Wimbledon Day Nursery II

Children choosing projects, babies exploring through their senses and parents contributing family stories give Wimbledon Day Nursery II its character. The setting at 33 Montague Road, London, SW19 1TF has capacity for 49 children and belongs to a pair of nurseries on opposite sides of the road. The distinction between them matters: this is the branch at number 33.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 1 December 2023. Beyond the headline, the account of daily life was unusually concrete: children built ships, explored aeroplane roles and made decisions using stones and scales. Those examples put practical activity and children's ideas ahead of formal lessons.

Four developmental stages span baby care through preschool. Full-day attendance is the regular booking pattern here, with ad hoc sessions also offered subject to availability. The strongest reasons to consider this branch are its play-led projects, continuity through key people and the opportunities for families to contribute to learning.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves children from 3 to 18 months, with a maximum of 9 babies per session; sensory exploration, songs and movement sit alongside routines adapted to each baby. That room limit is separate from the nursery's total capacity. For parents making an early return to work, the combination of a defined baby-room cap and individual routines is a useful practical detail.

Toddler One takes children from 18 months to two and a half years, developing projects from their interests and experiences at home. Toddler Two covers two and a half to three and a half years, introducing greater structure while children help shape their role-play space and practise looking after themselves. Pre School runs from three and a half years to 4 years 11 months, with children choosing project topics and taking more responsibility for their surroundings.

The progression is about increasing participation. Babies explore and build relationships; older children contribute ideas, make choices and manage everyday tasks. Room moves come with information about the next stage and opportunities for parents to discuss the change, keeping those transitions connected to the child's development.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the shared requirements for learning and care, with children developing communication, movement, relationships and early understanding through play. Here, projects give those requirements a practical shape: staff develop activities around children's questions and interests rather than treating each area of learning as a separate lesson.

In December 2023, mathematics appeared in construction play as children cut and measured tape for cruise ships. Younger children explored positional language through parachute games. Storytelling used props, and aeroplane play included communication by walkie-talkie. These are tangible examples of language, number and imagination working together in an activity children want to pursue.

Across the two nursery sites, Football Focus brings coaches in weekly for ball activities and movement games. Teddy Tennis uses coached team play and coordination activities, while French introduces another language through games, with progress shared with parents each term. These additions sit alongside the everyday curriculum; they do not replace it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children have access to a sensory room, a nature garden and two large gardens. Outdoor opportunities include planting, climbing and exploration with sand, water and mud. The intention is to use outdoor areas each day when children have suitable clothing and activities, so the provision extends beyond indoor play.

The two-site programme also connects projects to the neighbourhood. Outings can involve local parks, choosing cooking ingredients or investigating a car engine with mechanics; additional parental permission is sought for longer trips using public transport. Visits to the Buddhist temple in Wimbledon bring cultural learning into a real local setting.

Family occasions include an annual Christmas Fayre with crafts, games and nativity animals, alongside come-and-play events for Mothers day and Fathers day. These offer parents ways to participate in nursery life beyond exchanging information about their own child.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, with a second practitioner acting as a buddy when that main adult is away. During settling, the nursery can change the allocation if a child forms a closer relationship with another member of staff. Continuity has a clear mechanism here rather than resting on one person's presence every day.

Babies can sleep in individual cots when they need to, and families supply familiar comfort items or sleep clothing. Staff follow home routines and work with parents on weaning. For toddlers beginning to use the potty, support is coordinated with families so that home and nursery approaches can work together.

Communication is designed to travel both ways. Parents can contribute observations, photographs and familiar words through family story books and English as an additional language books. Baby sign is shared through songs and routines, with a termly song and sign morning giving families a way to use the same signs at home. In December 2023, parents also received app updates and ideas for continuing learning outside nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified timely support for children with SEND, including collaboration with local authority professionals and language and social-interaction groups. The practical inclusion arrangements include work with Merton Inclusion Team and meetings involving the SENCo and the child's key worker. These provide a route for discussing individual needs before attendance or when needs emerge.

In December 2023, yoga was timed within the day and children used resting areas and lavender to help manage feelings. Everyday independence also featured: children served food, cleared away and took on responsibilities. The emphasis was on helping children recognise their needs and practise responding to them.

Fresh food is prepared in a kitchen at each site, with seasonal menus following an 11-day cycle. The nursery offers dietary accommodation, which makes discussion of an individual child's requirements part of planning their care.

Before children leave for school, staff prepare development summaries for families and the receiving setting, talk with children about school life and welcome visiting teachers. This is practical preparation and information sharing, with attention to both the child's confidence and the adults who will support the next stage.

Sessions and Attendance

Wimbledon Day Nursery II offers full-day sessions from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The minimum regular booking is one day each week. Ad hoc sessions are conditional on availability, giving families a separate option for occasional additional attendance rather than a guaranteed flexible booking.

The opening schedule is 51 weeks a year, with bank-holiday closures. Fees continue during sickness and holidays, and bank holidays are included in the fee calculations. That matters when comparing the cost of the booked pattern with the days a child actually attends.

Registration leads to a free waiting list, organised by age group and order of application, with sibling priority. Families receiving an offer have three days to respond before it passes to the next child. A holding deposit is required after acceptance; the terms provide for its return at the end of attendance with one month's notice.

Getting There

The address is 33 Montague Road, London, SW19 1TF. South Wimbledon tube station, Wimbledon train station and Merton Park tram station are within walking distance, and buggy storage is provided at each nursery site.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through the 15-hour arrangement for three- and four-year-olds and arrangements of up to 30 hours for children aged nine months to two years, two to three years and three to four years. Funding is stretched from 38 weeks across 51 weeks; participation does not itself establish a family's eligibility.

Private fees include food, baby milk, drinks, consumables and activities. Funded-day terms differ by age: food, nappies, wipes, sun cream and the activities category carry no separate charge for the nine-month-to-two-year band, while the older funded bands have separate charges for food, non-food supplies and activities, including early or late attendance. These distinctions can materially affect a family's overall bill.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The fees and funding terms should be read alongside the contract, keeping funded education, additional attendance and the age-dependent extras separate.

• Full-day pattern. Regular sessions at number 33 run from 7.30am to 6.30pm, with a one-day weekly minimum. At a visit, discuss how your intended collection time fits your child's sleep and daily routine.
• Room size beyond baby care. The baby-room cap is 9, while the toddler and preschool descriptions give alternative capacities across the two nurseries. Ask which room limit applies at number 33 and how the room operates on your intended days.
• Funding changes with age. The youngest funded band has no separate charges in the listed food, supplies and activities categories; older funded bands do. Request a written quotation covering the next age-band change as well as the starting arrangement.
• Dietary planning. Meals are made on site and dietary requirements are accommodated. Families managing allergies should confirm current preparation and care arrangements for their child's specific needs.

Wimbledon Day Nursery II suits families who value child-led projects and continuity of care. Attendance options include regular full days from one day a week and occasional ad hoc sessions subject to availability. Children's projects, parent contributions and practical independence give the learning a clear identity, while the key-person buddy system provides continuity in care.

The December 2023 Outstanding judgement adds weight to those strengths. The main decisions are practical: whether the full-day booking fits the child, which older-room capacity applies and how funded extras change with age. The baby-room limit and individual routines deserve close attention from families choosing care for their youngest children.