Caterpillars Nursery at St Johns

Fruit cutting, vegetable growing and a snack bar children help prepare give Caterpillars Nursery at St Johns a practical character. Here, preparation for school includes learning to do things for yourself. This Tadworth setting accepts children from two to five, with a current emphasis on children staying until their Reception year.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children made good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those learning English as an additional language. The improvement priority was more consistent support for counting and number understanding.

Attendance follows a term-time pattern, with morning, afternoon, full-day and extended sessions. Individual settling arrangements and a key person for each child give families a defined starting point for the move from home to nursery.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care, covering language, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. At Caterpillars, planning builds from children's experiences and interests, then introduces challenges that take their learning further. Play is the starting point, rather than a separate reward after learning.

A Learning Journey records each child's development and achievements. Parents contribute to an initial profile with the key worker, so the starting point includes what a child can already do at home.

In May 2023, topics changed in response to children's interests. A visit to a community café became a pretend café back at nursery, complete with food, drinks, a menu and a cardboard oven. Pouring and scooping brought hand control into the role play, and the activity also helped children understand sinking and floating.

During that same month, adults used conversation and questions to develop language, including allowing children time to answer during shared stories. Shapes, colours and numbers appeared in activities too, although counting opportunities were not developed consistently enough.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2023, a large outdoor area supported daily movement and exploration of nature. A wormery and caterpillars developing into butterflies gave children living things to observe, with adults explaining their care and feeding. These experiences connected children's interest in animals with responsibility for them.

Growing vegetables remains part of the nursery's everyday offer, alongside making bread or smoothies and preparing snacks. These are tangible jobs with a purpose. Children can contribute to something they will later eat, rather than only handling materials in a pretend activity.

Shared events also bring families into nursery life. World Book Day 2026 invited children to wear a costume based on a book character, while Father’s Day Fun Afternoon in June 2026 welcomed dads, grandads, step-dads and other father figures for activities and games.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins during the term before a child starts. A parent or carer stays for the initial session, usually an hour; later sessions introduce some time apart. Their duration and number are tailored to the family.

Each child has a key person. In May 2023, that person stayed with the child throughout their time at nursery, providing continuity and detailed knowledge of their needs. The current arrangements also include an initial developmental profile completed with parents and ongoing recording by the key worker. Together, these give the relationship a practical purpose: knowing the child and following their development.

Parents can contribute through an open-door arrangement, opportunities to help, parents' evenings and summaries at the end of term. There is also time for conversation with staff.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) provides a named role for identifying and supporting additional needs. There is also a Designated Safeguarding Lead, and all staff have first-aid training. These describe the nursery's arrangements; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the May 2023 inspection.

In May 2023, emotional regulation was a development priority, and settling sessions were adjusted to individual children. Independence was practised through ordinary tasks such as managing outdoor shoes, using the toilet and helping prepare fruit. School preparation therefore included personal routines as well as early learning.

Children choose from fruit and vegetables, milk or water, and snacks such as crumpets, toast or pita bread during the morning or afternoon. They help prepare the snack bar, making food part of the day's practical learning.

Families supply nappies or pull-ups when a child is toilet training, and bring spare clothing and a coat for outdoor and messy play. The nursery also shares ERIC's All Aboard the Toilet Train, an external campaign offering families information and support for independent toilet use before school. It is a parent resource, alongside the personal routines children practise at nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Nursery, 59 The Avenue, Tadworth, KT20 5AA. Sessions run Monday to Friday across a 38-week nursery year. The attendance pattern starts at three, four or five sessions each week, with the option to increase as school approaches.

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 12.30pm, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. The Extended PM Session continues from noon until 5.15pm. Full Day runs from 8.30am to 3pm, while Extended Full Day ends at 5.15pm after the same start.

Lunch Club runs from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, and Late Club from 3pm to 5.15pm. Additional ad hoc sessions can be requested, with payment made beforehand or on the day. Admission and general enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form.

Term-time attendance needs to fit the family calendar. Summer Club 2026 was a separate holiday arrangement for existing and new children up to six, running on weekdays from 17 to 28 August, between 8am and 5pm. It should not be read as year-round nursery attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes FEET for eligible two-year-olds, universal funded education for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, and extended funded childcare for eligible working families. FEET and the universal offer cover up to 15 hours weekly across 38 weeks; eligible working families can receive up to 30 hours weekly. Funding is delivered through the term-time year, with eligibility applying to the relevant entitlement.

Private sessions are also offered, including attendance before funding starts. Fees are paid termly, with a monthly payment arrangement discussed through the bursar. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding information sets out the attendance and payment structure.

Leaving requires a term's notice. Where that notice is not given, the terms provide for an unfunded term's charge and loss of the deposit. For consumables, families provide toilet-training nappies or pull-ups.

Moving on includes a developmental summary sent to the next school, the photographic Individual Learning Journey going home, summer-term visits from Reception teachers and transition discussions with schools. This is information sharing to support the change of setting, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Early starts. The extended-day announcement gives an 8am start, while the contact timetable and full-day patterns start at 8.30am. Before choosing a pattern, establish which start applies to the proposed booking.
• Counting in everyday play. The May 2023 improvement priority concerned consistency in developing number and counting. On a visit, ask for examples of how staff now extend counting during play and ordinary routines.
• Food and the written quotation. Snacks and Lunch Club are part of the arrangements, while toilet-training nappies or pull-ups come from home. Ask the quotation to distinguish food and other consumables for funded hours and private sessions, so the total commitment is clear.
• The notice commitment. A term's notice is required to leave, with an unfunded term's charge and deposit loss if it is missed. Factor that commitment into plans for changing attendance or moving to school.

Caterpillars suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those needing a full or extended day. Its practical character comes through in snack preparation, vegetable growing, individual settling and the use of developmental records to connect home, nursery and the next school.

The May 2023 Good judgement provides a positive dated assessment, with counting consistency the clear improvement point. For parents, the strongest decision rests on whether the session choices and term-time calendar fit family life, and whether the individual settling approach matches their child's needs.