Brightsparks Day Nursery and Preschool New Malden

Making dough, experimenting with paint and learning to manage feelings gave this New Malden nursery a practical, hands-on character in March 2024. Brightsparks Day Nursery and Preschool New Malden is based at Richard Challoner School and has 58 places in total, with an accepted age range of 3 to 60 months.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The detail matters: learning involved conversation, small physical tasks and increasing independence.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the March 2024 examples included learning through play, conversation and everyday self-care. Younger children explored colour through ball-matching games and made paint marks using rollers and toy cars. Older children mixed dough and considered how to change its texture. These activities gave children concrete things to discuss and problems to work through.

In March 2024, threading rings onto spaghetti and moving cereal between containers gave children practice with small hand movements. Number songs supported younger children's counting experiences, while older children sorted coloured bears and counted them. Staff allowed time for answers and repeated language during play, giving children opportunities to join the conversation at their own pace.

Independence also formed part of the day in March 2024. Babies practised feeding themselves, toddlers located their water bottles, and older children helped prepare tables and poured drinks. Ordinary routines became opportunities to do things for themselves.

In March 2024, books and a worry monster helped children talk about emotions, while sand timers made turn-taking easier to understand. Older children could explain their feelings to one another and work through disagreements. For parents, these are useful examples of how adults supported relationships alongside activities.

Communication with families in March 2024 included help with learning at home and toilet training. Staff also worked with other professionals and monitored children's development to plan the next steps in their activities. This connected the nursery day with children's individual needs and family routines.

The address is Richard Challoner School, Manor Drive North, New Malden, KT3 5PE. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. That opening window is useful for judging whether the nursery fits a working day.

In March 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated description of participation, rather than a promise of a funded place for an individual child. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation.

Being based at Richard Challoner School does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Younger children's group activities. The March 2024 inspection identified occasions when younger children waited too long during larger gatherings and lost interest. Ask how these activities are organised now and how staff keep younger children involved.
• Attendance and the total bill. With an opening window of 7.30am to 6pm, ask which booking pattern fits your week and request a written quotation covering funded hours, food and consumables together.

Brightsparks suits families seeking year-round weekday childcare in New Malden who value practical play, conversation and growing independence. The March 2024 examples give substance to that appeal, especially the use of everyday routines to build children's confidence in doing things themselves. The organisation of younger children's group activities deserves attention when choosing.