Dunelm Grove Pre-School

Small scale and close relationships defined Dunelm Grove Pre-School when Ofsted visited in June 2023. It was judged Good overall, with happy, confident children and a family-like atmosphere in which staff knew individual interests well. The setting is at 23 Dunelm Grove in West Norwood.

Children at the June 2023 visit were aged two to four. The findings emphasised independence, early mathematics, communication and preparation for school.

In June 2023, practitioners built activities around what children liked while covering the Early Years Foundation Stage. In practical terms, that meant learning through play across communication, physical, mathematical, creative and personal development rather than treating the framework as a timetable of formal lessons.

The detail was concrete. Children counted objects during play, sang number rhymes and used language about shape and size. Creative work included crayons, chalk, paint and three-dimensional play-dough models, while an ice-cream parlour supported imaginative roles. Outdoors, children threw balls into nets, balanced on beams and jumped in and out of tyres.

Learning also reached beyond the pre-school. Fire-station visits helped children explore the work of people who help them, while stories and resources included multicultural and religious characters. Two improvement points asked the provider to broaden adult-led play for older children and develop the outdoor area so that it represented more areas of learning.

Warm relationships were a clear strength in June 2023. Staff knew children's preferences, maintained close bonds and supported communication by questioning children, modelling sentences, reading stories and singing rhymes. Daily conversations and progress reports gave parents a regular view of development, with closer joint work used when children needed help with areas such as positive behaviour.

Independence was woven into ordinary routines: children learned to put on coats, use tissues, pour drinks and take turns. Health education had a memorable practical thread too. Children brushed their teeth after meals, and local dentists visited to explain healthy routines for teeth and gums.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective in June 2023. Staff supervised children closely, checked the premises for hazards and understood indicators of abuse and the procedures for raising concerns.

The pre-school's West Norwood address is 23 Dunelm Grove, London SE27 9JP.

• Balance of play. The June 2023 findings asked for more adult direction, especially for older children. The balance between child-led and practitioner-led experiences is an important point for a visit.
• Outdoor curriculum. Outdoor activities did not yet cover the areas of learning fully in June 2023. How the garden offer has developed matters most for children who learn best outside.

Dunelm Grove Pre-School's strongest case rests on intimacy rather than scale. The June 2023 evidence shows staff who knew children closely and made early learning tangible through number songs, role play, physical challenges, fire-station visits and oral-health routines. A Good judgement and effective safeguarding add weight, while Ofsted's two improvement points give families precise issues to revisit. It is best suited to parents seeking a small, sessional pre-school with close adult relationships and a practical, play-based approach.