Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool Raynes Park, Pepys Road

Natural resources, a Growing Garden and outings to the library give Pepys Road a recognisable character: children have things to investigate, care for and talk about. At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding overall, with the same judgement across every assessed area. The appeal is practical as well as educational, with outdoor play, opportunities to practise independence and ways for parents to continue activities at home.

Dicky Birds Day Nursery and Preschool Raynes Park, Pepys Road has capacity for 63 children aged 3 to 60 months. Its Baby Room, Toddler Room and Preschool Room provide different environments as children develop. For families choosing care across these stages, the useful distinction is what each room emphasises, from cosy spaces for babies to language development and preparation for school.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room has soft, cosy areas and toys suited to its youngest children, giving babies a comfortable base for exploration. In the Toddler Room, activities emphasise language and independence, making communication and doing things for themselves part of children's experience. The Preschool Room concentrates on confidence, foundational skills and school readiness through interactive activities.

In June 2024, babies explored mud while searching for animals and insects, and used cars for painting. These were concrete opportunities to investigate textures and make marks. Children also used the garden and physical rooms for balancing, climbing and ball games, giving movement its own spaces within the nursery day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and care; here, its everyday expression includes exploring materials, developing language and practising independence. Pepys Road incorporates elements of the Curiosity Approach and Hygge Methodology, using natural resources to create a homely atmosphere. This gives parents a clear picture of the materials and surroundings children encounter.

Forest School sessions connect children with the natural world, while Make-and Bake activities are intended to develop useful life skills. Older children have PE sessions involving coordination, physical development and teamwork. Yoga and sports activities add further opportunities for movement, while the Growing Garden lets children tend plants and learn about their environment.

Learning followed children's interests in June 2024. Water play involving volcanoes developed into experiments with ingredients, with adults introducing vocabulary as children investigated what happened. Washing a car led to a petrol-station visit and discussion about how the vehicle worked. The significant detail is the connection between an initial interest, adult conversation and a further experience: children had something tangible to build their understanding around.

Outdoor and Community Life

A spacious garden supports outdoor play each day. Regular community outings include visits to the train station and local library, while park trips involve nature walks and picnics. These experiences give children subjects for conversation beyond their rooms and opportunities to explore familiar parts of their neighbourhood.

In June 2024, make a difference week involved litter picking near the nursery and fundraising activities such as a cake sale or bike wash for local charities. Children could take part in caring for their surroundings and contributing to a shared activity. The examples make community involvement concrete.

Relationships and Communication

Famly provides updates about children's activities and development, helping parents keep track of nursery life. Regular curricular evenings, stay-and-play sessions and special events offer further involvement. A lending library lets families borrow books, and home activity packs provide things to do together, giving conversations about learning something practical to build on.

In June 2024, staff gathered information from parents about children's experiences at home and used assessments to plan subsequent activities. Parents also received ideas for activities beyond nursery. This connected what children were doing in both places and helped adults plan around their interests.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCo role supports children with additional needs through tailored arrangements. For a family whose child needs extra help, this provides a specific role around which to discuss support, rather than relying on a broad statement about inclusion.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described babies as settled with gentle staff, alongside effective support for children's behaviour. In June 2024, stories helped children discuss feelings, and sand timers supported sharing and changes between activities. Self-care stations enabled children to wipe their noses, while serving themselves at mealtimes provided another opportunity to practise independence.

Staff development is part of the current offer, with internal and external training encouraged. In June 2024, staff had access to supervision, mindfulness activities and care packages. These arrangements describe how the team was supported at that time; the useful parent consideration is continuity in the adults caring for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 20 Pepys Road, London, SW20 8PF. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year, with bank holidays excluded. That opening window is useful for families planning work and collection around weekday care.

In June 2024, session times were 8am to 6pm, and the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Those arrangements belong to that date.

Getting There

Raynes Park Train Station is within walking distance, and on-street parking supports collection and drop-off. This makes both rail and car travel relevant to families considering the location.

• Your child's room. The Baby Room emphasises cosy spaces, the Toddler Room language and independence, and the Preschool Room preparation for school. During a visit, discuss how a move between these rooms would work for your child.
• Attendance and funding. The weekday opening window runs from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Ask how your intended booking would fit within it, including funded hours and the treatment of meals and consumables.
• Continuity of care. Parent updates through Famly and regular family sessions support communication. Use a visit to discuss settling and which adults would provide your child's day-to-day care.

Pepys Road suits families who value natural materials, outdoor activity and regular contact with nursery life through Famly, family sessions and activities to take home. Its Baby Room, Toddler Room and Preschool Room have different emphases as children develop, while the garden and community outings broaden their experiences. The June 2024 Outstanding judgement adds weight to those practical attractions. The weekday opening window also makes this a useful option for parents organising care around work.