Kidzsteps Kindergarten and Preschool

Scooter numbers, clay and a mud kitchen give Kidzsteps Kindergarten and Preschool's January 2023 daily life a concrete character: early learning happened through things children could handle, shape and move. This Upton Park setting has 28 places in total.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. The children attending then were aged two to four. The strongest practical examples concerned language, independence and physical play, alongside two clear priorities for improving staff interaction.

In January 2023, children chose songs to sing together, searched sand with large tweezers and worked clay with their hands. These activities brought conversation, coordination and preparation for writing into play. Matching numbered scooters to parking spots gave number recognition an everyday purpose.

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the January 2023 examples connected that framework to speaking, counting, imaginative play and movement.

Outdoor play in January 2023 included balancing across stepping stones, riding wheeled toys around the garden and inventing potions in the mud kitchen. Children could practise balance and movement while developing their own play ideas. Indoors, children of different ages played together and invented games in the role-play area.

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that language development received deliberate attention, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, and that children made good progress from their starting points. Staff described children's actions and repeated unfamiliar vocabulary, giving children words to use in their play.

In January 2023, staff assessed development when children started and used those assessments to plan individual next steps. They comforted children who were unsettled and joined activities to help play continue. Online updates also gave parents information about learning and ways to support it at home.

There were limits to those interactions. In January 2023, staff sometimes missed opportunities to involve quieter children, while questioning did not consistently establish what children already understood. These findings matter for families whose child needs encouragement to contribute or more space to explain an idea.

The address is Latimer Hall, Cleves Road, Upton Park, E6 1QF.

In January 2023, opening hours were 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year. Funded early education was offered then for children aged two, three and four. These are dated operating arrangements, rather than a description of today's booking options.

• Quieter children. January 2023 practice sometimes left less-confident children needing more adult involvement. During a visit, ask how staff recognise and respond to a child who hangs back.
• Thinking and conversation. Questioning was a January 2023 improvement priority. Ask how practitioners establish what a child understands and encourage them to explain their ideas.
• Attendance fit. The January 2023 opening window ran from 9am to 5pm. What current attendance patterns and funded-hours arrangements would fit your family's week?

Kidzsteps merits consideration for families drawn to practical preschool learning: the January 2023 account combines clay, scooter-number games and garden play with deliberate vocabulary work. Its dated Good judgement provides a clear assessment, while the interaction priorities deserve attention, especially for a quieter child. The most useful visit would explore those priorities alongside the attendance pattern your family needs.