established routines, helping babies settle before joining physical play. This individual care sits alongside energetic physical play, including tunnels and a ball pool during the 2023 inspection.

Learning and Named Experiences

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the day across communication, physical and personal development, then literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts. In practice, that means play is planned to build connected skills rather than filling time: stories expand vocabulary, stairs prompt counting, and a practical experiment gives children words such as erupt.

Teaching was a clear strength in 2023. Staff used open questions to make children think and explain, while extra challenge helped children interested in numbers move into adding and subtracting with blocks. Children who initially held back received quiet encouragement rather than pressure, giving them a route into the same activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secure enclosed garden is available daily, and the curriculum page names walks to parks, the library, market and shops. The inspection confirms that local outings were frequent at this branch. Children connected a shop visit about fruit and vegetables with tomatoes they had grown in the nursery garden. The nursery also publishes that home-grown fruit, vegetables and herbs can be served at mealtimes when in season.

Warm relationships are not treated as separate from learning. Babies formed strong attachments to key people at the 2023 inspection, while older children learned social responsibility through everyday moments, including reminding friends to use the stair rail. Children persisted with fastening coats and understood routines such as handwashing and supervised tooth brushing after lunch.

For children with SEND, the nursery publishes an approach based on adapting routines, resources, the environment and activities. A special educational needs coordinator works with parents and outside agencies. The inspection found that families were quickly directed to assessment and support when concerns arose.

Parent communication had a practical educational purpose. Families received targeted ideas for extending learning at home. Reception teachers were also invited into the nursery to help children prepare for the move to school, although this is transition support and does not confer admission priority at any school.

Safeguarding was effective at the October 2023 inspection. Staff carried out risk assessments for the premises and outings, refreshed their safeguarding training and were subject to ongoing suitability checks.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 165 Hither Green Lane, Lewisham, London SE13 6QF. It publishes full-time and part-time places. The precise part-time patterns are supplied during the enquiry process.

Families begin by arranging a viewing with the relevant branch. They may then join the waiting list, but registration does not guarantee a place. Spaces are allocated first come, first served, with sibling preference, and waiting times vary.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers places for children eligible for funded childcare, including up to 30 hours. Eligibility depends on each family’s circumstances. Extra paid hours are available beyond funded entitlement, with current terms supplied by the nursery.

Parents provide consumables such as nappies, wipes, sun cream, nappy cream and body lotion. During funded hours, lunch can be purchased separately or a packed lunch sent from home. For other attendance, the site says meals and snacks are freshly prepared daily by a trained chef in the nursery kitchen; meal arrangements can therefore differ by attendance pattern. Special diets and allergies are discussed with parents, who may need to provide suitable food.

• Part-time pattern. Part-time places are published, with the precise days and hours supplied during enquiry. This detail will decide how well the offer fits work or study.
• Waiting-list rules. Joining the waiting list does not secure a place, and siblings receive preference. A required start date needs to be tested against that allocation process.
• Funded-hours extras. Lunch during funded hours carries a separate charge unless a packed lunch is provided, while parents supply personal consumables. These categories matter when comparing costs.
• Daily grouping. Children span three months to five years. The viewing provides the opportunity to understand how the branch groups them day to day.

Horizons combines a small scale with ambitious, observably effective teaching. It is best suited to families who value close key-person relationships, daily outdoor access and learning that reaches into Hither Green through library, park and shop visits. It can serve both full-time and part-time needs, with the precise part-time timetable supplied during enquiry. The Outstanding 2023 inspection gives substantial reassurance, while the nursery-grown produce, expressive storytelling and thoughtful support for hesitant children add the character behind the grade.