Kids - Joy Nursery

Kids - Joy Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2690662
Address: 5-9 Peall Road, London, England, CR0 3EX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 12/10/2022
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Buckman, Nina
Inspection report: 10 April 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Expected standard
Safeguarding standards not met
Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding
that adequately protects children from harm. Leaders do not consistently ensure that all
necessary pre-employment checks are completed before staff begin working in the setting.
In particular, full employment histories and sufficiently detailed references, including reasons
for leaving previous roles, are not consistently obtained or scrutinised. This means there are
occasions when staff have begun working with children before all required checks have
been fully completed. However, leaders have put some measures in place to reduce the
risk, such as ensuring these staff are not left unsupervised with children.
Despite this weakness, staff and leaders demonstrate an understanding of other
safeguarding responsibilities and procedures. Staff know how to recognise and report
concerns, including completing safeguarding records and escalating issues to the
designated safeguarding lead and external agencies. Leaders emphasise the importance of
timely action and accurate recording. In practice, staff supervise children effectively, follow
risk assessments and implement routines such as headcounts, secure entry systems, and
monitoring of accidents and incidents.
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.
Achievement Expected standard
Children enjoy engaging in a wide range of experiences and make steady progress from
their starting points across the setting. Children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities are supported to take part in activities through tailored adult support, repetition
and adapted resources. Over time, they build confidence in joining in with group activities,
communicating their needs and regulating their emotions.
Children become more independent in their daily routines. They manage self-care tasks
such as washing hands, serving food and selecting resources with growing confidence.
They begin to make choices about what they want to do, returning to favourite activities and
sustaining their attention for longer periods.
Children develop a positive attitude towards stories and books. They listen with interest
during shared reading, often returning to familiar stories and joining in with repeated phrases
and actions. Books are available throughout the setting, and children handle them with care,
sometimes choosing them independently during play.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders organise daily routines and expectations so children generally understand what is
required of them throughout the day. They monitor attendance and follow up when children
are absent, while also working with families to support consistent start times, which helps
children arrive ready to take part.
Staff build close relationships with children by getting down to their level, responding to their
interests and offering reassurance when needed. This helps children feel secure and
confident to explore and join in. Staff guide children to share resources, wait for their turn
and join in with others. Staff offer children support where needed so they can take part
successfully. When children find it difficult to manage their feelings, staff use simple,
consistent approaches to help them. Staff support children to use timers to assist them with
turn-taking. They show children breathing techniques and use visual prompts to help them
understand what is happening, how they are feeling and what they can do next. These
approaches create a calm and respectful environment where children learn how to treat
others kindly.
The setting monitors behaviour closely using incident records and ongoing observation.
Staff record behavioural incidents to identify any emerging patterns or triggers, particularly
for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and use this information to
inform support strategies. These records are reviewed regularly by leaders and key staff to
consider what is working well and where approaches need to be adjusted.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff talk with children as they play, introducing new words in meaningful moments, such as
when exploring textures as they plant seeds. Staff repeat and model language so children
hear it used in different situations and begin to use it themselves. Staff encourage children
to explain what they are doing and respond to simple questions that help them think more
deeply.
Children count objects in simple games. For example, they count the number of dots on a
dice to see who has the highest score. Staff use ongoing assessment of what children can
do to adjust support in the moment. When children are not accurate with numbers, staff
model and repeat alongside them. They help them match quantities to numerals and check
their counting. Children use equipment that encourages them to stretch, balance and control
their movements. Staff stay close by and offer demonstrations where needed, for example
showing how best to hold equipment or steady themselves. Children repeat these
movements, gaining confidence as they try again, and gradually improve their coordination
over time.
Leaders support staff to use what they see children doing during play to decide what to do
next and change activities so children can stay interested and keep building on their skills.
On occasion, however, staff choose the next steps in learning that do not fully match the
planned order of learning, which means children's learning does not always follow the
intended step-by-step curriculum.

Needs attention
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders identify children's needs through ongoing observation, assessment and close
communication with parents. When needs have been established, they put timely support in
place. Staff adapt activities to reflect children's interests to promote engagement and extend
concentration. They provide targeted support through small-group work, repetition of
language and modelling, while using calm, consistent approaches to help children regulate
their emotions and take part in activities.
Leaders plan and review support over time, updating plans to reflect children's changing
needs. They work with external professionals and maintain regular communication with
families to ensure consistency. They closely monitor children who require additional support
or who are known to children's social care. They ensure children receive appropriate
emotional support and consistent oversight to help them remain settled, safe and engaged.
Leaders ensure staff receive training to support the identification of needs and
implementation of appropriate strategies. This includes supporting children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and using effective interaction approaches. This helps
to promote consistency in practice across the setting. Leaders use additional funding to
enhance resources and improve the environment, including developing reading areas and
providing materials to support early literacy. This leads to increased engagement and a
calmer learning environment. As a result, children make steady progress from their starting
points, developing communication skills, increasing independence in routines and becoming
more confident and involved in their learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Leaders do not keep themselves fully up to date with current nutritional guidance. Although
the menu is generally balanced, some meals do not fully reflect current expectations for
healthy eating and learning healthy lifestyles. This means children sometimes eat meals that
do not include fresh fruit or vegetables, which does not fully support the development of
healthy eating habits over time. Despite this, staff maintain consistent care practices that
support children's health and wellbeing effectively in day-to-day routines. They gather
information from parents about dietary needs and use clear systems, such as coloured
plates and close supervision, to keep children with allergies safe. Staff adapt feeding
approaches for younger children, supporting their progression from puréed to more textured
foods in line with their development and in partnership with parents. They promote some
healthy habits through discussions about food and oral health, reinforce these messages
with parents, and manage sleep routines carefully by carrying out regular checks and
providing calm, low-stimulation environments.
Staff build secure relationships with children that support their emotional wellbeing. They
respond sensitively when children arrive upset, offering reassurance and helping them settle
into play. Staff support children to manage their feelings through consistent routines and
interactions, helping them become more confident and engaged over time. However, staff

Urgent improvement
do not consistently promote children's independence. During daily routines and free play,
they sometimes step in too quickly to complete tasks rather than giving children enough time
to try for themselves. This limits children's opportunities to practise and develop their
independence.
Leadership and governance Urgent improvement
Oversight of checks carried out before staff begin working with children is not consistently
secure. In some cases, not all required references are fully in place before staff start work,
and some references do not contain sufficient detail about previous roles. This means
leaders do not always have full assurance about staff suitability before they begin working in
the setting. Leaders do not always maintain fully up-to-date knowledge of current nutritional
guidance. This weakens leaders' oversight of the quality of food provision and the extent to
which it fully supports children's health and wellbeing.
Leaders keep in regular contact with parents through daily conversations, feedback sheets
and informal updates. Parents say they have positive relationships with staff and that their
children are happy, settled and making progress in their learning. Staff development is
supported through regular meetings, supervision and observation of practice. Leaders use
these to identify training needs and improve consistency. They also take staff wellbeing into
account through supervision and flexible support, helping staff manage workload and
continue meeting children's needs.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Leaders do not always ensure that checks carried out before staff start working with children
are fully complete. In some cases, not all references are in place before staff begin work,
and some references do not provide sufficient detail about previous roles. This means
leaders cannot always be fully confident that all required checks have been completed
before staff start working with children. Leaders do not keep themselves fully up to date with
the latest rules and guidance for food in early years settings. This means children do not
always receive meals that consistently match current healthy eating expectations.
Despite this, children build secure relationships with staff and confidently seek reassurance
when needed. On arrival, children who become upset are supported by familiar adults and

Inspector:
Jenny Selvakumaran
quickly settle into play. Children cooperate with others during shared play experiences, such
as negotiating roles in pretend play, working together to complete simple construction tasks,
and joining group experiences where they listen to instructions and respond to adult-led
prompts. They begin to understand expectations in group situations, such as waiting for a
turn during shared activities and responding to adult guidance when interacting with peers.
Children show curiosity and enjoyment across a wide range of experiences. They listen
attentively to stories read by adults and respond with interest, particularly during familiar or
repeated texts. Children explore creative materials such as paint, collage and malleable
resources, expressing ideas through mark making and creative choices. They engage in
imaginative role play, such as acting out familiar experiences in the home corner and using
props to extend their ideas. Children also explore sound and rhythm using a range of
musical instruments, including instruments from different cultures, responding with
movement and rhythm as they experiment with sound. Children are confident, engaged
learners who actively explore, communicate and participate across the setting.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
ensure leaders understand their statutory
responsibilities and strengthen oversight of governance,
particularly in relation to obtaining references before
staff are employed
08/05/2026
ensure all food provided to children is healthy, balanced
and prepared appropriately
08/05/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and children 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.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2690662
Address:
5-9 Peall Road
London
England
CR0 3EX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 12/10/2022
Registered person: Buckman, Nina
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Croydon
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 10 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
30
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.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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