Stonecroft Under 5's Centre

Film-making and ravioli give Stonecroft's February 2022 picture an unusually concrete character: children used cameras, helped edit their films and followed recipes that brought language, numbers and science together. These were activities with several purposes, rather than isolated tasks.

Ofsted rated Stonecroft Outstanding on 21 February 2022. At 100 Priory Road, Hornsey, London N8 7HR, the centre accepts children aged 24 to 59 months.

In February 2022, children's interests helped shape what they learned next. Cameras enabled them to record their surroundings and their own play, while professional support introduced film editing. Projectors, computers and interactive boards gave them other ways to explore technology.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the February 2022 activities connected those strands: making ravioli involved following spoken instructions, recognising quantities and experimenting with ingredients. Children also worked on a cookbook intended for parents, extending the connection between activities at the centre and home.

Story work had emotional depth. In February 2022, children used Three Billy Goat Gruff to consider the troll's feelings and imagine a different ending. Physical challenges complemented that language work: ropes and pulleys moved heavy objects, while ladders and wooden marble runs became shared constructions. Children helped one another use them safely.

Visits to older people at a nearby care home also featured in February 2022. Sharing their own customs gave children another practical way to learn about other people.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, relationships with staff secure, and teaching that supported rapid progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

In February 2022, staff demonstrated vocabulary and extended children's conversations, including support for children learning English as an additional language. Children practised everyday independence by putting on coats and helping clear up activities. These small responsibilities made preparation for school part of ordinary daily life.

Parent workshops were another feature in February 2022. Alongside the planned cookbook, they provided a connection between learning at the centre and family life.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The centre operates across the year, closing for one week in August and over Christmas and New Year.

In February 2022, Stonecroft received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise about an individual child's entitlement.

• Attendance and funding. The opening window spans the working day. At a visit, which booking and funding arrangement would apply to your child?
• The age of the judgement. The Outstanding judgement dates to February 2022. Families should weigh its detailed examples as a picture of practice at that time.

Stonecroft merits consideration by families seeking care for children aged 24 to 59 months with weekday opening hours spanning the working day. Its February 2022 strengths lay in purposeful practical learning, communication and independence, illustrated by film-making, cooking and collaborative construction. The dated judgement provides a strong starting point for considering the centre.