Zig Zags, Percy Road

Two large rooms in a community church hall give Zig Zags, Percy Road its physical character. Based at Goodmayes Methodist Church Hall in Ilford, the nursery has capacity for 30 children, with a current age range of three months to five years. That is a whole-setting figure, rather than the size of any child's daily group.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The account of children balancing on logs, discussing stories and inventing meals with play dough gives that judgement substance. There were also two clear improvements to make: more exploration of colours and materials, and more time for younger children to manage everyday tasks themselves.

Morning, afternoon and whole-day sessions run during term time. For parents, the practical appeal is the choice between a shorter nursery session and a longer stretch of care, alongside funded and privately paid attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Children have access to two large rooms within the church hall. The nursery caters for children aged three months to five years.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared early-years framework: learning takes place through play, with activities shaped around children's interests and needs.

In September 2021, pretend cooking and shopping gave children opportunities to develop their own stories, with staff joining their games. Play dough became make-believe food, while tools and conversation brought practical skills and new vocabulary into the same activity. Older children contributed ideas during shared stories. The limitation was creative breadth: experimenting with colour and different materials received less attention than imaginative role play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily access to outdoor space forms part of the nursery day, and families provide clothing suited to the weather. This gives active play a regular place in attendance rather than reserving it for special occasions.

In September 2021, children practised ball skills with adults, used tricycles and attempted a sequence of balancing steps between logs. These were different kinds of physical challenge: controlling movement, taking turns and persevering when a task needed another attempt.

Relationships and Communication

A child's key person is the contact for termly progress meetings, with appointments also possible when parents have a concern. Daily updates take different forms according to age, including spoken feedback, diaries, sheets and online journals. The online learning journal allows parents to view entries through a secure login and contribute photographs or notes from home, linking nursery experiences with family life.

In September 2021, staff and parents also worked together around toilet training and behaviour, using daily conversations and an online portal to exchange information. For a parent making changes to a child's routines, that exchange offers a way to explain what is happening at home and understand what happened during nursery hours.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

For children learning English alongside another language, parents supply familiar words written phonetically in their first language. Pictures showing routines and prompts around the room help explain the day. These are practical mechanisms: a child can recognise an activity or communicate a need while their English develops.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted found effective additional help for children who needed support and for those learning English as an additional language, with staff tracking learning and adapting their communication. In everyday exchanges that September, adults introduced vocabulary through songs, stories and conversation, and modelled words back to children.

The nursery restricts collection to parents, guardians or authorised adults, and staff receive training covering safeguarding and paediatric first aid. These are care arrangements; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection.

An onsite cook makes meals and snacks from scratch, with a pescatarian menu that rotates over three weeks. The nursery's dietary policy includes catering for allergies and preferences such as vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher food; allergy-affected families should discuss current practice for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Goodmayes Methodist Church Hall, Percy Road, Ilford, IG3 8SF. Term-time opening hours are 8am–5pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon options are 12.15pm–3.15pm or 12.30pm–3.30pm; whole-day sessions run from 9am to 4.30pm.

Funded attendance uses designated blocks. For children aged 2–5, the 15-hour choices are mornings across five days or 9am–2pm across three days. The 30-hour choices are 9am–4.30pm across four days or 9am–3pm across five days; these longer patterns are also examples for funded children under two. Hours beyond the funded block are paid additions, so the opening window and the funded booking are separate decisions.

Booked days cannot be swapped. Extra sessions require advance payment and depend on existing bookings, while normal charges continue during absence. Families with changing work schedules should weigh those terms alongside the choice of session lengths.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded entitlement is delivered during term time: 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds receiving additional support, the universal 15 hours for ages 3–4, and working-parent entitlements of 30 hours for eligible children from nine months through preschool age. Private sessions and additional paid hours are offered too. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Families bring a snack for children to share during sessions, while funded meal plans carry a separate charge; the plans for ages 2–5 are optional, and the morning funded pattern invites a voluntary fruit or snack donation. Funded attendance has no additional consumables charge. A deposit applies, and its refund depends on one month's written notice and an account with no outstanding balance.

Enquiries go through the Parent Enquiry Team by telephone or contact form. The enrolment form also allows families to submit their preferred start date and attendance days.

• Creative exploration and independence. September 2021 improvements concerned colour and material exploration, plus giving younger children time to wash hands, serve snacks and put on coats. During a tour, ask to see how these opportunities now fit into the routine.
• Rooms and session fit. Children access two large rooms. Ask how children of different ages use these spaces and which afternoon timing applies to your booking.
• Term-time planning. Attendance and funded blocks follow term time, and booked days cannot be exchanged. This suits a predictable weekly pattern; parents needing changing days should consider the extra-session terms before committing.
• Food choices. Snack contributions sit alongside separately charged meal plans, with optional plans for ages 2–5. For a child with an allergy, confirm the handling arrangements and the food plan for their exact sessions.

Zig Zags, Percy Road suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting whole-day attendance within the same setting. The two large rooms, daily outdoor access and communication through a key person and online journal give parents concrete reasons to consider it.

The Good judgement dates to September 2021. The decision should also account for its specific improvement points, fixed-day booking terms and the meal arrangements attached to funded attendance. This is a nursery to assess through the detail of the child's routine, rather than through its grade alone.