Riverside Nursery Schools, Twickenham Park

Karate, Sing and Sign and a team with long-serving practitioners give Twickenham Park a character beyond its Cambridge Road address. The nursery combines these activities with a SENCo role and an emphasis on community connections. For families, the useful combination is additional experiences alongside a clear point of contact for special educational needs.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. It has capacity for 80 children, with an accepted age range of three to 60 months. This is whole-nursery capacity, rather than the size of any child's daily group.

Attendance is based on a minimum of three full days, including either Monday or Friday. That makes the commitment an important part of the choice.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage brings learning, development and care together. In August 2024, this included building language through singing and storytelling, developing physical skills through movement, and learning social skills by sharing and taking turns. In August 2024, staff used observations of children's interests and existing knowledge to decide what to introduce next. Activities were planned around the children rather than treated as an unchanging sequence.

Songs, stories and conversations featured in language learning in August 2024. However, younger children needed more chances to hear unfamiliar vocabulary and practise communication. That distinction matters: access to stories and singing alone did not ensure that the youngest children received enough opportunities to extend their language.

Karate and Sing and Sign are additional activities. Their place in the programme gives families something concrete to discuss when considering how extra sessions fit their child's day; the practical detail matters more than the activity names alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2024, younger children practised movement by using low furniture to pull themselves upright and by investigating sand. Older children used the garden for energetic movement, including jumping, climbing and balancing. These were different experiences for different stages of physical development, rather than one activity expected to suit everyone.

Community connections are part of Twickenham Park's current character. Alongside the additional activities, they give the nursery an emphasis that extends beyond its indoor learning programme.

Relationships and Communication

In August 2024, settling was paced around each child, with staff learning about them through their parents. A key person provided an ongoing relationship, while conversations with families helped staff understand individual children. For a child beginning nursery, that puts familiarity and a gradual adjustment ahead of a fixed timetable for settling.

Updates covered children's development, learning and next steps in August 2024. Communication still needed to involve parents more fully in wider nursery matters, including menus. The distinction is useful for families: information about an individual child's learning and involvement in nursery decisions are separate parts of the relationship.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children needing additional support, including those with special educational needs or disabilities, were helped through identification, referrals and strategies agreed with professionals. A SENCo role remains part of the current staff structure, giving families a specific role around which to discuss support.

In August 2024, staff helped children work through disagreements and encouraged consideration for others. Changes of room or key person were planned, as was the move to school, with links to local schools supporting preparation. This transition work concerned children's readiness for change rather than an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 31 Cambridge Road, Twickenham, TW1 2HN. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates for 50 weeks annually. The attendance commitment is at least three full days, with Monday or Friday included; the fee structure also covers four-day and five-day attendance.

Sickness and holidays do not attract refunds. Families therefore need to weigh the regular booking commitment against periods when their child will be away. Visits can be booked, and enquiries can be made by telephone on 020 8892 0872.

Getting There

St Margarets and Richmond are the nearest stations. Those named transport options give families useful starting points for planning the journey to Cambridge Road.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. Private paid attendance is also offered, and meals are provided. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page sets out the attendance and deposit terms.

A deposit is payable on accepting a place and is non-refundable if the child subsequently does not attend. It is returned six to eight weeks after departure only if six weeks' written notice has been given and no payments remain outstanding.

• Three-day commitment. At least three full days must include Monday or Friday. Consider whether that recurring pattern fits your working week before booking a visit.
• Younger children's language. In August 2024, opportunities to extend vocabulary needed strengthening. During a visit, ask how practitioners now introduce and revisit new words with the youngest children.
• Parent involvement. August 2024 communication needed to include families more fully in nursery matters such as menus. Ask how parents now contribute to those decisions.
• Funding and extras. Funded childcare and meals are offered. Ask which funded entitlement and conditions apply, and request a written breakdown covering funded attendance, meals, non-food consumables and participation in karate or Sing and Sign.

Twickenham Park suits families seeking a regular full-day commitment, whether across three, four or five days, with additional activities and a SENCo role within the setting. Its August 2024 Good judgement provides a clear inspection position. The decision should also give proper weight to the two improvement priorities: language opportunities for younger children and fuller involvement of parents in nursery matters.