Scamps

Scamps combines pre-school with breakfast and after-school provision from purpose-built premises on Strathmore Road in Teddington. Ofsted judged the setting Good in July 2025, with effective safeguarding and Good judgements across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. The current register records capacity for 100 children.

This is sessional, term-time childcare rather than a conventional all-year day nursery. At the inspection, children ranged from two to 11, reflecting the mix of early-years and school-age provision. Current age boundaries and attendance terms may differ.

The curriculum seen in July 2025 was built around children's starting points and interests. In practice, that meant children using charts to identify insects, testing how water moves through channels and containers, and tasting foods while adults introduced words for textures and flavours. Funding had also supported animal sessions, French lessons and a sensory garden. These are concrete experiences, not simply activity-table variety.

Scamps works within the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means practitioners observe what each child can already do and use those observations to plan the next experiences in communication, physical control, confidence and understanding. During the inspection, children balanced across planks between tyres, cut fruit, washed dishes and helped set tables. The combination gave learning a practical, increasingly independent character.

Relationships were a clear strength at the July 2025 visit. Staff took account of children's needs, interests and routines, helping them separate from parents and begin exploring. Quiet spaces helped children regulate their feelings, while praise supported positive behaviour. The setting needed to make reminders about expected behaviour more consistent.

Support for communication included displayed words from children's home languages and invitations for parents to read stories in those languages. Staff worked with specialists and parents on individual plans for children who needed additional support. The inspection also recorded supervised toothbrushing, culturally varied healthy recipes shared with families and potty-training workshops. These links can make care between home and the setting more coherent.

There was one important teaching improvement point. Adults did not always allow enough thinking time after questions, reducing children's opportunities to formulate answers and practise speaking confidently. This is a focused point for families weighing the quality of adult interaction.

Scamps is at 65a Strathmore Road, Teddington, TW11 8UH. Its provider subtype is sessional day care. In July 2025, the pre-school group ran from 9am to 3.15pm on weekdays, a breakfast club from 7.30am to 9am and an after-school club from 3.15pm to 6pm. All three operated in school term time only at that date. These arrangements date from July 2025 and may have changed.

Funded early education was provided for eligible children in July 2025. A current quotation should set out the full cost position.

• Sessional model. The timetable is term-time only and dates from July 2025. Confirm current days, hours, minimum attendance and holiday closure dates.
• Age mix. Children at the inspection ranged from two to 11 because Scamps included pre-school and wraparound groups. Ask how early-years and school-age groups are organised.
• Teaching follow-up. Staff needed to allow more thinking time after questions. Ask what has changed since July 2025.
• Cost detail. Obtain current funding, meals, consumables and additional-charge terms.

Scamps is best understood as a term-time community setting spanning pre-school, breakfast-club and after-school needs. Its strongest evidenced qualities are purposeful hands-on learning, practical independence and coordinated support with families and specialists. The Good July 2025 judgement is reassuring, but parents should test the two improvement areas and obtain current operational terms. It may suit families seeking a term-time pre-school day or wraparound breakfast and after-school sessions.