New Studio

A large garden with its own Forest School gives New Studio a clear identity: outdoor exploration is part of the curriculum, rather than a break between indoor activities. Weekly Forest School sessions use natural materials and children's interests for practical, investigative play. For children who enjoy climbing, making and exploring, that is a substantial part of the appeal.

This North Kensington preschool welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has 24 places in total. At its 8 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall; the improvement priority was to organise large-group activities more effectively so that distractions did not prevent children from benefiting.

Attendance can be mornings or full days, during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the framework for learning and care: children's day develops language, relationships and physical skills alongside mathematics, literacy, creativity and understanding their surroundings. At New Studio, play provides the route into these areas, with an adult-led activity each day that children are encouraged to try.

Indoor spaces have different purposes. Creative work, construction and sensory activities occupy one room, while another contains a book corner, role-play resources, drawing, floor play and mathematics. Children can move between different kinds of play rather than spend the whole day on one activity. The changing activities also give them something fresh to investigate.

In July 2024, counting was woven into practical tasks. Children pointed to individual butterflies in a play tray as they counted, then wanted to record the result on a clipboard. That connects a spoken number with an actual quantity and gives writing a purpose.

Stories also carried into play that July. Children recreated a story in the café role-play area, while staff connected books with children's experiences and introduced vocabulary for them to use. Pretend waiters wrote orders on notepads; elsewhere, children painted at an easel and recorded discoveries during bug hunts. These were different routes into making marks, rather than a single writing exercise for everyone.

There was a clear limitation alongside those examples. During larger group activities in July 2024, interruptions and distractions caused some children to disengage. The practical question is how shared teaching is organised so that children who enjoy individual play also benefit when the group gathers.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds hands-on learning in a natural environment to the EYFS framework. A previously inaccessible part of the garden has been brought into use for these sessions, which take place weekly. Activities include shelter building, looking for small creatures, making mud pies and working with sticks. The setting's own outdoor space means this approach has a place within the preschool itself.

The wider garden has a climbing frame and room for running and exploration. Children are encouraged to spend as much time outside as possible. This gives active play a substantial place in the daily routine, alongside the quieter and more concentrated activities indoors.

In July 2024, children used rope swings and a log bridge to challenge their balance and strength. Staff encouraged hesitant children to test the logs before crossing. Adults also used encounters with insects to discuss gentle handling, and conversations about bees introduced the connection between living creatures and the wider world. Physical challenge and care for nature were both present in outdoor play.

Seasonal events give families another way to participate. The autumn programme includes a Halloween party, theatre trip and Nativity play; World book day and an easter egg hunt belong to the spring programme. Parents are encouraged to help celebrate occasions that matter to their families, giving these events a connection to the children attending rather than treating celebrations as a fixed display calendar.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins before a child's first regular session. Children on the waiting list can attend drop-ins with a parent or carer, allowing them to become familiar with the setting beforehand. Drop-ins take place between 10am and 11am during two periods: September through early November, and March through July. Poor weather can lead to cancellation. This is a concrete opportunity for gradual familiarity rather than an expectation that everything starts on the first booked day.

Tapestry, the secure online learning journal, connects home and preschool through observations, images and records of children's development. Parents can view the entries and contribute learning from outside the setting. That makes communication two-way: an interest or achievement at home can become part of the account of a child's learning, alongside what practitioners observe during sessions.

The daily routine also includes shared moments. Adults and children eat lunch together, and the morning finishes with songs after children help put toys away. Story time closes the full day. Those repeated activities give children recognisable points within a day that otherwise leaves considerable space for choosing their play.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support personalised, with targeted plans developed alongside parents and professionals, regular reviews, effective use of additional funding and enhanced preparation for moving to school.

School preparation in July 2024 included contact with local teachers and books about children's new schools. For children needing additional support, the transition work helped receiving teachers understand how to support them. The emphasis was on familiarity and sharing useful information about the child.

Current staff roles include designated safeguarding responsibilities, first aid and an apprentice position. These describe the organisation of the team; they are separate from the dated safeguarding judgement. Lunch is a shared part of the day, with lunch boxes put away once everyone has finished eating.

Sessions and Attendance

New Studio is at Kelfield Mews, London, W10 6LS. Morning attendance runs from 9am to noon, while the full day runs from 9am to 3pm. The choice changes how much of the routine a child experiences: morning children leave before the shared lunch, while full-day children continue through the afternoon and closing story time.

Attendance follows term time, with noon and 3pm finishes to plan around.

Children can join the waiting list from 18 months, with a view to starting at 2 years old. Telephone enquiries are taken between 9.30am and 2.30pm, Monday to Friday during term time, on 020 8969 5805; there is also an online contact form. The waiting-list route gives families a way to begin the process before the intended starting age.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes The 2 year Programme and The Minimum Funding Entitlement (MFE) for 3 & 4 Year olds. For the latter, the term after a child's third birthday brings 15 funded hours per week during term time; additional sessions are charged separately. The 30 Hours Funding Entitlement is also offered subject to eligibility.

Private sessions are offered alongside funded provision. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation. The admissions and fees page sets out the attendance choices and funding routes, so the useful comparison is between the chosen pattern and the entitlement a family can use.

• Large-group teaching. Distractions during group activities were the July 2024 improvement priority. On a visit, ask how songs, stories and other shared activities are now organised to keep children involved.
• Outdoor participation. Weekly Forest School and extensive garden play are central to the experience. Discuss how your child would join these activities, especially if they need support with physical challenges or unfamiliar experiences.
• Settling before starting. Waiting-list drop-ins offer familiarity before regular attendance, but poor weather can cancel them. Confirm a drop-in before travelling and discuss how it would fit your child's introduction to preschool.
• The complete attendance cost. Additional sessions sit alongside funded hours. When reviewing a written quotation, ask how meals, snacks and non-food consumables are handled for your chosen attendance and funding pattern.

New Studio suits families seeking either a morning preschool session or a full preschool day, with term-time attendance and a substantial outdoor element. The garden, weekly Forest School and indoor opportunities for imaginative play give it a recognisable character.

The July 2024 findings provide concrete examples of purposeful counting, early writing and preparation for school. They also leave a specific point to explore: the organisation of larger group activities. For parents whose children enjoy practical exploration and time outdoors, this is a setting with a clear match between its spaces and its daily approach.