URN 2831513 · Inspected 2026-07-29 · Published 2026-08-21 · Inspector: Nicoleta Spanu
Leapfrog Day Nursery West Unique reference number (URN): 2831513 Address: Leapfrog Day Nursery - West, 12 Parsons Mead, Croydon, CR0 3SL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/02/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Leap Frog Nursery Limited Inspection report: 29 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 Children make excellent progress from their starting points. This includes children who face barriers to their learning and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They grow rapidly in their confidence, independence and communication. Babies begin to use single words and gestures, while older children engage in rich conversations and demonstrate secure early mathematical understanding. Children show great joy in their learning and approach activities with curiosity and enthusiasm. Their listening skills flourish as they follow instructions and participate positively in routines. They uphold the setting's shared values of patience and cooperation. Children are skilful communicators who interact well with others, form strong friendships and show excellent social skills. As a result, they have the essential knowledge and skills needed for future success and the next stage of their learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They show a clear understanding of the high expectations that staff have for their behaviour. Children interact respectfully with peers, take turns, share resources and communicate their needs with increasing confidence. Staff model kindness and respect, offering frequent praise and encouragement that reinforces positive behaviour. The setting's 'slow pedagogy' approach underpins calm and well-structured routines. Children take their time to fully participate in activities and learn new skills, such as talking about different feelings. Staff give children time to express how they feel and why. For example, during activities when making a face, children will say 'I am happy'. Staff use effective calming strategies, including yoga and music and movement sessions. This help children regulate their emotions, prepare for transitions and develop secure self-regulation skills. This enables children to engage deeply, build emotional understanding and develop age-appropriate confidence in managing their feelings. Leaders monitor attendance carefully, ensuring children benefit fully from the curriculum. They work closely with families to promote punctuality and consistent attendance, offering support where needed. As a result, children engage fully, behave well and show readiness to learn throughout the day. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. Staff know children exceptionally well and create a nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued and understood. Robust settling-in routines help children build secure attachments with their key people, giving them the confidence to explore and seek comfort when needed. Staff respond promptly to children's emotional needs, offering guidance and warm interactions that support self- regulation and emotional security. Healthy habits are embedded through consistent modelling and daily routines. Children learn to wash their hands effectively, brush their teeth and make healthy food choices. Safer sleeping and eating procedures are followed rigorously, and staff provide attentive support during mealtimes, encouraging independence through tasks such as self-serving drinks and making choices. Partnerships with parents ensure continuity in sleeping, toileting, feeding and weaning routines, reinforcing children's wellbeing at home. Children benefit from regular physical activity, including visits to local parks. This supports children's physical development and deepens their understanding of the natural world. Staff adapt routines and activities so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning can fully participate. Clear hygiene practices, safe food handling and secure first-aid arrangements ensure that children remain safe, secure and well cared for throughout the day. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders prioritise delivering an ambitious curriculum. They train all staff in the setting's 'slow pedagogy' approach to ensure everyone understands it and implements it appropriately for each age and stage. Staff confidently apply this knowledge to plan purposeful learning experiences that meet children's developmental needs. Their consistent practice enables children to explore and learn at a pace that promotes engagement and secure progress. Teaching is highly effective across the setting. Staff consistently interact with children in purposeful and meaningful ways. Babies benefit from a language-rich environment where staff model vocabulary and promote early communication throughout daily routines. Toddlers receive strong support to understand and express their feelings, with staff helping them recognise emotions such as 'happy', 'nervous' or 'sad'. Mathematical concepts are clearly embedded across the setting. For example, children across the setting use numbers in their play, through building, counting objects or exploring quantities in the sand. In pre-school, children demonstrate secure early number knowledge, with some confidently matching quantities to numerals up to 20. As a result, children build confidence and make excellent progress in their learning and development. Leaders ensure that the teaching and curriculum support all children effectively. Children who speak English as an additional language fully participate and thrive. Staff know them well and implement a range of strategies to support them. This enables children to build confidence and develop communication skills. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff gather information about children in highly effective ways to determine whether children need additional help. They speak with parents and carers before children start at the nursery to identify any early concerns about development. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments, including the progress check for children aged between 2 and 3 years, which helps to pinpoint any emerging needs. They act promptly to provide the right support, supporting parents to contact their local paediatrician or speech and language specialist when appropriate. Staff monitor children closely and use this information to plan transitions between rooms only when each child is ready. This responsive approach ensures children receive targeted support that helps them make progress. Staff carefully and skilfully adjust activities to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerable children. Additional funding is used effectively to support children's needs, for example by purchasing sensory resources or investing in staff learning and development. Some staff have also recently enrolled in specialist SEND training to further enhance the quality of the support children receive. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that strategies are consistent and meaningful. They make a positive and lasting difference to the development of children with SEND or those who face other barriers to learning. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders have an insightful and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement. Since registration, they have worked purposefully to build a cohesive staff team, strengthen consistency and establish a well-planned curriculum that supports children's learning and wellbeing. Leaders are reflective in their approach and recognise that further developing the outdoor environment is the next stage in the setting's improvement journey. They understand that this will enhance children's physical development and provide even richer opportunities for exploration, investigation and learning outdoors. Leaders have embedded a culture of high expectations, professionalism and continuous improvement. They value their staff team and make thoughtful decisions that protect staff wellbeing and manage their workloads effectively. Leaders recognise individual strengths and adapt roles to support professional development. For example, when a staff member expressed an interest in teaching Spanish, leaders enabled this to become part of the curriculum. This responsive approach contributes to a stable and motivated team. As a result, children benefit from secure, trusting relationships with adults who know them extremely well and provide consistently high-quality care and education. Leaders inspire staff to reflect, embrace new ideas and continually refine their teaching. This creates a strong culture of professional curiosity, where staff confidently adapt their approaches to meet children's changing needs. Staff professional development is purposeful and has a clear impact on practice. Staff actively seek out training, research and professional learning opportunities that are closely matched to the needs of children attending the setting. As a result, children benefit from thoughtful, responsive practice that promotes their wellbeing, engagement and progress. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children enjoy attending this warm and nurturing setting. From the moment they arrive, staff offer sensitive and attentive interactions. This helps children feel valued and emotionally secure. Children form strong, trusting relationships with staff. This enables them to explore confidently. Staff listen carefully to children's ideas and respond thoughtfully. For example, when exploring the tool station, staff ask purposeful questions that extend children's knowledge and understanding. Children consistently demonstrate independence during daily tasks. Toddlers confidently follow familiar routines and show pride in managing tasks by themselves. After lunch, they wipe their faces independently and move calmly to the book corner, selecting stories of their choice and settling into quiet reading. Babies are encouraged to repeat familiar words during mealtimes, such as saying 'thank you'. Staff praise their efforts with enthusiastic responses such as 'well done'. Older children experience imaginative play for extended periods, sharing ideas and using real-life resources to enrich their learning. During a teddy bear picnic, staff engage children in conversations about what they are doing, why healthy choices matter and how these routines support a positive lifestyle. These interactions deepen children's understanding, support their language development and help them make meaningful connections between play and real-world experiences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those who face barriers to learning, are fully included in the setting. Staff adapt routines immediately when needed, such as by offering rest earlier in the day, ensuring that children feel understood and emotionally supported. Families feel warmly welcomed, and staff value parents' contributions, working closely with them to support children's learning and wellbeing. Children thrive in this setting. Each child has an identified key person and parents speak confidently about their children's next steps. Staff work collectively to plan what children need to learn next. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance from the start, to ensure children benefit from the rich learning opportunities available throughout the day. As a result, children are very well prepared for the next stage in their education. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help in order to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, 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 Inspector: Nicoleta Spanu About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2831513 Address: Leapfrog Day Nursery - West 12 Parsons Mead Croydon CR0 3SL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 21/02/2025 Registered person: Leap Frog Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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 29 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 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. Total number of places 57 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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