Forest Village Kindergarten

A former bowling green, a garden for barefoot exploration and days organised around the seasons give Forest Village Kindergarten its character. Set within Morden Recreation Ground, this screen-free nursery makes outdoor activity part of ordinary childcare: stories, meals and creative work can all move outside in good weather. Nature shapes the day.

The setting has 25 places in total, with a current age range of 24 to 60 months. At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted graded it Good across all areas and found safeguarding effective. Its strongest practical attractions are the fenced private garden, hands-on learning and a gradual settling process built around a key person.

Full-day and half-day attendance are both offered, with a minimum weekly commitment intended to help children become familiar with the group.

Rooms and Ages

Toddlers, aged 2–3, and Pre-School children, aged 3–5, share a group and daily rhythm, combining time in the garden with seasonal songs, creative work and rest. This gives the nursery a mixed-age character rather than a succession of separate age groups.

The shared routine includes a midday opportunity to sleep, with books and quieter activities for children who remain awake. Active outdoor periods alternate with calmer parts of the day. In summer weather, even lunch and circle time can take place outside; colder or wetter conditions bring activities indoors while retaining some outdoor time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the learning framework, covering children’s physical development, language, relationships and early understanding through play and everyday experiences. The additional approaches have concrete expressions here. Montessori brings practical tasks such as pouring drinks, laying tables and looking after materials; Waldorf brings seasonal rhythms, storytelling and making things from natural materials.

A seasonal nature table collects children’s finds alongside leaves, seeds, stones and crafted objects. Beeswax modelling, watercolour work and natural dyeing give the seasonal approach something tangible. These are activities children do, rather than simply labels attached to the curriculum.

Forest School means child-led exploration of the natural world. A dedicated full-time Forest School teacher leads sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with opportunities to investigate wildlife, grow herbs and vegetables and create artwork from natural materials. The garden and recreation ground supply the materials and setting for this work.

Pre-School children also have a weekly learning session covering early literacy, phonics, numbers and making marks, alongside weekly baking from scratch. Measuring ingredients and following recipes connect early mathematics with a useful task. Preparation for Reception stays practical and play-based.

In November 2023, seasonal learning included planting in spring and turning the autumn harvest into soup. Water experiments introduced ideas about quantity, while train-track construction prompted children to solve problems. At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted identified a teaching improvement: staff needed to pause more consistently after questions so children had enough time to answer. That matters in a setting where stories, rhymes and conversation carry much of the learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The private fenced garden occupies the former bowling green within Morden Recreation Ground. A mud kitchen, water play and sand play offer different kinds of exploration, while nature walks bring changing seasons into the children’s daily experience. The emphasis is on using the outdoor space throughout the year, with suitable clothing rather than a fair-weather-only routine.

The Barefoot Sensory Station adds a specific physical experience: children cross 12 natural surfaces, including moss, pebbles, bark, sand and wooden blocks. Its textures change with the seasons. This gives children another way to explore materials through touch and movement, alongside climbing, balancing and investigating the garden.

Two recurring events extend the seasonal rhythm to families. The Autumn Lantern Walk takes place each autumn, with children carrying lanterns they have made through the recreation ground during an evening gathering. The annual Summer Fair uses the private garden for activities and seasonal food. Both connect the nursery’s everyday outdoor work with occasions families can share.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is deliberately gradual. Every new child receives at least five settling sessions, with more where needed, and the wider settling process usually takes two to three weeks. Families need time for this transition rather than assuming that the first childcare day will immediately follow the usual attendance pattern.

The process begins with the parent or familiar carer remaining alongside the child while the key person starts building a relationship. Short separations follow according to the child’s response; parents stay nearby, and separation is extended gradually. If a child cannot be comforted, the parent returns and the process takes longer. The child’s response sets the pace.

Aware Parenting is the nursery’s approach to emotional support, using connection and respectful boundaries rather than punishments or rewards. Staff help children work through disagreements and listen to their feelings. For families who want care without sticker charts or time-outs, this is a clear part of the nursery’s stated practice.

Communication includes a yearly progress report and an annual parents’ evening, while learning journals can be viewed at any time. These give parents both a scheduled discussion and access to the detail behind it. Conversations during settling also help staff understand routines, interests and ways of comforting each child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support includes changes to the daily rhythm, room arrangements and resources. Where a child meets the relevant criteria, the nursery applies for inclusion funding to obtain specialist equipment or resources; Disability Access Funding can support adjustments, with spending discussed with parents. These are specific support mechanisms rather than a promise that every need will be met in the same way.

A designated safeguarding lead is on duty throughout opening hours, and volunteers are supervised. These are arrangements for handling concerns and overseeing adults working with children; the dated safeguarding judgement is set out above.

Food is prepared each morning in the nursery kitchen, using mostly organic seasonal ingredients and fish or vegetarian menus, with separate warmer- and colder-season plans. The nursery has a nut-free policy and offers dietary adaptations, so allergy arrangements need an individual discussion before attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Morden Recreation Ground, 25a Faversham Road, Morden, SM4 6RE. Opening hours are 8am–6pm from Monday to Thursday and 8am–1pm on Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. Closures include bank holidays and a winter break lasting one week.

Full days are offered Monday to Thursday; Friday uses a half-day pattern. Morning half-days run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoon half-days from 1pm to 6pm on Monday to Thursday. The minimum weekly booking is two full days, three half-days, or a combination of one full day and two half-days. That commitment is relevant even for families seeking a relatively short weekly pattern.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and there is an online application form. Personal tours can be booked online or by telephone. Notice must cover a complete calendar month, so the timing of a change in childcare arrangements matters.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through Working Families Funding, Universal Three- and- Four-year-old Funding and 2-year-old Funding for Families Receiving Additional Support, subject to the applicable eligibility rules. Working-parent funding requires an eligibility code that parents revalidate every three months. A parental funding agreement and validation of the child’s age are also required.

Both term-time and stretched arrangements are offered: term-time funding covers 38 weeks, while the stretched offer spreads it over 51 weeks. Funded hours can be used between 8am and 6pm Monday to Thursday and between 8am and 1pm on Friday. Additional private hours can be booked separately, and unused funding cannot be moved into the next term.

Meals and snacks are included in private fees. During funded hours, food and non-food consumables are charged separately through the optional Enhanced Provision Fee, which also covers additional activities; consumables include nappies, wipes, sun cream and dental-care items. Alternative arrangements allow qualifying families who cannot afford extras or receive additional government support to bring meals and consumables and opt out of the additional activities.

The funding policy explains the charge structure. Families obtain current prices in a written quotation from the management team. Bringing food involves practical rules: packed lunches must exclude meat and nuts, and parents need suitable containers because lunches cannot be refrigerated or reheated.

Getting There

Free on-street parking is available on Middleton Road, and families are asked to avoid parking on residential Faversham Road. Public transport options include Morden Underground Station on the Northern Line, St Helier and Morden South railway stations, and buses 80, 157 and 164 at St Helier Avenue / Middleton Road.

• Outdoor care in every season. Waterproofs and wellingtons are everyday essentials, with spare clothes kept on each child’s permanent peg. During a tour, discuss how the outdoor routine works for your child’s comfort and preferences.
• A gradual start. At least five settling sessions are included, and settling usually spans two to three weeks. Plan time to remain nearby during the early separations and discuss how this fits around work.
• Funded hours and extras. The optional Enhanced Provision Fee separates food, consumables and additional activities from funded childcare. Review the written quotation against your chosen attendance pattern and the alternatives that apply to your family.
• Food and allergies. The menus include fish, while the packed-lunch policy excludes meat and nuts. Confirm current allergy practice and any individual dietary arrangements before your child starts.

Forest Village Kindergarten suits families seeking either full-day care or morning and afternoon half-days within a consistent weekly pattern, especially those who want substantial outdoor time and practical learning. The former bowling green, Barefoot Sensory Station and seasonal family events give that preference a concrete setting.

The gradual settling process and approach to emotions are equally relevant to the choice. Families need to accommodate the minimum booking pattern, the shorter Friday and the distinction between funded hours and optional extras. For those comfortable with these arrangements, the nursery offers a clearly defined combination of outdoor exploration, seasonal creativity and everyday independence.