Toots Day Nursery

A baby garden, a separate sleep room and a preschool conservatory give Toots Day Nursery a clear sense of progression: the surroundings change as children grow. At 214 Totterdown Street in Tooting, it takes children from six months to five years. Outdoor space belongs to each age group, rather than being an occasional addition to the day.

Ofsted rated Toots Good at its 3 August 2022 inspection. That judgement is a dated assessment, and its improvement priorities deserve attention alongside the strengths: clearer explanations to parents about learning concerning the wider world, and further development of practitioners’ teaching skills. These are useful subjects for a visit, especially for parents who want to understand the thinking behind activities.

Full-time attendance and part-time patterns are offered, including morning and afternoon sessions on request for older children. The practical distinction is age: babies under two have a minimum booking of two whole days, while funded attendance has its own minimum requirements.

Rooms and Ages

Tiggers, for six to 18 months, combines sensory exploration and early movement with a separate garden and its own sleep room, allowing rest and active play to occupy different spaces.

Busy Bees, from 18 months to three years, emphasises creative and physical play through a gym house, soft play, painting and music, with individual beds and an outdoor area of its own.

Pre-School, for three to five years, brings early maths, literacy, science and technology together with imaginative activities, while a conservatory connects the room to a large garden.

These are meaningful differences for families choosing care across several years. The youngest children have surroundings designed around their routines; toddlers have space for movement and quieter play; older children begin taking more responsibility. Movement between rooms therefore changes both the physical setting and the expectations of the day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes planning here: children learn through play, with activities supporting language, movement, early number skills, relationships and creative expression. It is the foundation for the day, rather than an extra programme. Alongside it, weekly groups cover cooking, yoga, music and French, giving children recurring opportunities beyond the everyday play activities.

Sand, paint and water sit alongside stories, singing and pretend domestic play. Planning takes account of children’s interests and stage of development, so the emphasis is on an appropriate next step rather than a uniform task. Colours, numbers and shapes are introduced early, with reading and writing skills developing later. Parents can see the approach in the curriculum information.

For older children, Spanish and drama join French and yoga. Circle time and shared games support participation, while tasks and a helper role introduce responsibility for the room and consideration for others. That gives school preparation a practical dimension: joining a group, contributing and looking after a shared environment, as well as working with letters and numbers.

In August 2022, children explored food through smell, touch and taste, then used descriptive vocabulary while preparing and eating fruit. Number searches in the preschool garden brought counting into outdoor play. Those examples show how ordinary materials can connect language and mathematics with something children actually want to do.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor provision includes a paved playground, safety surfacing, lawn and gardening space, as well as the baby garden. Different surfaces and spaces give children alternatives to indoor activities. The garden is part of the learning environment, not simply a place for a break.

Regular outings include the library and park, with other destinations linked to what children are learning. Their value is the connection between nursery activities and the surrounding community: books, places and experiences extend beyond the room. The outings are regular; the weekly timetable applies to the activity groups, not to trips.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for settling, everyday needs and working with parents to document development. That gives families a particular practitioner to build a relationship with, rather than leaving continuity to whoever happens to be present. Baby-room daily logs add a practical account of the day, helping parents follow routines as well as learning.

The staff team includes childcare-qualified practitioners and trainees or apprentices working towards qualifications, with first-aid training also part of the staffing arrangements. Induction is followed by continuing training opportunities. In August 2022, the development priority was to take teaching knowledge further across the team; training provision alone should not be mistaken for evidence that this priority has been completed.

Communication also needs to explain purpose. In August 2022, children explored different cultures and family arrangements, but parents did not consistently understand why those activities mattered. For families, the useful distinction is between receiving an account of what happened and understanding what their child was learning from it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well supported through collaboration between practitioners, parents and external organisations. Those findings belong to that assessment. Current planning takes account of different learning rates and individual needs, while families must supply written information about medical conditions, disabilities and allergies.

Rest has an identifiable place in the room arrangements: babies have their sleep room, and Busy Bees children have individual beds for naps. In August 2022, younger children rested in calm surroundings and slept according to their needs. The separation of rest from active play is especially relevant for parents whose child still needs daytime sleep.

Parents provide written allergy details and updates, and the nursery’s policy aims to keep the environment free of nuts with families’ cooperation. Under that policy, families should keep food and empty food packaging out of nursery and avoid using products containing nut oils on their children.

Prescribed medication requires a consent form and must go home at the end of the day. If a child becomes too unwell to remain, the nursery contacts parents or emergency contacts to arrange collection. These arrangements make accurate contact and health information an everyday practical responsibility for families.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks. Closures include bank holidays and the Christmas period. Full-time and part-time attendance are both offered; for children aged two and above, five-hour sessions run from 8am to 1pm or from 1pm to 6pm on request.

Under-twos must attend at least two whole days. The terms require a maintained booking of four sessions, equivalent to two days, including for the universal 15-hour entitlement; the full extended 30-hour entitlement requires at least three full days. These minimums matter more to the weekly arrangement than the opening window alone.

Fees are billed monthly, and booked sessions remain payable during sickness, family holidays and bank holidays. Ending a place or reducing sessions requires at least 30 days’ written notice, with fees payable during that period. Occasional changes therefore need to be distinguished from a permanent reduction in the booking.

Getting There

The address is 214 Totterdown Street, Tooting, London SW17 8TD, on a residential street with the building set back from the road. Tooting Broadway tube station and Tooting railway station are nearby, with bus routes also serving the area.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 020 8767 7017 or by email at info@tootsdaynursery.com. Applying involves a completed registration form, followed by acceptance of an offer and a deposit under the agreed terms.

Funding and Paid Extras

The universal 15-hour entitlement begins in the term following a child’s third birthday. The additional 15 hours depend on eligibility and a fresh application before each term. These funding packages are stretched over 51 weeks rather than confined to term time, and a signed funding declaration is required. The minimum attendance requirements still form part of the package.

Regular meals and activity materials are included in private fees, together with local walks, visits and trips; parents supply nappies and nappy cream. Funded attendance attracts additional charges under the nursery’s funding policy, so the private-fee inclusions should not be treated as a promise about the funded package.

Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. The fees information sets out attendance and funding arrangements, while the contract includes a registration charge and a deposit whose refund depends on notice and settlement of the final account.

• Funded booking commitments. The universal entitlement requires four sessions, while the extended entitlement requires three full days. At a visit, ask for one written package showing the proposed attendance, funded hours, additional charges and registration terms.
• Communication about learning. Clearer explanations of learning about the wider world were an August 2022 improvement priority. Ask how a recent activity was explained to parents and how its purpose connects with your child’s next steps.
• Allergy arrangements. The nut policy relies on family cooperation and written health information. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and how their child’s particular requirements would be managed.
• Changing the booking. At least 30 days’ written notice is required for termination or a reduction in sessions. Consider that commitment alongside the rule that absences remain chargeable.

Toots suits families seeking full-time attendance or a regular part-time arrangement, including morning or afternoon sessions for children aged two and above. Its clearest attractions are physical: separate outdoor areas, a baby sleep room and the preschool conservatory. Weekly French, music, yoga and cooking add variety to play-based learning.

The August 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with teaching development and explanations to parents remaining relevant discussion points. For the family decision, the strongest fit is between those age-specific surroundings and a sustainable weekly booking, especially where funded hours bring minimum attendance commitments.