The Little Red Hen Nursery School

Chat on the Mat, French and Games, and play in a courtyard playground give The Little Red Hen Nursery School its character: a term-time Battersea setting with a structured group routine alongside time for children’s own interests. A secure garden provides another outdoor space. The balance is practical, with conversation, stories and movement woven into the day rather than treated as separate ambitions.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and praised its teaching of communication, language and literacy. That is a dated assessment. The nursery has capacity for 35 children; the children attending in September 2023 were aged two to four.

A weekly topic connects the activities, while free play changes daily and takes account of individual interests. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the learning framework, covering children’s language, relationships, movement, early reading and mathematics, understanding of their surroundings and creative expression. Here, those areas take practical form through play, conversation and organised activities.

Traditional teaching sits alongside selected elements of the Montessori method for learning and play. The more concrete guide to the experience is the daily routine: children choose activities, join group discussions and take part in a scheduled activity before outdoor play. This gives families a clearer picture than the approach’s name alone.

Chat on the Mat combines taking the register with discussing the weather and sharing personal news. Children practise listening to someone else, waiting for their turn and finding words for their own experiences. Stories follow, with books chosen to encourage listening, imagination and problem-solving.

The sample timetable places French and Games alongside Cookery and Ballet, with music activities elsewhere in the week. It is a sample rather than a fixed promise, and activities can change with the weather. Gardening also features among the daily activities. These give the routine several different starting points for children’s interests.

In September 2023, children planted sunflowers and discussed animals and their characteristics. Counting games and songs accompanied work on shapes, including pentagons and hexagons. These examples show how conversation and hands-on tasks connected with early mathematical and scientific ideas at that time.

Outdoor play takes place in either the courtyard playground or the secure garden. In September 2023, outdoor equipment gave children opportunities to balance, climb, jump and run. Creative activities that month included printing with leaves, modelling with dough and experimenting with musical instruments: different ways to make something, handle materials and explore sound.

In September 2023, staff used calm voices and positive encouragement, explaining group expectations rather than simply issuing instructions. Children practised sharing during pretend shopping and taking turns in games. The practical value was a day in which social habits were taught through ordinary interactions.

Independence was also part of the September 2023 routine. Children handled their lunch-container lids, poured drinks and managed coats and shoes. Tidying after play gave them another responsibility. These were small, concrete opportunities to do things for themselves.

Communication with families in September 2023 included regular progress updates and books lent for reading together at home. That extended the nursery’s story-based learning beyond the session and gave parents something specific to share with their child.

For fruit snacks, parents supply the fruit. Children choose and share it during story time, bringing opportunities to explore tastes and textures into a familiar group activity.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery operates on weekdays during term time. Its year has three terms, each lasting about twelve weeks, with a week-long half-term break. Entry points are September and January, so the calendar matters when planning a start.

The daily routine begins at 9.30am, with collection at 12.30pm. Afternoon attendance depends on demand each term. Families considering afternoons therefore need to distinguish the regular morning routine from that conditional extension.

Getting There

The address is Christ Church Battersea, Cabul Road, London SW11 2PN. Telephone enquiries go to 020 7738 0321.

Joining involves completing and signing a paper registration form and returning it to the nursery. Signing binds families to the prospectus terms and conditions, making those terms part of the decision rather than a later administrative detail.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2023, the nursery accepted funding for free early education for three- and four-year-olds and operated during term time. Current prices should come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Afternoon planning. Afternoon attendance depends on termly demand. At a visit, ask how that arrangement would work alongside the regular morning routine for your intended start.
• Feelings and dental health. In September 2023, teaching about different emotions and looking after teeth needed further development. Ask for examples of how both now feature in children’s activities.
• Starting and signing. September and January are the entry points, and the signed registration form binds families to the prospectus terms. Read those terms before committing to a start.

The Little Red Hen suits families seeking a term-time morning routine, with conditional afternoon attendance for those wanting a longer day. Its strongest practical appeal is the combination of group conversation, stories, creative activities and two outdoor spaces. The September 2023 assessment supports that appeal, while the specific questions about emotional learning, dental health and afternoon arrangements deserve attention before joining.