Children Come First

Children Come First is a 30-place sessional setting at St. Marys Church Hall, Greenford Avenue, London W7 3QP. Ofsted rated it Good in October 2022, finding effective safeguarding and a close-bonded key-person system. The evidence is older than three years, so its account is best read as a clear picture of practice at that inspection rather than a promise about today's routine.

In October 2022, learning was practical and purposeful. Children dug up vegetables they had grown, cut real food safely with plastic knives and explored weighing scales using comparative mathematical language. Puzzles, tweezers and large pipettes built persistence and fine-motor control, while climbing, balancing and sliding outdoors gave children manageable physical challenge.

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum connected play with communication, physical, personal, social and early academic development. At inspection, staff planned around individual needs and interests. The key improvement was sharper questioning: staff did not always check children's understanding or extend their speech and thinking far enough.

In October 2022, the key-person system helped staff know children well. Settling was responsive, with cuddles, adapted sessions and work with parents to establish starting points. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made noticeable progress, while home-language key words, flashcards and repetition supported children learning English as an additional language.

Safeguarding was effective at that inspection. Staff understood signs of abuse, reporting procedures, supervision and risk assessment. Parents also described strong daily feedback and regular online updates.

The setting has 30 places in total and operates from St. Marys Church Hall on Greenford Avenue. Families need a current written quotation and should establish the available session pattern directly before deciding whether this sessional model fits their week.

• Inspection date. The detailed account comes from October 2022. A visit should establish which routines and staff practices remain in place.
• Questioning practice. Ofsted asked staff to do more to test understanding and extend children's language and thinking. Families may want to ask how this has been developed.
• Practical fit. Session times, accepted ages, funded entitlement, meals and consumables need to be established before comparing the setting with alternatives.

Children Come First's strongest documented qualities are warm key-person relationships, inclusive support and learning rooted in tangible experiences. Vegetable growing, food preparation and mathematical investigation made the 2022 picture unusually concrete. It best suits families seeking sessional care who value close relationships and hands-on learning, provided the current attendance pattern works for them.