URN EY314290 · Inspected 2026-01-28 · Published 2026-04-10 · Inspector: Martina Mullings
Minik Kardes Childrens Centre and CommunityNursery Unique reference number (URN): EY314290 Address: 53-55 Balls Pond Road, Islington, London, N1 4BW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/10/2005 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Minik Kardes Ltd Inspection report: 28 January 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Strong standard 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. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children behave in a respectful and considerate manner. They listen to adults and respond positively to them. Children learn to take turns and share resources during play well. They move calmly between activities and use their stimulating environment with confidence. Children demonstrate an understanding of the daily routines, and they know the expectations from them. They consistently show positive attitudes to learning and display sustained attention during activities. Children regularly make their own choices and seek support from staff, if needed. Staff consistently encourage positive behaviour through clear guidance and positive encouragement. They use effective strategies to support children to develop self-regulation. Staff work closely with parents to support children's behaviour promptly and sensitively. This helps children to manage their emotions and behaviour in a supportive environment. For example, during role-play activities, children show kindness and care as they recognise others' feelings, offer help and adjust their behaviour to meet the needs of others. Leaders place a strong emphasis on children's attendance and engagement. Attendance is monitored closely. Leaders work with parents to address any barriers to regular attendance. This supports children to benefit fully from the experiences available. Therefore, expectations for behaviour across the setting support children's learning, relationships and wellbeing. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders ensure that children's welfare and wellbeing remain central to practice. They ensure that systems and routines are securely embedded across the setting. This supports children's physical and emotional needs throughout the day. Leaders ensure a well- established key-person system is in place, and they encourage staff to work closely with Expected standard parents to support children to settle. This helps children to build trust and form close attachments with familiar staff and supports consistency between home and the setting. Staff support children during transitions between rooms through carefully planned arrangements. This helps children to adjust and feel secure as they move to the next stage. Staff promote children's welfare through sensitive and responsive care. Nappy-changing routines are carried out by familiar staff, which helps to strengthen relationships. Staff provide healthy food for children to eat, and they carefully consider their individual dietary needs and allergies. Children take part in regular toothbrushing activities so that they develop positive routines around oral health. Children show that they feel safe and secure in the setting. They approach their key person for reassurance and support when needed. Children demonstrate increasing independence in self-care routines, such as feeding themselves and using the toilet. They take part in regular physical activity and benefit from opportunities to rest and sleep when needed. Children's interactions show that they feel valued, calm and emotionally secure. Inclusion Strong standard Inclusion is securely embedded throughout the setting. Children experience an environment that actively values diversity and supports them to feel included, respected and confident. Children who speak English as an additional language benefit consistently from a bilingual staff team that uses children's home languages alongside English. This approach supports children's understanding, communication and confidence effectively, enabling them to participate fully in play. Children feel valued and supported, which strengthens their sense of belonging and supports positive attitudes towards learning. Children with additional needs are identified promptly and benefit from well-targeted support. For example, where children are identified as having gaps in their speech and language development, staff work closely with the special educational needs coordinator to complete referrals for speech and language therapy. This ensures children benefit from timely access to specialist support and targeted strategies. Staff carefully plan opportunities that support children's communication and interaction skills, as well as their social and emotional development. These individualised approaches help children to develop their speech, build relationships, manage their emotions and engage positively with others. All children continue to make progress. Achievement Expected standard All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their individual starting points. Children approach learning positively. They typically develop a broad range of skills across the curriculum and are prepared for the next stage of learning. Children demonstrate curiosity and sustained interest in activities as they explore and move freely between experiences. They demonstrate confidence, independence, resilience and perseverance when faced with challenging tasks. Children have good physical skills. They practise both small- and large-muscle development during indoor and outdoor play. Children who speak English as an additional language develop confidence in their communication skills. They use words and phrases from their home language alongside English and clearly express themselves. All children participate well in play activities and daily routine tasks. Children's happy interactions and engagement show that they feel settled and comfortable in their surroundings. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff use observation and assessment effectively to identify what children need to learn next and to recognise any gaps in their learning promptly. Staff provide stimulating activities that enable children to play, explore and learn. Activities are inclusive, and all children are fully engaged and motivated to learn. Staff interact positively with children to support their learning and development. For example, during story times, they read expressively and ask questions that encourage them to respond and demonstrate their understanding of the story. This supports the development of children's literacy skills and helps to foster a love of books. Children display effective communication and language skills. They respond to questions confidently and demonstrate secure listening, understanding and speaking skills. There are plenty of opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world. They engage in imaginative play, where they use household items, pretend to cook and serve their friends. Children learn about the seasons and weather conditions. Additionally, they learn about animals through activities and visits to the local farm. Children use their senses to explore a range of materials effectively. They explore freely and learn through trial and error. This supports the development of their thinking, memory and concentration. Furthermore, this helps to strengthen their hand muscles as they pick up and handle different items effectively. Although there are opportunities for children to explore mathematics within the planned curriculum, staff are not always confident to extend children's knowledge in this area through taught activities. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders set a clear and ambitious vision for the setting, which is understood and shared by the staff team. Staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are supervised at all times and that required ratios are met. Leaders use self-evaluation to reflect on the quality of provision. They consider feedback from parents, staff and children when identifying strengths and areas for development. Leaders work closely with the local authority to review practice and, in the main, take timely action where improvement is needed. This reflective approach supports ongoing development that is responsive to children's needs. Leaders typically ensure that staff access training and regular supervision. They discuss staff workload, wellbeing and any concerns. This includes consideration of their personal circumstances, where appropriate, to ensure staff feel supported and able to carry out their roles. There is an understanding of the importance of reviewing how specific training is translated into practice. However, on some occasions, learning from previous training has not been reviewed effectively. As a result, some elements of staff's teaching and practice are not consistently effective when supporting children's learning. Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as disadvantaged children, receive appropriate and effective support. Leaders and the special educational needs coordinator work closely with staff, parents and external professionals to identify needs, implement targeted strategies and review progress regularly. Parents share positive feedback about the setting. They value the communication they receive, the progress their children make and the range of opportunities available. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Leaders create an environment in which children's attendance and wellbeing are prioritised. They establish strong relationships with parents and work closely with other professionals to support children's needs effectively. Leaders ensure that staff are supported to meet the diverse needs of the children attending, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A bilingual staff team is in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use visual prompts, such as picture and word cards, to support children's communication and understanding. They demonstrate good knowledge of children's backgrounds, cultures and home languages. Staff deliver a curriculum that is age appropriate and responsive to the children's interests and needs. This supports children to make secure progress in relation to their starting points. Staff work closely with parents to ensure continuity in children's learning between home and the setting. They support children to settle and form secure attachments effectively. Staff provide sensitive reassurance and respond to children's individual needs, using flexible settling-in arrangements where appropriate. Staff promote healthy eating, and they support children to make healthy choices at mealtimes effectively. They act as positive role models and help children to understand right from wrong. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their independence and confidence effectively. All children take part in energetic physical play. They follow instructions and demonstrate a range of movements, showing developing coordination, balance and mobility. In the main, children experience a broad range of activities that support their learning and development across the curriculum. This helps them to develop new interests and build on their existing skills. Children play with sand and paint and experiment with colours and textures. This supports sensory exploration and creative development. They enjoy mark- making activities and draw in ways that are meaningful to them. Children regularly take part in singing rhymes and songs. These experiences support children's communication and language development and build their confidence to join in and express themselves. Next steps Leaders should continue to support staff to further develop the teaching of mathematics, embedding this further into the curriculum. Leaders should target training and support for staff more precisely to address and review minor inconsistencies in practice. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator and parents during the inspection. Inspector: Martina Mullings About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY314290 Address: 53-55 Balls Pond Road Islington London N1 4BW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 11/10/2005 Registered person: Minik Kardes Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Hackney Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 28 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of 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. 1 to 4 Total number of places 44 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. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted © Crown copyright 2026 © Crown copyright