Working Mums Daycare & Pre-School, Battersea

Tunnels for babies, flour-thickened paint for preschool children and a garden for group games gave this Sheepcote Lane nursery a practical, play-led character in November 2022. Its strongest examples were simple ones: movement, experimentation and time with familiar adults.

At its 8 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in baby-room planning and staff development. Working Mums Daycare & Pre-School, Battersea accepts children aged 6 to 60 months and has 66 places in total.

In November 2022, babies practised moving through tunnels and using a slide; preschool children experimented with thickened paint as an introduction to making marks. These were activities with a purpose, connecting physical exploration and creative play with children's next learning steps.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; in everyday terms, learning through play sits alongside support for children's development. In November 2022, children chose activities independently as well as joining songs and rhymes led by adults. Books, pretend play and messy activities provided different ways to participate.

Outdoor experiences extended beyond the building. In November 2022, children played organised games in the garden and visited nearby playgrounds and parks, giving them opportunities for movement and exploration beyond their rooms. Planning around individual children worked more consistently in the toddler and preschool rooms than in the baby room, where additional support was being provided.

In November 2022, familiar practitioners comforted upset children and used calm explanations and encouragement during the day. Children also visited their next room before moving into it, making a change of surroundings more gradual. That is a useful practical detail for families whose children need time to adjust.

Communication mattered during a period of staff changes in November 2022: key persons kept parents updated. Staff gathered information before children started and made adaptations where needed, connecting the initial conversation with the child's daily care.

Ofsted's September and December 2025 compliance outcomes recorded repeated failures to meet requirements, with corrective action covering safeguarding procedures, medication and dietary needs in September, followed by further dietary procedures, staff training and food checks in December. Both outcomes recorded action taken to put matters right; the repetition makes the practical handling of individual health needs an important consideration.

The address is Sheepcote Lane, Battersea, London SW11 5BW. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas. That opening window provides a useful starting point for assessing whether the nursery fits a family's working day.

In November 2022, the nursery received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated funding position, rather than a promise about a child's entitlement today.

• Dietary and medication procedures. The September and December 2025 outcomes involved repeated health-related concerns and corrective changes. At a visit, ask how an individual care plan reaches every practitioner and how food and medication checks work in practice.
• Baby-room planning. In November 2022, planning for individual babies needed further development, alongside more precise guidance for staff training. Ask for a current example of how a baby's interests shape activities and how practitioners receive support.

For Battersea families seeking care across the year within an 8am to 6pm opening window, Working Mums merits consideration. Its November 2022 account contains concrete examples of purposeful play and gradual room transitions. The repeated health-related compliance concerns in 2025 deserve substantial weight in the decision, even though corrective action was recorded.