Marmalade Caterpillar
Marmalade Caterpillar is part of the Marmalade Schools group and operates from St Jude’s Church Hall near Balham station. Head Teacher Darren Walker leads a team of well‑qualified practitioners who create engaging learning experiences tailored to different learning styles. Children are encouraged to support each other in mixed‑age groups, fostering confidence and cooperation. The nursery offers creative play, Montessori-inspired activities and specialist lessons such as ballet, French and sports. Parent participation is encouraged through community events and a parental app, and the setting is inclusive of various religions, ethnicities and abilities. The school has a strong reputation for preparing children for their next educational step.
Reviews describe Marmalade Caterpillar as a nurturing nursery with creative learning and a friendly community. Parents are pleased with the preparation their children receive for school and the inclusive ethos.
Parents value the warm community atmosphere, the skilled staff and the range of extracurricular activities. They mention that children enjoy mixed‑age play and develop strong friendships.
A few parents find the fees expensive and note that spaces fill up quickly.
The nursery is run by an experienced head teacher and offers creative learning with specialist lessons such as ballet and French. Forest school sessions and parental involvement are key elements.
Marmalade Schools have been providing outstanding early years education to children aged 2 to 4 years for over 18 years. With six nursery school settings in South London, Marmalade Schools are widely regarded as one of London’s leading early years prov…The Marmalade Caterpillar is in St Jude’s Church Hall, Heslop Road. The school is a five-minute walk from Balham Underground and Overground station. The Head Teacher is Mr Darren Walker who has a teaching degree and has been working in Early years for over twenty years and since 28 with marmalade Schools.
The Marmalade Caterpillar staff are all well qualified, experienced, and passionate practitioners led by the Head Darren Walker who was awarded “the most Outstanding Practitioner” award by Kingston University. He and the team have developed creative learning strategies catering for different children’s learning styles and interests. During the day the children undertake purposeful activities to challenge and extend the children’s skills and abilities. This is all achieved in a warm and friendly environment where all children have a safe and stimulating place to learn. In addition, the children play and learn in mixed age ranges which allows them to support each other building empowering relationships.
The Marmalade Caterpillar has created a strong nursery community with opportunities to share in and support the nursery experience keeping parents involved, supported, and engaged in their child’s learning journey. We embrace diversity and celebrate our families and the children as individuals. The Marmalade Caterpillar ensures a strong transition from home to nursery and from nursery to school.
The Marmalade Caterpillar has forty children in any one session and there are eight full time teachers and three visiting teachers.FacilitiesSongs and rhymesArts and craftsMathsGamesDanceQuiet areaVisits and outingsMontessori equipmentBallet sessionsGardeningDisabled accessMusicRough and tumbleDressing upPlay equipment indoor and outdoorSand and water playBooksOut-door playToys for children with visual impairmentsComputerToys for children with physical limitationsPlaygroundlarge open plan spaceToys for children with hearing impairmentsKitchen and cookingToys for children with developmental disabilitiesActingMarmalade Caterpillar is part of the Marmalade Schools group and operates from St Jude’s Church Hall near Balham station. Head Teacher Darren Walker leads a team of well‑qualified practitioners who create engaging learning experiences tailored to different learning styles. Children are encouraged to support each other in mixed‑age groups, fostering confidence and cooperation. The nursery offers creative play, Montessori-inspired activities and specialist lessons such as ballet, French and sports. Parent participation is encouraged through community events and a parental app, and the setting is inclusive of various religions, ethnicities and abilities. The school has a strong reputation for preparing children for their next educational step.