Sessional pre-school in Upper Tooting, Wandsworth
Marmalade Caterpillar
St Judes Chuch Hall, Heslop Road, London, SW12 8EG · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Outstanding
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since September 2022Reference 2702411Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 4 March 2025Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places40 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 8 October 2026Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
Funded hours: 2-year-olds, 15 hours
Fees: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 09:00–17:00
- Ages
- 2 years to 5 years
- Weeks open
- Term time only
Getting there
St Judes Chuch Hall, Heslop Road, London, SW12 8EG · More nurseries in SW12
Stations
- Balham7 min walk · 0.3 miles
- Wandsworth Common9 min walk · 0.3 miles
- Tooting Bec11 min walk · 0.4 miles
Buses
3 bus stops within 400 m, including Du Cane Court and Upper Tooting Park.
Parks and playgrounds
- Wandsworth Common4 min walk
- Nightingale Square10 min walk
- Upper Tooting Park Play Space playground5 min walk
© OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026 · Powered by TfL Open Data, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Wandsworth there are about 2.4 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
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Write a reviewAbout Marmalade Caterpillar
Marmalade Caterpillar is a sessional pre-school at St Judes Chuch Hall, Heslop Road, London, SW12 8EG, in Upper Tooting, Wandsworth. It is registered for 40 children and takes children aged 2 years to 5 years. It opens 09:00–17:00, Mon–Fri, term time only. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection in March 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It offers funded places for 2-year-olds and the 15 funded hours for 3 and 4-year-olds. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 2 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Marmalade Schools Limited.
Run by Marmalade Schools Limited (school), which runs 6 nurseries.
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning
The nursery's website names Montessori and a Play-based EYFS curriculum as its approach. Ofsted's 2025 inspection rated overall effectiveness Outstanding and quality of education Outstanding. Its website lists SEND support and an inclusive setting, along with music, language, sports coaching, dance and movement, drama, cooking and STEM activities.
- MontessoriSource: nursery website
- Play-based EYFS curriculumSource: nursery website
Settling in
Before starting, families get a New Parent Pack, a home visit from the group teacher and a Stay and Play session with their group, according to its website. Children start on a staggered basis over the first week, siblings first, and parents can stay while a child is unsettled.
- Term-time onlySource: nursery website
- Late pick-upSource: nursery website
- Settling-in sessionsSource: nursery website
- Holiday clubSource: nursery website
- Breakfast clubSource: nursery website
SEND and inclusion
- SEND supportSource: nursery website
- Inclusive settingSource: nursery website
Safety
Ofsted's 2025 inspection found safeguarding effective.
- Parent app with daily updatesSource: nursery website
- Online learning journalSource: nursery website
- Near public transportSource: nursery website
Extras and activities
- Music classesSource: nursery website
- Language classesSource: nursery website
- Sports coachingSource: nursery website
- Dance and movementSource: nursery website
- DramaSource: nursery website
- Cooking activitiesSource: nursery website
- STEM activitiesSource: nursery website
Getting a place
To apply, families complete the online registration form, email it to the School Office and pay the non-refundable registration fee to join the waiting list for the nursery closest to their home, according to its website. Places are offered as they become available, and the nursery accepts funded hours for 2-year-olds and the universal 15 funded hours for 3-4 year olds.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marmalade CaterpillarThis nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 09:00–17:00 | 2–5 yrs | This nursery |
| The BoulevardFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Eveline Day Nursery Schools Limited (The)Full-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Marmalade BearSessional pre-school | Outstanding | not shared yet | 09:00–17:00 | 2–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Crescent II Kindergarten: The KindergartensFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:45–16:00 | 6 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Bertrum House NurseryFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:45–15:30 | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| Little Beans Balham Boutique NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | 0 mo–2 yrs | 0.4 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Upper Tooting8
- All nurseries in Wandsworth145
- All nurseries in SW1221
- Nurseries near Balham station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Trinity St Mary's CofE Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected February 2024 0.2 miles
- Hornsby House School ages 4–11 0.2 miles
- Eveline Day School ages 2–11has a nursery class 0.3 miles
- Finton House School ages 4–11 0.3 miles
- Ravenstone Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected September 2023 0.3 miles
- Rutherford House School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Goodinspected July 2022 0.3 miles
- Balham Nursery School Nurseryages 2–5has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Goodinspected January 2025 0.4 miles
- Holy Ghost Catholic Primary School Primaryages 5–11Ofsted: Goodinspected June 2024 0.4 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
Does Marmalade Caterpillar offer 30 funded hours?
Marmalade Caterpillar does not list the 30 funded hours for 3 and 4-year-olds.
Does Marmalade Caterpillar take funded 2-year-olds?
Yes. Marmalade Caterpillar offers funded places for eligible 2-year-olds.
What are Marmalade Caterpillar's opening hours?
Marmalade Caterpillar opens 09:00–17:00, Mon–Fri.
Is Marmalade Caterpillar open all year?
No. Marmalade Caterpillar is open term time only.
What ages does Marmalade Caterpillar take?
Marmalade Caterpillar takes children aged 2 years to 5 years.
What is Marmalade Caterpillar's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Marmalade Caterpillar Outstanding at its inspection on 4 March 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Marmalade Caterpillar take?
Marmalade Caterpillar is registered with Ofsted for up to 40 children at any one time.
Who runs Marmalade Caterpillar?
Marmalade Caterpillar is run by Marmalade Schools Limited, which runs 6 nurseries.
What approach does Marmalade Caterpillar follow?
Marmalade Caterpillar's website describes its approach as: Montessori and Play-based EYFS curriculum.
Does Marmalade Caterpillar support children with SEND?
Marmalade Caterpillar lists: SEND support and Inclusive setting.
What is the nearest station to Marmalade Caterpillar?
Balham is the nearest station we know of, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Marmalade Caterpillar?
You can call 020 8265 5224 and visit www.marmaladeschools.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Wandsworth
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in WandsworthFees by age in Wandsworth
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (www.marmaladeschools.co.uk) · 11 November 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 11 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Powered by TfL Open Data
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 11 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2702411 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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