The Butterfly Patch Morden Park Forest School and Nursery

Tree climbing, supervised tools and Morden Park’s 190 acres give this nursery its character. Forest School here means outdoor exploration and practical experiences with natural materials, while babies begin in a more familiar nursery environment before being introduced gradually to those experiences. The distinction matters: the outdoor emphasis does not mean the youngest children spend their day out in the park.

The Butterfly Patch Morden Park Forest School and Nursery cares for children from 3 months to 5 years on Lower Morden Lane. At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective. The strongest reason to consider it is the connection between outdoor activity and learning, rather than the park simply providing somewhere to play.

Full-day and half-day attendance are offered across the year. There are also practical commitments to weigh, including minimum bookings and the way funded hours are spread over the year.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework connects children’s play with their language, movement, relationships and other areas of learning. Forest School adds a concrete outdoor approach alongside those requirements: children explore nature, climb trees and learn to handle tools, including hammers and knives, through supervised, risk-assessed activities. These are experiences with real materials and real boundaries.

Choice is part of the day too. Children can move between indoor and outdoor play and select toys or everyday objects for themselves. That gives them scope to pursue an interest rather than having every activity selected for them. Babies and very young children use a more conventional nursery base, with materials and tools introduced gradually as preparation for Forest School sessions.

In February 2024, toddlers investigated worms and their movements, with adults joining their pretend play and adding words to describe what they were doing. Older children drew body outlines with chalk on paths, using the activity to explore position and direction. These examples show how outdoor experiences can carry language and early mathematical ideas, rather than sitting apart from them.

There were limits to that practice. In February 2024, confident children sometimes drew attention away from quieter participants during group activities, and adults did not consistently develop creative possibilities beyond an activity’s planned purpose. Both points matter for children who prefer to watch before joining, or whose interests take an unexpected direction.

Outdoor and Community Life

Most of the older children’s day is spent outdoors, including in wet, snowy or windy weather. Extreme conditions and lightning can bring activities back to base, following Met Office guidance. Families choosing this nursery need to be comfortable with outdoor exploration as a substantial part of the routine, rather than an occasional outing.

Healthy Early Years London is a group-wide awards scheme covering children’s health, wellbeing and development, including eating habits and physical and oral health. Participation gives the health emphasis a named structure; it should not be read as an inspection judgement or an award already achieved.

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received effective support, including changes to adult movement and routines to help children settle and build relationships. That is a useful example of support being adapted around an individual child, rather than expecting the child to fit an unchanged routine.

In February 2024, babies explored leaves in an area set aside for their outdoor sessions, while adults introduced words for different textures. Children also practised handwashing before outdoor snacks and reminded adults when soap was needed. Care and learning met in ordinary routines as well as organised activities.

Outdoor supervision had specific procedures in February 2024: an additional adult watched activities, staff responded when dogs approached, and children were counted regularly. These are dated examples of how the outdoor setting was managed. They do not replace a discussion of the arrangements a child will experience now.

Meals are included in the standard price, with different food provision for morning and afternoon attendance. Packed lunches are excluded under the nursery’s allergy-control policy. Standard nappies, wipes and Sudocrem are included too; families choosing a different nappy can supply it labelled for their child, while reusable nappies are accepted only from bumGenius and a standard nappy may sometimes be used.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Morden Park, adjacent to the Cricket Club, Lower Morden Lane, Morden, SM4 4SF. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, with childcare operating for 51 weeks of the year. Bank holidays and a week at Christmas are closures.

Full days and half days are sold. Morning half days run from 7.30am to 1pm; afternoon half days run from 1pm to 6.30pm. The normal minimum booking is three half days or two full days per child, with no minimum for disadvantaged two-year-olds using FEET funding. For the 30-hour entitlement, the terms specify four days or a pro-rata claim, so the funding arrangement needs to fit the attendance pattern rather than being treated as interchangeable with any booking.

Term-time contracts carry a holiday retainer. Additional ad-hoc attendance can be booked after registration, subject to the nursery being able to accommodate it. A buggy park provides somewhere for pushchairs.

Registration follows a discussion with the manager, who sends a registration link. Direct enquiries can be made to mordenpark@thebutterflypatch.co.uk or 03300 438275.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is accepted for eligible children in the 9-month, two-year-old and three-to-four-year-old categories. The 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements are stretched across the year as 11 and 22 hours respectively. This spreads the benefit across year-round attendance, rather than delivering those headline hours each week during school terms.

Standard pricing includes meals and the standard hygiene items described above. Extra activities fall outside that price. A separate consumables surcharge applies to the two-half-day disadvantaged funding arrangement when a child turns three unless attendance increases to the stated two-day minimum.

A non-refundable registration charge and a deposit form part of joining. The deposit is credited against the final invoice, but the terms also describe different refund conditions for withdrawal before starting, making the written terms important before payment. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the Morden Park fees and terms explain the booking and charge structure.

• Quieter children and creative play. February 2024 improvement points concerned participation in groups and extending children’s creative interests outdoors. During a visit, ask how adults involve a child who hangs back and respond when play moves beyond the original plan.
• Outdoor life for different ages. Older children spend much of their day outside, while babies start from a nursery base. A 30-minute Morden Park show-around can help families discuss how the gradual introduction works for their child, including settling and rest.
• Funding and booking commitments. Stretched hours, minimum attendance and a holiday retainer for term-time contracts affect the overall arrangement. Request a written quotation separating private hours, funded attendance, meals, consumables and extra activities for the exact pattern you intend to use.
• Nappies and dietary needs. Standard hygiene supplies are included, but alternative nappies have conditions and packed lunches are excluded under the allergy policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and how their child’s meals will be managed before joining.

This nursery suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with substantial outdoor exploration as part of childhood. Its most persuasive feature is the use of the park for practical learning, balanced by a different starting point for babies.

The February 2024 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, alongside clear improvement points about quieter children and creative opportunities. The decision rests on whether that outdoor character fits the child and whether the booking and funding commitments fit the family.