Little Garden The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School

Separate gardens for different age groups and family photo books give this Perry Hill nursery a recognisable character: outdoor play sits alongside familiar connections with home. Little Garden The Dulwich Day Nursery & Pre-School takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 71 places in total. The gardens give different stages their own outdoor space; indoors, children can choose activities and explore festivals and cultures.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 15 November 2023 and judged safeguarding effective at that inspection. The detail matters as much as the grade: children practised doing things for themselves, while adults used their interests to shape learning. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings serve different family routines, with a minimum weekly attendance requirement.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and everyday experiences supporting their growing skills. Alongside it, the group-wide curriculum has four named strands: Happy Healthy Me covers emotional and physical development; Confident Communicators uses conversation, singing, stories and pretend play; A Sense of Belonging addresses identity and inclusion; Curious Explorers brings investigation and problem-solving into play.

These strands connect ordinary nursery experiences with a clear purpose. An achievable physical challenge belongs alongside healthy routines, while imaginative play creates opportunities to practise language. Hands-on investigation gives children room to try ideas rather than simply follow an adult's demonstration. The named approach adds structure to the day and complements the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements.

Family photo books are among the indoor resources, and activities introduce children to different festivals and cultures. Those familiar pictures create a connection between home and nursery, while cultural learning broadens the conversation beyond a child's own family. Reading areas also provide space for books within the setting.

In November 2023, adults introduced vocabulary during play and used signing to support communication. Stories and songs happened with individual children as well as in groups. There was a clear teaching limitation, however: some adults relied too heavily on questions needing a brief answer and repeated them before children had time to respond. Giving children longer to think, and inviting fuller answers, was the improvement needed.

Outdoor and Community Life

The separate age-group gardens extend children's choices beyond the indoor spaces. Messy activities and imaginative play can form part of outdoor learning, with resources children can use to develop their own ideas. For families weighing the physical environment, the division by age is a useful practical detail.

In November 2023, children went outside daily and used hoops, stilts and equipment for climbing. Indoors, stirring and kneading dough exercised their hands. The combination gave children opportunities to practise both larger movements and the smaller movements used later in writing. These were concrete activities, rather than a day built solely around seated tasks.

Relationships and Communication

Building attachments with children and their families begins early in the nursery's approach. Familiarity matters here: knowing the adults who care for a child gives the relationship a foundation beyond the activities on offer. Family photo books reinforce that link with home in a tangible way.

In November 2023, practitioners knew their key children and offered comfort when they needed it. Older children sought help from familiar adults and brought them into their games. Babies could choose and reach play resources themselves, while older children practised serving food and using stairs under supervision. Care included opportunities to try manageable tasks independently.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, with the SEND coordinator helping practitioners provide early intervention and working with families and other agencies. That finding describes a coordinated approach to support, rather than an assurance based simply on a facility label.

For children learning English alongside another language, November 2023 practice included familiar words supplied by parents, books combining pictures with home-language text, and recordings of parents speaking or singing. These resources brought a child's existing language into nursery life. They also gave adults practical ways to communicate before a child could confidently express everything in English.

Everyday self-care had its own routines in November 2023. A mirror helped children wipe their noses independently before disposing of tissues and washing their hands. Older children filled bottles and lunchtime jugs from water stations. These small tasks made independence part of the day, with adult support where needed.

Meals are made fresh each day at the nursery, using seasonal ingredients. That puts food preparation on site rather than relying on meals brought in from elsewhere.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 145 Perry Hill, London, SE6 4LP, in Catford. A dedicated buggy store gives families somewhere to leave a pushchair during the nursery day. Direct enquiries can be made by telephone or email.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day sessions use that same window; mornings run from 7.30am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6.30pm. Full-week attendance is also offered across Monday to Friday. The nursery operates for 51 weeks, closing for public holidays and a Christmas week.

The minimum booking is either four morning or afternoon sessions, or two full days each week, and the pattern must include Monday or Friday. This is a significant commitment for a family seeking occasional care or a midweek-only arrangement. The shorter sessions provide alternatives to a full day, but they still sit within that weekly booking rule.

One calendar month's notice is required for cancellations or permanent session changes. Charges continue through bank holidays, and sickness or family holidays do not attract a refund, credit or replacement session. Those terms matter when comparing the cost of an agreed pattern with the days a child actually attends.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged 9 months to 4 years through the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements for 38 weeks; 2 Help funding is accepted too. The standard arrangement spreads entitlement across the nursery's operating weeks, giving 11.18 or 22.35 funded hours each week respectively. Funded hours can be used alone or alongside privately paid attendance, with funded bookings subject to availability.

Private session fees include meals, consumables and enrichment. During funded hours, food, non-food consumables and enrichment are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package. Its consumables cover suncream, nappy bags, wipes, nappies and cream; the Enrichment Programme may include gardening, baking, cultural activities and celebrations rather than a guaranteed timetable of particular sessions.

Families can decline the Essentials Package by contacting the manager before term begins. Depending on nursery policy, doing so may involve supplying suitable alternatives or collecting and disposing of consumables. A registration charge and a deposit apply, both waived for fully funded places; the deposit is credited against the final invoice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Weekly commitment. Four shorter sessions or two full days are the minimum, including Monday or Friday. At a visit, discuss how your intended pattern fits that rule and the stretched funding arrangement.
• Time to answer. In November 2023, some adult questioning allowed too little thinking time and drew only brief replies. During a tour, explore how practitioners now encourage children to explain their ideas and respond at their own pace.
• Funded extras. The optional Essentials Package separates food, consumables and enrichment from funded childcare. Discuss the practical arrangements for opting out before choosing your package, including any dietary requirements.

Dulwich suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day or full-week attendance, provided the minimum weekly pattern works for them. Separate gardens, family photo books and a curriculum connecting physical wellbeing, communication and investigation give parents concrete features to weigh.

The November 2023 Good judgement is balanced by a specific weakness in adult questioning. The practical decision is equally clear: session choice is useful, but the Monday-or-Friday requirement, stretched funding and optional extras need to fit the family's routine and budget.