Hello and welcome to Alphabet Lanes!!
Alphabet Lanes Nursery and Pre-school is a co-operative team that listens and communicates in the most beneficial way; by being a reliable hard working team.
About Toni
Toni Carvajal is the founder and owner of Alphabet Lanes Nursery and has over 20 years of experience working within Early Years and education. She established Alphabet Lanes in 2012 and remains actively involved in the day-to-day life of the nursery, working closely with children, families and her team.
Toni studied Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton and later gained her PGCE in Teaching. Alongside running Alphabet Lanes, she works as an Early Years Lecturer at South Thames College, teaching and supporting the next generation of early years practitioners. She is also an experienced assessor, supporting learners to develop their knowledge, confidence and professional practice within the sector.
Toni has a strong interest in SEND, inclusion and early intervention and continues to develop her knowledge through specialist SENCO training and professional development. Her experience spans nurseries, pre-schools, children’s centres, teaching, assessment and nursery leadership.
She believes that high-quality early education should feel warm, personal and purposeful. Alphabet Lanes reflects that philosophy: a small, nurturing environment where practitioners know the children and their families well, children are supported as individuals, and learning develops naturally through secure relationships, play, exploration and everyday experiences.
Toni continues to keep her practice current through ongoing training, research and developments within the Early Years sector, while ensuring that Alphabet Lanes retains the close, family atmosphere it has had since opening in 2012
Our History
Alphabet Lanes began in 2012, originally providing a free early years activity group for young mothers and families in the West Norwood community. The project was created to give parents and carers a welcoming space to play, learn and build positive relationships with their children.
From those community beginnings, Alphabet Lanes grew into a fully established nursery and pre-school, while keeping the same warm, personal and family-centred approach that it was founded on.
Today, Alphabet Lanes continues to provide high-quality early education and care for local children and families. We are proud to be a small, owner-led setting, where children are known as individuals and families have genuine relationships with the people caring for and educating their children.
We have remained closely connected to our local community throughout our journey and have supported students, apprentices and future early years practitioners to develop their skills and experience within the sector.
Since opening in 2012, our aim has remained simple: to provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment where every child matters, feels they belong and is supported to learn and develop naturally.
Our Nursery
Alphabet Lanes is a small, independent and owner-led nursery and pre-school that has been providing early education and care to children and families since 2012.
We believe children learn best when they feel safe, secure, valued and genuinely known by the adults caring for them. Our size allows us to maintain a warm, family atmosphere where relationships with children
Working Together With Families
Providing high-quality early education is not something we can do alone — we need you too. We believe that when parents, carers and practitioners work closely together, children benefit from consistency, security and a stronger foundation for learning and development.
We value parents and carers as an essential part of their child’s learning journey and encourage open communication, shared ideas and genuine partnership between home and nursery.
This reflects the current EYFS 2026, which places partnership with parents and carers at the heart of children’s learning and development and recognises that children benefit from strong relationships between families and early years practitioners.