Burgess Park Nursery & Pre-School

In June 2023, children helping to plan their week, science conversations at a water tray and cooking shared with families gave Burgess Park Nursery & Pre-School a recognisable character. At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding and found that its ambitious teaching helped children become confident learners. Those concrete examples give the judgement substance.

Based in Peckham, the nursery accepts children aged 2 to 5 and has 45 places in total. Its term-time booking plans suit families whose childcare needs follow the school calendar. The appeal is the combination of practical learning and attention to family life, illustrated in June 2023 by cooking workshops, help with Reception applications and a food bank service.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means learning through experiences that develop communication, movement and relationships, alongside the care children need throughout the day. It is the foundation for provision, rather than an extra programme.

In June 2023, songs, storytelling and conversations introduced children to new words, which they then used in play. A water tray became a place to explore floating and sinking, with older children explaining ideas to younger ones. That connects scientific discovery with speaking and listening: children could use what they had learned rather than simply repeat it.

An aspiration board, used in June 2023 to help children imagine their future possibilities, gave ambition a concrete place in the nursery day. Children also held planning discussions each week about their interests. Their ideas helped shape activities, giving them practice in expressing preferences and listening to other views.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2023, a large garden gave children room to practise balance and different ways of moving. Regular yoga sessions paired physical activity with attention to breathing. The practical value was the connection between movement and learning ways to manage feelings when children became overwhelmed.

Weekly cooking activities also formed part of the day in June 2023, introducing unfamiliar ingredients through hands-on experience. Family workshops and shared recipes extended that activity beyond nursery. Cooking therefore offered both something for children to investigate and an experience parents could continue at home.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) exceptionally strong, including timely access to services and coordinated work with other agencies. This is a dated judgement, with practical mechanisms behind it: adapted activities helped children participate, while staff worked with families and outside professionals.

Relationships were built around a key person in June 2023. Staff recorded children's development when they began attending and used continuing observations to spot areas needing attention. For a parent, the useful connection is between settling in and subsequent learning: getting to know a child informed what staff planned next.

Family support extended beyond discussions about children's activities. In June 2023, staff helped parents with Reception applications and offered advice about developmental stages; the food bank service provided another form of practical help. These examples show the breadth of support at that time, rather than an admissions advantage at a named school.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 183 185 Glengall Road, London SE15 6RS. Full Days run from 9am to 4pm, and the term-time booking plan has four-day and five-day options. Full-day plans require at least two consecutive days, with either Monday or Friday included. The booking rules matter as much as the clock times when matching attendance to a working week.

Enquiries can be submitted through the booking form by selecting Burgess Park Pre-School and entering a preferred start date. Private places carry a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit, both payable when an offer is accepted. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through the Working Parent entitlement, Two Year Old Offer, Universal funding and Extended Entitlement, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements. The branch's booking plan is term-time. Families receiving government or local authority funding must submit a signed parental declaration before the term begins; failure to do so may result in private charges replacing funding.

Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in the booking-plan fees, including the plans with funded hours. An optional Green LEYF contribution supports sustainability programmes. For private places cancelled at least six weeks before the agreed start, the deposit is returned; cancellation closer to the start forfeits it, while a deposit retained through attendance is credited to the final fees account.

• The school-calendar fit. Four-day and five-day term-time plans run from 9am to 4pm. Families needing care during school holidays should weigh that pattern against their working arrangements.
• Days must work together. Full-day bookings require consecutive attendance and include Monday or Friday. At a visit, discuss how the intended days would support your child's settling-in routine.
• Individual support. The June 2023 findings describe adapted activities and coordinated SEND support. Ask how the key person would work with your family and any professionals already involved with your child.

Burgess Park merits consideration for families seeking full days or term-time places for a child aged 2 to 5, with four-day and five-day term-time plans. Its June 2023 examples of child-led planning, shared science discoveries and practical family support give parents useful reasons to consider it. The deciding practical question is whether the 9am-to-4pm day and consecutive-day booking rule fit family life.