CCN Sington Nursery

CCN Sington Nursery is a small West Hampstead setting for children aged two to four, with capacity for 22 children at Broomsleigh Hall, Broomsleigh Street, London NW6 1QW. Its full Ofsted inspection on 12 August 2024 judged it Good overall and Good across education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The strongest thread is purposeful language and mathematics woven into familiar play. Children learning English as an additional language were making very good progress as confident speakers, while counting, table-setting and water play gave mathematical ideas an everyday setting. This is a nursery whose inspection evidence is detailed about practice, even though current practical arrangements are much less visible.

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the educational programmes and areas of learning for this age group. In daily terms, that means communication, physical, personal and social development sit alongside early literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive play, rather than children following a school-style timetable.

In August 2024, staff used water play to introduce the language of full and empty. Children counted painted hearts and worked out how many plates they needed to set a table. In the role-play area, they discussed nutritious breakfast foods before pretending to serve friends. These examples show vocabulary and number being attached to actions children can understand.

Routine also carried learning. A tidy-up bell prompted children to stop, put toys away and sing the tidy-up song; the helper of the day completed assigned jobs with pride. The result was an orderly day in which independence and consideration for friends were practised, not merely discussed. Park visits, physical activity and trips to a local school playground broadened healthy-living work beyond the indoor role-play area.

There is one clear development point. Ofsted asked leaders to deepen staff understanding of how to challenge children's critical thinking and problem-solving. Explanations and demonstrations were clear, but questions did not always push children's ideas far enough. Parents who value sustained, open-ended thinking should explore how that recommendation now shapes activities.

Children settled well in August 2024 because staff knew them and their families and offered varied settling-in sessions. That flexibility matters for two-, three- and four-year-olds who will not all respond to separation in the same way. Staff also supported toilet training confidently and efficiently, an approach parents appreciated.

Relationships appeared calm and respectful. Children behaved well, learned routines, and showed kindness and concern for each other. Parents valued daily feedback and progress updates, while staff felt valued and worked effectively as a team.

Safeguarding was effective at the August 2024 inspection. A later complaint and notification led to an Ofsted regulatory telephone call on 25 November 2025. Ofsted found that some requirements were not being met, but recorded that the provider had taken action: safeguarding and welfare policies and procedures were reviewed, with attention to risk assessment, staff deployment, parent communication, and clear drop-off and collection procedures. The provider remained registered.

The setting cares for children from 24 to 48 months and has 22 places in total. The provider record classifies the setting as full-day care and records operation across 50 weeks of the year. Families still need the contracted pattern set out clearly before committing.

The address is Broomsleigh Hall, Broomsleigh Street, West Hampstead, London NW6 1QW. A current written quotation is the sound basis for comparing the total cost of care.

• Booking pattern. Establish the full-day pattern that can be contracted. Its start and finish points determine whether the setting covers a family’s working day.
• Critical thinking. Examples of open-ended questions and longer investigations can show how staff now extend children’s problem-solving after the August 2024 recommendation.
• Safeguarding action. Revised risk assessments, staff deployment and drop-off and collection procedures should be discussed on a visit. This gives families a direct view of changes made after Ofsted’s intervention.
• Cost structure. A written breakdown should cover care, meals, deposits and notice terms. Comparing the complete package avoids treating one headline figure as the whole cost.

Sington's clearest strengths are warm settling, strong language development and early mathematics rooted in play. The tidy-up song, helper jobs, breakfast role play and playground trips make the inspection account unusually tangible for a small setting. The critical-thinking recommendation is meaningful, however, and the later regulatory action deserves a direct conversation rather than being overlooked.

This nursery is best suited to families seeking care for a child aged two to four who value a compact setting, daily feedback and language-rich routines. It is aimed at full-day care needs, but families should establish the precise contracted pattern before deciding whether it covers their working day.