Scallywags II Day Nursery

An enclosed outdoor play area shared by all children gives Scallywags II Day Nursery a clear practical attraction: space for active play alongside its play-based learning indoors. This Lewisham Road setting serves children aged 24 to 60 months and has 36 places in total. Its character is straightforward, with children's independence and parent involvement central to its approach.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, while identifying two priorities: more demanding questions during learning and more consistent sharing of children's next learning goals with parents. Those points matter. They distinguish a positive inspection judgement from a reason to assume every aspect of teaching and communication was equally strong.

Full-time attendance, a three-full-day pattern and half days give families different ways to organise childcare. The detail belongs alongside the opening hours and funding arrangements below.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means learning through play and experiences that develop communication, movement, relationships and early understanding, rather than treating nursery as formal lessons. Scallywags uses a play-based approach, with supervised exploration and growing independence among its stated aims.

In March 2023, staff used information gathered from parents and their own observations to plan activities around children's interests and earlier experiences. Children chose materials for themselves. Dough activities involved rolling and cutting with tools, giving small hands purposeful practice; matching games brought rules and turn-taking into play. Younger children explored bubbles by blowing and popping them.

Language was woven into conversations, stories and songs that month. Staff introduced unfamiliar words and allowed time for answers, but their questions did not reliably stretch children's understanding. The practical distinction is between encouraging a child to speak and helping that child develop an idea. Both deserve attention when judging the learning experience.

Early literacy and mathematics also took tangible forms in March 2023. Children searched through sand for letters and recognised sounds within their names. Counting, drawing shapes and responding to directions gave mathematical language a practical use, while filling and emptying containers introduced weight and capacity. These were activities children could handle and explore.

Outdoor and Community Life

All children have access to the enclosed outdoor play area, making outdoor play a shared part of the setting rather than a facility reserved for one age group. For families choosing between indoor-heavy settings and those with their own outdoor space, that is a useful distinction.

In March 2023, garden activities included riding trikes, balancing on equipment, kicking balls and drawing with chalk. Children also encountered music from different parts of the world and learnt about cultural and religious celebrations. Home languages were supported alongside English, connecting nursery experiences with children's family lives.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and good progress among children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. The current offer includes support for both groups; the dated judgement provides the assessment of how that support worked at the time.

Everyday care in March 2023 included reassurance and physical comfort when children needed it. A visual timetable helped children understand the order of activities, and labelled coat pegs gave them a practical responsibility of their own. Staff modelled expected behaviour, used gentle reminders and supported turn-taking. Older children helped younger children, adding a social dimension to the routines.

Communication with parents in March 2023 covered daily activities and care routines. The weakness was more specific: families did not consistently receive the next learning goals or suggestions for continuing learning at home. A daily account of what happened is useful, but it serves a different purpose from explaining what a child is working towards.

Food comes from Zebedee’s Lunch Box, whose service includes hot lunches and cold afternoon teas. The nursery's dietary policy covers most allergies and food intolerances as well as cultural diets, so allergy-affected families should confirm current practice before agreeing arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 120 Lewisham Road, London, SE13 7NL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with closure at weekends and on Bank Holidays. This gives families a weekday opening window across the year.

The attendance options are full time, three full days and half days. These are different booking patterns, so the half-day option deserves attention alongside the longer attendance choices. Fees are paid in advance each month, using cash or a direct bank transfer.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. A separate appointment form accepts preferred meeting or visit times, giving families a way to arrange a discussion about joining.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for children aged two to four, and the fee structure includes 15-hour and 30-hour options alongside paid attendance. Participation does not mean every family qualifies for either entitlement. Funded hours and the overall attendance pattern need to be considered separately when planning childcare.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The programme and pricing page sets out the attendance categories and monthly payment structure, which helps families frame a quotation around the pattern they actually need.

• Challenge during play. In March 2023, questioning did not consistently extend children's thinking. During a visit, look at how practitioners follow up an answer and encourage a child to explain an idea.
• Learning information for home. The March 2023 improvement priority concerned sharing learning goals and home activities consistently. This matters if you want communication that helps you support learning as well as understand the day's routine.
• The funded-hours package. The nursery offers funding and several attendance patterns. Before choosing a pattern, ask how funded hours are scheduled and how meals and non-food consumables are treated in the written quotation.

Scallywags suits families considering full-time attendance, a three-full-day pattern or half days who value play-based learning and an enclosed outdoor area. The March 2023 judgement provides a positive assessment, supported by concrete examples of practical learning and familiar routines.

The decision deserves attention to teaching and parent communication as well as hours. More challenging questions and clearer learning goals were the two improvement priorities. For a family wanting to take an active role in their child's learning, those are meaningful points to weigh alongside the attendance choices.