Mulberries and Willows Nursery and Preschool

Mulberries and Willows Nursery and Preschool earned a Good Ofsted judgement in November 2024, with Good findings across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. The Croydon setting has 41 places for children from three months to four years.

The strongest thread is attentive, individual care. Inspectors found that children's development advanced well when measured against their initial assessments, while staff adapted the curriculum to individual targets. Children were confident learners who asked staff for help when they needed resources. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at the inspection.

This is a nursery where the inspection evidence connects care and learning rather than treating them as separate jobs. Reassurance helped babies become ready to explore; carefully chosen practical activities then gave older children reasons to communicate, cooperate and experiment.

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the educational programmes and areas of learning for children from birth to five. In practice, that means staff build communication, physical, personal and early academic development through play and routines, adapting activities to each child's next steps.

November 2024 offered useful detail. Babies received cuddles and conversation as they settled. Toddlers painted with hands and brushes and explored shaving foam, while preschool children mixed water with tea leaves and transferred it between teapots and cups. Outdoors, children followed instructions and jumped between coloured hoops. These are simple experiences with clear purpose: sensory exploration, imaginative play, language and physical control. The progression between them is persuasive. Babies first needed the emotional security to explore, toddlers tested materials and cause and effect, and preschool children rehearsed increasingly complex ideas through pretend play.

Staff adapted the curriculum to children’s individual targets rather than pushing everyone through the same activity in the same way. Initial assessments helped them understand what children already knew during settling. Ofsted found that children subsequently developed well relative to those early observations.

Staff paid close attention to individual needs and used starting-point assessments during settling. Children confidently asked for help to reach resources, which supported their language. Turn-taking, sharing, emotional expression and self-regulation were taught consistently, and children behaved well.

For children with SEND, staff coordinated progress checks with families and external professionals so that care could remain joined up. The team bridged communication with multilingual families by using familiar vocabulary alongside translated and dual-language materials. Leaders had tightened outdoor supervision and child-tracking procedures after reviewing safety practice. Senior leaders also examined accident and incident records to identify risks and decide action.

Social development was equally concrete. Staff consistently taught children to take turns, share, express emotions and regulate their responses. That matters beyond calm routines: these are the foundations children need to join group play and cope with the transition into more independent learning.

The nursery is at 9 Fell Road, Croydon, CR0 1LL. Its age range runs from three months to four years, with 41 places in total. The provider record describes the setting as open all year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Full days and half-day sessions form the recorded attendance pattern. Families should request a current provider-specific quotation directly from the nursery.

• Quieter children in group activities. Ofsted asked leaders to help staff identify quieter children so they gain more from activities. Families may want to discuss how the team now makes space for less vocal children.
• Daily arrangements. Ask during a visit how children are grouped by age and how meals, consumables and attendance patterns work, since these details materially affect fit and budgeting.

This is a Good-rated setting whose inspection detail shows thoughtful settling, purposeful play and practical inclusion. Its strengths are clearest in the small interactions: conversation that prepares a baby to explore, resources that help multilingual families communicate, and activities that turn everyday materials into opportunities for language and imagination. It is best suited to families seeking continuity from babyhood into the preschool stage, and to children who benefit from activities adapted to individual starting points. That gives the review a strong practical core. The improvement point matters: parents of quieter children should explore how participation in larger groups is supported now.