Odyssey London

Odyssey London
Unique reference number (URN): 2831047
Address: 248 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 6JF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 20/02/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 9 July 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Leaders and staff know children remarkably well, which allows them to implement and teach
the curriculum to the highest standards. All children show high levels of engagement with
learning opportunities and make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points,
especially those who have barriers to learning and those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities. For example, children who start with limited English are supported to
acquire language skills and are now confident in English. They are encouraged to be a 'risk
taker' and welcome visitors to the nursery as they grow in confidence. They show pride in
this achievement and seek out adults to share what they have done.
Children are well supported by extremely attentive and responsive adults who model and
support to help children achieve their goals. Equally, this learning is extended to parents,
and they are able to come into the setting to learn how to make foods, create art pieces and
support their children's progress at home. Children are well prepared for their next stages of
learning, including their transition to school, through the setting's effective work to build upon
their skills and partnerships with parents and local schools.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff show a commitment to promoting children's wellbeing and work
collaboratively to meet children's individual needs. The settling-in process reflects this and
helps staff to be fully informed about each child and tailor their care accordingly. The key-
person system is highly effective, and all staff demonstrate knowledge and understanding
about each individual child, including those with barriers to learning and special educational
needs and/or disabilities. Staff use this knowledge to inform their practice and offer
reassurance and comfort in a calm environment. For example, young children have tailored
sleep-time routines that are carefully discussed with parents, and staff carry these out with
care and allow children to feel safe and secure at a key point in their routine.
Leaders and staff have created a warm and inclusive environment that welcomes all
children and gives them a sense of belonging. Children, families and their cultures are
consistently represented throughout the setting, and children point to pictures and can
identify their own and their peers' families throughout the day. They also use tools such as
the 'birthday book' to comfort their peers when they are sad and share this book with them,
which quickly helps them to feel safe and secure. Equally, leaders and staff promote
belonging by making adjustments according to the ages and stages of children, for example
by having children's pictures at a low level so that they can find their own peg to put their
belongings away.
Leaders and staff place promoting a healthy lifestyle at the centre of their practice. Children
are provided with well-thought-out, high-quality, nutritious and well-balanced meals and are
encouraged to try a diverse range of foods. Staff talk positively about meals and present
them to older children to ensure children are well informed about their meals and can make
their own choices. Children serve their own meals and quickly take them back to their seat
and show excitement about trying the food, telling staff, 'this is yummy'. Staff are responsive

during mealtimes and place themselves at each table, creating a social experience with
opportunities for conversation. Children are able to follow hygiene routines independently
and know how to keep themselves healthy. This calm and supportive environment builds
children's confidence to try new foods and ask for help when they need it.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders are highly knowledgeable and have created an ambitious and well-sequenced
curriculum that is accessible and tailored to all children, including those with barriers to
learning and special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children have the opportunity to
learn about food and making healthy choices through their inspiring cooking space, and
plans are differentiated to give all children the opportunity to learn. For example, younger
children make yoghurt bark with fruit and older children have the task of making honey and
garlic chicken.
Staff support children's early communication and literacy skills through 'stretchers' that are
based around books and songs that the children are interested in. Younger children are
supported through stretchers by singing 'Old McDonald' and being able to independently
bring animals from their stretcher activities to the carpet as a prompt for the animal in the
song. Staff correctly model language and warmly engage with young children to give them
confidence to learn. This gives them ownership over their learning from a young age. Older
children are also given the opportunity to learn new languages with language specialists,
who plan exciting sessions that broaden their knowledge and develop the language skills
they have already learned.
The environment is well thought out and acts as a third teacher, giving children daily
experiences to explore well-designed rooms that inspire them to learn. Children have
specialist art and music teachers who quickly adapt to the needs of each group and work
alongside practitioners to build on learning experiences. Older children create 'blueprints'
with specialist support and learn to create pieces of art collaboratively and individually. This
inspiring approach allows children to express themselves and develop skills holistically.
Maths is taught through playful opportunities and is used in all areas of learning. Children
count in English and staff adapt to the ideas of children who want to count in their home
language, allowing children to take ownership of their learning and share with their peers.
Skilful practitioners adjust their maths teaching to meet the ages of the children. For
example, children play a maths obstacle course, and older children jump and count and then
find number pebbles to add together before building a tower. Meanwhile, younger children
are supported to jump and count before identifying a number and counting a tower with the
correct amount of bricks.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders have created a highly inclusive environment, where all children are welcomed,
happy and safe. They make careful adaptations to the setting to ensure all children's needs
are met and celebrated specifically within the context of each family, such as for those who
speak English as an additional language, those with barriers to learning and children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents comment that their use of a birthday
book with pictures of children and their families helps all children and families to feel

included. Children's families are heavily reflected in the setting, and their languages are
incorporated into their learning. For example, staff sing a morning song in English and a
child's home language with the use of signs to make them feel welcome. This helps children
develop their understanding and use of the English language and early communication skills
while maintaining pride in their home languages and cultures.
Leaders and staff work collaboratively with families and have established close links with
external agencies, allowing them to have a proactive approach to children's individual
needs. They consistently build excellent partnerships with parents to identify appropriate
and highly effective measures to support each child. They provide regular feedback and
meetings to discuss their child's progress and areas of need. This approach gives them the
opportunity to inform their own practice and support children and families in their home
environment.
Leaders and staff are committed to creating secure bonds with children to ensure they know
them well. From their starting points and onwards, they gather information about all children
and use this to enhance the provision on offer. For example, when children start the nursery
with physical needs, they provide one-to-one support to help them with the stairs and use
the 'banister song' with all children to help them navigate the physical challenges of using
the stairs in an inclusive way.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are highly skilled and use their knowledge to maintain and drive excellent standards
throughout the setting. They understand the setting's strengths and priorities for
improvement and give tailored support to each area of the nursery. Leaders are reflective
and quickly identify areas to work on, swiftly implementing strategies to enhance the
experiences for children. For example, parents shared with leaders that they felt their
children would not eat the diverse range of foods on offer. As a result, they had a chef
showcase and parents were invited in to cook with their children. They also adapted eating
routines in order to support children to feel safe to try new things, and this has been
extremely successful.
Leaders are proactive in creating parent partnerships and make themselves accessible to
parents daily. Leaders ensure that communication with parents is of high quality through
handovers, regular meetings and updates. Consequently, parents feel included in their
children's learning and feel supported by leaders and staff to extend this at home. Leaders
and staff provide inspiring opportunities for parents to engage with their child's learning at
the setting. Parents talk positively about the 'art exhibition' showcasing the work of their
children and the opportunity for them to learn from the art specialist about different brush
strokes and how art is taught to their children. This collaborative approach between the
setting and parents makes parents feel valued and welcome with further knowledge, which
in turn supports high-quality care for all children.
Leaders have a comprehensive understanding of their setting and the context of the local
community in which they are based. They use this knowledge to work collaboratively with
the community and invite them in to share knowledge with children. For example, they
recently had a dentist in to discuss oral health, and leaders created a partnership with them
which resulted in a high volume of children signing up for their services. They have also had

Expected standard
visits from the police to support children to know about keeping themselves safe in their
local community.
Staff feel supported and valued by leaders who give them the tools to support children to
achieve their goals while prioritising their personal wellbeing. Leaders quickly identify
individual areas of support and have a tailored approach for them, for example providing
mentors and actively modelling practice with children. Staff speak positively about the
feedback they receive through robust supervisions and in-the-moment support. Leaders
empower their team members and work collaboratively with them to have a shared vision for
the nursery and their own wellbeing. This approach in turn filters down to how staff support
children, with 'essential agreements' allowing children to feel a part of how the nursery is run
to keep them safe.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff set clear expectations for behaviour through 'essential agreements' which
they work collaboratively with children to design and uphold, depending on their age and
stage of development. Children behave well and are reminded of these agreements when
behaviour becomes challenging. Leaders and staff support children to understand their
feelings and are reassuring and responsive to their needs.
Children develop positive relationships with one another and play in collaboration. They are
able to share resources and are supported by staff to engage with each other positively.
They offer comfort when their peers are sad and have close bonds with staff who typically
meet their needs. Staff act as role models and all communications between staff and
children are calm and age-appropriate, which positively impacts on how children build
relationships with peers and staff.
Staff are able to adapt to the needs of children, particularly those who have barriers to
learning and special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, during a music
session, a child was reluctant to join in, and staff sang along while he played close to the
session. Due to the excitement and praise they showed, he was able to join in with the
session.
Children generally develop the skills they need to follow routines and are offered regular
praise and support from staff. For example, staff sing the 'banister song' while children use
the stairs to support the transition through the nursery. However, at times when children are
transitioning from their room to the garden, they are not always consistently supported by
staff to manage this smoothly. Leaders recognise the importance of children having
consistency across the nursery. They have identified that in particular areas improvement is
needed for routines and transitions, and confidently explain the ongoing support needed to
consistently embed their high expectations.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children excel through a varied and highly ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced. This
sparks curiosity from their starting points and throughout the nursery and motivates them to
learn. Children are confident and independent, and this is supported through their approach
to taking risks and being brave. Children gain skills and knowledge through an extremely
engaging and stimulating environment that acts as a third teacher in their development. For
example, children express themselves in the multiple inspiring spaces in the setting. These
spaces are designed for children to acquire skills in a separate environment from their main
rooms, with their trusted adults and specialist staff who tailor plans to develop their skills
according to their age and stage. Children access these spaces and show high levels of
excitement and engagement for learning.
Children and their families feel welcome and represented throughout the setting. Photos of
children learning and with their families are carefully placed in each room, and children show
a sense of belonging as they look at these photos and identify themselves and others.
Parents are welcomed into the setting for events and also to read with the children, which
establishes joint working to support children's ongoing learning and understanding in the
setting and at home. Leaders place high importance on attendance and therefore children
have high levels of attendance.
Children are greeted by their name through the morning song and their languages are
incorporated, making children feel highly valued. Children gaze at staff, showing signs of
trust and strong bonds as they sit with them at this time. In turn, staff are enthusiastic and
show excitement in their interactions with them, which maintains strong relationships.
Equally, children build secure bonds with each other, and older children act as support and
role models for younger children. For example, an older child supports a child who has
recently transitioned into the room to navigate routines and to use tools to serve their own
food. Children feel safe and cared for, which allows them to be ready for their next stage and
flourish in their environment.
Support for children with barriers to learning and special educational needs and/or
disabilities is extremely effective. Leaders and staff ensure that children face no obstacles to
learning new skills and work collaboratively within the team and with parents to ensure they
know every child very well and can support them fully. This approach has impacted
children's future outcomes. For example, leaders and staff identified areas of need for
children and, due to their swift intervention, parents were able to quickly get the support they
needed. Consequently, children are able to engage with the curriculum to their full potential
and thrive in the setting.

Inspector:
Rebekah Walters
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2831047
Address:
248 Marylebone Road
London
NW1 6JF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 20/02/2025
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Westminster
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen routines for transitions to consistently prioritise children's
wellbeing.
Leaders should continue to embed and further the setting's curriculum for children, to
realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners and parents during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 9 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
106
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

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