Banana Moon Nunhead 2

The Shard recreated in children's constructions, a trip to Scotland Yard and vegetables bought for cooking: Banana Moon Nunhead 2's February 2023 nursery life connected play with the city around it. Those examples give this preschool a recognisable character. Children's interests became starting points for experiences beyond the usual indoor activities.

This is the Evelina Road setting at St. Thomas The Apostle Church, with 60 places in total across the setting. Its current age group is preschool children over three; the younger-child setting on St Mary's Road is a separate site. Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 17 February 2023, with effective safeguarding, while identifying inconsistent delivery of the curriculum as the improvement priority.

Full-day and half-day attendance sit alongside opening hours of 7.30am to 6.30pm. The attraction is the combination of preschool independence, play-led learning and family communication, rather than a baby-to-preschool offer within this building.

Rooms and Ages

Full Moons is the preschool stage: its group-wide description combines children choosing activities with individually planned learning, key-person observations and outdoor play. For an older child, that balance gives room to practise making decisions while adults keep track of development. The Evelina Road site serves the over-three age group, so the baby and toddler room descriptions belong elsewhere.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play helping children build language, physical skills and independence. Alongside it, the group-wide Banana Moon Early Learning & Development Programme uses children's interests to shape teaching and their surroundings. Its practical emphasis is on observation, information from families and resources children can use in different ways, rather than an adult-directed sequence of tasks.

In February 2023, children turned a visit to The Shard into construction play at different scales. A trip to Scotland Yard grew from conversations with children and families, then led to learning about people who help the community. These were examples of experiences feeding back into nursery activities, rather than outings standing apart from learning.

Everyday tasks carried learning too. In February 2023, children prepared citrus juice using knives and squeezers, and older children assessed risks in play spaces. Adults encouraged persistence and helped children use words when disagreements arose. That gives a useful picture of how practical responsibility and communication featured in the day.

The qualification is curriculum consistency. In February 2023, some activities fell short of their intended learning or did too little to take children's understanding further. An appealing activity needs a clear purpose as well as willing participation; this was the specific development point beneath the Good judgement.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2023, outdoor play included bicycles and running, giving children opportunities for active movement alongside indoor construction and practical tasks. Families took part in outings and garden planting. Children also bought vegetables locally for cooking linked to the cultures represented in the nursery.

These examples connect community life with things children can handle, make and discuss. They are dated examples of the nursery's work, rather than a promise that the same trips or activities run to a fixed timetable today.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2023, children sought out their key persons for comfort and shared play. Independence was encouraged through dressing, toileting and serving food, with children trying for themselves before requesting help. Care and growing responsibility sat together: adults remained available while children practised doing more independently.

The group-wide Parent App combines daily-routine updates with learning journals, photographs and feedback from home. Family members can be given access, making communication useful beyond the parent who handles collection. For families, the value is a link between daily experiences and the next steps adults are planning.

In February 2023, app communication included children's progress, ideas for home activities and advice about preparing for school. Parents also contributed their own knowledge and skills to nursery life. That relationship went beyond receiving updates: families brought their working lives and practical abilities into children's learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found strong support and excellent progress for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, with adults modelling language and using additional funding purposefully. In February 2023, staff also worked with speech and language therapists and the local authority, connecting nursery practice with specialist advice.

School preparation was practical. The February 2023 account included self-care, communication and guidance shared with families. Those are useful foundations for moving on, with no implication of an admissions advantage at any particular school.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at St. Thomas The Apostle Church, 81 Evelina Road, London SE15 3HL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm; full-day and half-day patterns are offered. A recommended weekly pattern is either two half-days or one full day, which is a recommendation rather than a compulsory minimum.

In February 2023, the nursery operated Monday to Friday across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. That dated operating pattern is separate from the current daily opening window.

Enquiries can be made through the callback form, by email at info@bananamoon-nunhead.co.uk or by telephone on 0207 7325557, using option 3 for the Evelina Road preschool. Keeping the two Nunhead addresses separate matters when arranging care for an older child.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private attendance are offered. Preschool funding routes include the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, starting the term following their third birthday, and up to 30 hours for eligible working families, subject to their circumstances. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; families should distinguish entitlement hours from additional paid attendance.

The group-wide food arrangement includes hot meals and snacks, with older children encouraged to serve themselves and discuss ingredients. Dietary needs and allergies are addressed through the nursery's catering policy.

• Curriculum follow-through. In February 2023, activities did not consistently extend learning as intended. During a visit, ask for an example of how a child's interest becomes an activity and then a next step.
• Preschool site. Evelina Road serves children over three, while younger children attend the St Mary's Road site. Arrange any visit specifically for the preschool building and Full Moons provision.
• Attendance pattern. Full days and half-days are offered, with one full day or two half-days recommended each week. Consider which pattern gives your child regular contact with the setting.
• Funded-place costs and dietary needs. Request a written quotation separating funded hours, extra attendance, meals and non-food consumables, and discuss current allergy arrangements where relevant.

Banana Moon Nunhead 2 suits families seeking preschool care through either full days or half-days, with children's choices and independence given space alongside planned learning. The February 2023 examples are memorable because they connect London experiences with construction, cooking and conversation.

The Good judgement comes with a clear qualification: activities needed to extend learning more consistently. Families should weigh that development point alongside the dated strengths in relationships, inclusion and community involvement, and the practical value of the Parent App. This is a preschool choice at Evelina Road, with the younger-child provision kept separate.