Chaston Nursery School

Secure relationships and active learning define Chaston Nursery School's most recent official picture. This full-day childcare provider at 30-31 Palmerston Road, London NW6 2JL has 48 places in total and takes children aged from three months to five years. Ofsted judged it Good on 17 October 2024, with effective safeguarding.

The strongest details are small but revealing. Children balanced, climbed, watered plants and talked about why plants need care. Staff used stories, songs and purposeful conversation to build language, while routines helped children become more independent.

In October 2024, children moved enthusiastically between indoor and outdoor provision. Physical play included balancing and climbing; quieter investigation included stretching play dough and caring for plants. This is an active, practical experience rather than one confined to table-top tasks, and it gives movement and conversation equal weight.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) gives this work its framework, spanning communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development alongside the other areas of early learning. At Chaston, the curriculum followed children's interests and current learning in October 2024. Staff tracked progress, identified gaps and planned support, giving activities a clear purpose: building from what each child knew towards the next step. The same cycle helps staff notice when a child needs support rather than waiting for a difficulty to become entrenched. Leaders used supervision to identify weaknesses in adult practice, while staff described supportive leadership and good wellbeing. Together, those systems connect children’s day-to-day experiences with oversight of the teaching they receive. Language ran through stories, songs and meaningful conversations. Ofsted's one improvement point was equally clear. Staff needed to extend learning with more consistent further challenge.

The three-month-to-five-year age range covers very different developmental stages. Room organisation therefore deserves close attention when choosing a place.

Settling receives individual attention. Staff learned about each child and helped them form secure relationships with a key person and the wider team. Warm interaction continued through personal-care routines and rest times, when reassurance and praise supported emotional wellbeing.

Children practised self-care throughout the day. Turn-taking, respect and inviting friends into play were visible social expectations, with staff reinforcing boundaries gently. This matters for children learning how to join a group as well as manage their own needs. They sang while washing their hands, learned a superhero-style method for putting on coats, and progressed to managing zips and buttons. Healthy choices included daily exercise, water, dental-care teaching, a healthy snack and a home-cooked lunch at the inspection date. Children chose what and how much to eat.

The inspection also found children behaved well, took turns and encouraged others to join their play. Those observations connect the close adult relationships to children's behaviour: reassurance did not replace expectations, and boundaries were reinforced calmly.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective in October 2024. Leaders used regular supervision to identify weaknesses in practice, and parents received updates about progress, current learning and next steps.

Chaston Nursery School is at 30-31 Palmerston Road, London NW6 2JL. The record covers children from three months to five years and 48 registered places. Full days are available Monday to Friday, with published daily hours of 8.30am to 6pm. The setting is recorded as closing for bank holidays, Christmas and Easter.

A provider-specific quotation is the safest basis for comparing costs and attendance patterns.

• Learning challenge. The October 2024 inspection asked leaders to help staff extend children's learning through further challenge. Ask what coaching and monitoring have followed.
• Age-group organisation. The registration spans babies to five-year-olds, but the supplied branch information does not establish room names or capacities. Room placement, capacities and transitions belong on the family visit checklist.
• Cost structure. Put funding delivery and the full cost structure on the family visit checklist.

Chaston Nursery School suits families seeking full-day weekday care with an inspection picture built around secure relationships, active indoor-outdoor learning and practical independence. It may also appeal to parents who value frequent language work through songs, stories and conversation. The Good judgement is reassuring, though families should weigh the call for greater challenge and whether the full-day pattern fits their weekly needs.