Balham Nursery School & Children's Centre

My first daughter came here and 6 years later we’re back! Activities are child-led, mess is allowed, imagination, curiosity and creativity are encouraged. I have the utmost trust in the creative and highly experienced team who oversees activities/staff. There is a large garden where they can pull each other along in a cart, chalk, play in the sandpit/shops/Wendy house, and garden, see the pets, and use the climbing frame (which develops physical skills, confidence and muscles to write with!). It’s much more than a nursery, lead staff are concerned to build a caring community with parents encouraged to form a Parent Teacher Friends Association. (I have made lifelong friendships). They run classes to educate/advise parents too, Eg. Digital Parenting, Parenting with an Educational Psychologist and music therapy sessions. A lot of staff remain 10 years +. Children thrive, staff follow the early year’s syllabus but it’s not ‘school-ified’: Learning occurs organically through natural play/curiosity.