Rubadubs Nursery

Monthly afternoons at Devonshire Road nature reserve give Rubadubs Nursery a recognisable outdoor thread. Preschool children explore beyond the nursery with their staff, while younger children have outdoor space at the setting itself. This Forest Hill nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 66 children in total.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Rubadubs Good and found safeguarding effective, with communication and language a strength. The practical detail behind that assessment is useful: conversations grew from children's questions, babies heard songs, and toddlers explored words through the herb garden. Two improvement points deserve equal attention: helping settled children return to play sooner, and giving parents more ways to continue learning at home.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room, First Steps, Second Steps and Preschool are the named room groups. Moves between them take account of development as well as age, with overlapping age ranges allowing children to change groups when ready. That makes the transition an individual decision rather than simply a birthday milestone.

In August 2024, babies joined in with singing through babbling, and adults made stories engaging with expressive faces and voices. Toddlers copied finger movements during reading and explored the outdoor herb garden through conversation about smells and tastes. Preschool children discussed their morning before lunch, with small groups giving staff space to adapt questions to each child's confidence.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning, development and care; at Rubadubs, learning through play gives children opportunities to follow their curiosity. Yoga, dance and music sit alongside that everyday play. These activities add different experiences to the day rather than replacing the framework.

In August 2024, older children's curiosity about building scaffolding became a conversation in which adults invited their ideas. The same principle worked with younger children exploring herbs: something concrete prompted new vocabulary. These examples show parents what language work can look like beyond a planned group activity.

Independence also had practical expression in August 2024. Preschool children helped themselves to food and poured drinks, while older babies were supported to find their shoes for outdoor play and remove them afterwards. Everyday tasks became opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School here means a monthly afternoon of outdoor exploration for preschool children at Devonshire Road nature reserve, organised through the nursery's partnership with the reserve. Its frequency matters: this is a recurring experience, with staff accompanying the children, rather than an occasional outing.

An Outside Play Area also forms part of the nursery's own provision. Children therefore have outdoor experiences at the setting as well as the preschool visits further afield. For families interested in nature-based activity, the named destination and monthly pattern make the offer concrete.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2024, children sought their key person for comfort, including those starting nursery or returning after an extended break. Staff also used conversations with families about recent experiences to inform activities. Familiarity was put to practical use: knowledge of a child's life outside nursery helped shape what happened during the day.

Babies' individual routines guided their care in August 2024, supported by information gathered from parents. For a family with a young baby, that is a useful point of discussion during settling: the daily routine needs to connect home and nursery.

The same visit identified a tension in toddler care. Some children continued sitting with adults after they had settled and were ready to play, reducing opportunities to join activities. Parents also wanted more guidance on extending learning at home. These are specific development points, rather than reasons to dismiss the comfort or communication already in place.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager holds a SEND coordinator qualification. The nursery's approach includes identifying needs, assessing them and arranging suitable provision, with family communication part of that process. This gives parents a practical starting point for discussing individual support.

In August 2024, staff used English and children's home languages to help them understand and participate. Adults also talked through the effects of children's behaviour on others, although some opportunities for further discussion were missed.

Food is cooked freshly on site, and the nursery's stated dietary policy accommodates dietary requirements. Staff have paediatric first-aid training; CCTV and access for visitors by appointment are additional arrangements, rather than substitutes for everyday supervision.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Rubadubs operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, staff training days and three days between Christmas and new year. Those additional closures matter when arranging cover around work.

Getting There

The address is 17 David's Road, London SE23 3EP, in Forest Hill. Forest Hill station is nearby. The nursery accepts tour enquiries through its contact form or by telephone on 020 8699 0782.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for eligible working parents with children aged 9 months and over. The working-family entitlement is 30 hours over 38 weeks for eligible children between 9 months and 5 years; the universal entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds is 15 hours a week during term time. Rubadubs stretches funding across 52 weeks, so the delivery pattern differs from a term-time allocation.

Families should obtain a current written quotation for prices. Eligibility conditions still apply to working-family funding, and the stretched arrangement needs to be considered alongside the family's intended attendance.

• Comfort and returning to play. In August 2024, some toddlers stayed with adults after settling, missing opportunities to participate. During a visit, discuss how staff recognise when a child is ready to rejoin activities.
• Learning beyond nursery. In August 2024, parents wanted more help continuing learning at home. This matters for families seeking practical ideas that connect nursery experiences with home routines.
• The funded-hours package. Funding is stretched across 52 weeks. What does the proposed package cover for meals and non-food consumables, and how does it fit the intended attendance?
• Closures beyond bank holidays. The nursery also shuts for staff training and for three days in the period between Christmas and new year. Families relying on year-round care need to allow for those breaks.

Rubadubs suits families seeking year-round weekday provision with developmental room transitions and a concrete outdoor programme for preschool children. Monthly nature-reserve afternoons give its offer character; the August 2024 examples of language work and everyday independence add substance. The settling and home-learning improvement points deserve attention alongside those strengths, especially for parents prioritising how comfort leads back into participation.