Play House Day Nursery

Close relationships were the clearest strength when Ofsted inspected Play House Day Nursery in July 2021. The setting, based at Royal Marsden Hospital on Downs Road in Sutton, was judged Good overall, with the same judgement across education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. It has capacity for 42 children aged from three months to five years.

This is a nursery where concrete daily practice matters more than a glossy list of facilities. In 2021, children received plenty of reassurance, learned considerate behaviour through simple rules and built independence through everyday self-care. Safeguarding arrangements were effective.

In July 2021, outdoor learning combined movement with first-hand discovery. Younger children practised balance while learning to walk, older children tested coordination on climbing equipment, and children planted herbs and vegetables before harvesting and exploring them with staff. That gave physical development and understanding of the world a practical setting rather than treating either as a tabletop exercise.

Communication also had several layers. Children learned simple sign language and facial expressions, while older children used ambitious vocabulary including words connected with hydration and gravity. Festival learning included Diwali and Christmas. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework, meaning play and adult-guided experiences build communication, physical development, personal and social development, literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world and expressive arts.

Further 2021 examples included sensory toys for younger children, water play with dolls, and early reading and writing for older children. Practitioners encouraged preschool children to sound out and blend words, then gave them different writing materials for experimentation. Activities were age-appropriate and held children's interest. Two quality-improvement recommendations concerned stronger mathematical teaching and better engagement of quieter children in group work.

Warmth was tangible in the July 2021 findings. Children formed close bonds with practitioners, received cuddles and reassurance, and responded to positive praise. Younger children learned to wipe their noses and dispose of tissues, while older children fed themselves and managed toileting. These small routines build confidence for the next stage.

The July 2021 findings recorded good progress from children's different starting points, including for children who spoke English as an additional language and those with special educational needs or disabilities. The staffing snapshot also recorded 22 team members, including the manager, all qualified between levels 3 and 6. These are dated findings rather than current staffing promises, but they add useful context to the account of practitioners recognising gaps and arranging specialist help.

Staff used observations to identify learning gaps and seek outside help, including for children with additional needs. Partnerships with parents and other professionals were judged strong, supporting a more consistent approach between nursery and home. Communication with parents had been increased so families were better informed about learning, care and development. Staff also shared relevant information with other professionals, an important practical bridge when a child needed additional help. Practitioners knew how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns, with secure access, visitor checks and effective supervision. Separately, the provider had failed to notify Ofsted that preschool children were temporarily using different premises while their classroom was renovated. Those premises had been thoroughly risk assessed and the report found no effect on children's welfare, but the provider was required to improve its knowledge of significant events that must be notified by 11 August 2021. Suitability checks covered recruitment and continued employment. Staff modelled the behaviour expected from children and used encouragement to build self-esteem, while rules about sharing and kind hands gave younger children memorable language for safe play.

The nursery is at Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, SM2 5PT. The current provider record covers children from three months to five years and gives a total capacity of 42.

Families should obtain the nursery's current written quotation and ask which attendance patterns are sold across the week. An opening window is not the same as a bookable session, so the practical fit depends on the actual contract offered.

• Mathematics. A July 2021 improvement point concerned missed opportunities to use numbers and measurement during activities such as cooking. Ask how subsequent training has changed mathematical teaching in everyday play.
• Group participation. A second 2021 improvement point concerned quieter children who were not always fully engaged or challenged during group activities. Families whose child hangs back in a group should explore how practitioners now adapt these moments.
• Notification duty. Families can ask how responsibility for reporting significant events is now managed and evidenced.

Play House Day Nursery's 2021 inspection paints a grounded picture: affectionate relationships, purposeful outdoor experiences, support for communication and practical independence, alongside clear work to do in mathematics and inclusive group teaching. It is best suited to families who value close practitioner relationships and learning through ordinary routines and outdoor activity. The decisive next step is to compare the nursery's current attendance contract with the pattern your family actually needs.