Thomas Calton Creche

Thomas Calton Creche has a clear purpose: it operates from Southwark Adult Learning Centre in Peckham and primarily supports local adult learners while they attend courses. Ofsted rated it Good in January 2025, with effective safeguarding and Good judgements across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership.

The creche has capacity for 26 children. At the 2025 inspection, the children attending were aged two to four. Its strongest qualities were warm relationships, close communication between practitioners and thoughtful support for children's language, identity and independence.

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play and everyday routines, covering children's communication, physical, personal, social, mathematical and creative development. In January 2025, practitioners planned from what children already knew and encouraged them to choose activities independently.

Specific experiences gave that approach substance. Children cut paper to decorate Chinese lanterns, made marks in cold custard to strengthen the small hand muscles needed for writing, and listened to stories while joining songs and rhymes. Outdoors, they ran, climbed and used wheeled toys. Counting appeared naturally in play, while chalk shapes and talk about height on the see-saw brought mathematical vocabulary into children's own conversations.

Identity had a visible place too. Home-language words were displayed around the setting, and children learned about cultures, festivals and celebrations. For children learning English as an additional language, practitioners reinforced words and phrases to support speech.

Relationships were a central strength in January 2025. Children quickly became comfortable with familiar practitioners, built close key-person relationships and confidently sought reassurance. Practitioners shared knowledge of each child's needs, helping care remain consistent across the staff group.

Children understood behaviour expectations and practised hygiene routines independently. Parents reported kind, caring support and received regular updates about care and learning, alongside ideas to continue learning at home. This partnership matters especially in a creche designed mainly around parents' adult-learning commitments.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective in January 2025. Leaders observed practice, offered constructive feedback and provided training, while staff described leaders as approachable and supportive of their wellbeing.

The creche is at Southwark Adult Education Service, Alpha Street, Peckham, SE15 4NX. On 27 January 2025 it provided full-day care from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 48 weeks of the year, and offered government-funded childcare places. Families should request the current attendance arrangement and a provider-specific written quotation directly from the creche.

• Adult-learning priority. The creche primarily served parents attending courses at the centre at the 2025 inspection. Families outside that group should establish how the current joining criteria apply to them.
• Learning targets. Ofsted asked staff to make children's next steps more precise, especially where development such as language needed priority. Ask how targets now identify and address the most important gaps.
• Daily routines. Lunchtime and group-time organisation sometimes left children unsure what was expected. A visit can show how those transitions now work in practice.

Thomas Calton Creche is best suited to parents studying at Southwark Adult Learning Centre who want care closely connected to their course day. Warm key-person bonds, home-language recognition and practical play give the setting a coherent character. The improvement points are specific rather than sweeping: sharper learning targets and clearer organisation at key points in the day. Families should weigh those against a caring setting whose role can make continued study possible.