Early Start Lawrence Avenue

Early Start Lawrence Avenue
Unique reference number (URN): EY543065
Address: Susan Lawrence Childrens School, Lawrence Avenue, LONDON, E12 5QR
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 03/02/2017
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Early Start Education Limited
Inspection report: 4 February 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
All children, including those who need additional support, make secure progress. Children
are eager to learn. Older children are confident in their own abilities, demonstrating secure
skills for their move to school. They initiate physical challenges as they build towers with
large blocks and demonstrate to staff how they can climb and jump down safely. They are
confident to express their wishes and to make their needs known. Younger children are
observed accessing their indoor and outdoor environments with growing autonomy. They
are confident to make choices about their play. However, at times, they are not fully involved
in learning experiences, which has some impact on their ability to become fully independent.
Children enjoy creative activities in the garden as they eagerly explore a range of sensory
experiences. Younger children show perseverance and determination as they learn to ride
trikes and how to balance on beams. They are developing secure relationships as they learn
to play cooperatively.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children behave well. They have mostly secure, trusting relationships with staff and their
friends. Staff know the children well and act as positive role models. They promote high
expectations for behaviour, teaching children strategies to share and take turns with popular
resources. For example, older children confidently explain how they use sand timers to
monitor when it is their turn to ride the scooter. Younger children who are learning to
manage their emotions receive reassurance that they will get their turn. These effective
strategies enable children to regulate their behaviour, promoting resilience and positive
attitudes towards their learning.
Leaders work with parents to build positive relationships. Parents value the warm, caring
team of staff, describing them as the strength of the setting. They appreciate the information
shared about their children's progress and daily activities to support home learning.
However, settling-in procedures for new children are not consistently supportive, meaning
some children take longer to settle. Leaders have acknowledged this is an area to improve.
Leaders prioritise good attendance and work in partnership with parents to ensure children
attend regularly, explaining why this is important for their learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with staff, which supports their
developing confidence, independence and sense of security. Children explore and try new
skills, as staff are close by to encourage them. For example, all children, including babies,
learn positive care practices as staff explain why routines, such as handwashing and
toothbrushing, matter. Older children confidently join in a toothbrushing song, making the
routine fun.

Children develop independence as they help themselves to healthy snacks. Staff sensitively
encourage babies to feed themselves, offering close supervision when needed. Babies'
home routines and individual comfort needs are respected, supporting their rest and
emotional wellbeing. Most children form secure attachments with their key person, although
the current settling-in procedures are not significantly personalised to ensure all new
children settle with ease.
Children are developing an understanding of their feelings as staff use stories, discussions
and everyday interactions to teach them about their emotions. This helps all children,
including those learning English as an additional language, to be confident in expressing
themselves. Staff promote children's safety effectively, showing them how to use resources
with care and planning topics such as 'People Who Help Us'. Children learn how to keep
themselves and others safe.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have a secure knowledge and oversight of the curriculum. They monitor staff
planning to ensure children experience a range of stimulating learning opportunities across
all 7 areas. Good attention is given to children's emotional and physical development, with
staff using assessment well to check what children know and can do, adapting teaching
accordingly.
Children are typically supported by skilled staff who understand how young children learn.
Staff engage children's interest through mostly good-quality teaching. For example, staff
promote communication and language through effective questioning that encourages
children to share their ideas. Older children enjoy discussing events in a book, explaining
that the characters are excited to go to the lake because they are smiling. Children proudly
turn the pages as staff foster independence, so they feel included.
Younger children enjoy making play dough. Staff explain the ingredients and encourage
children to count and help with measuring. Children learn to share and take turns. However,
some lose interest because they wait too long to participate fully in the activity. Shared
observations with leaders show they recognise that practice needs strengthening to ensure
consistent high-quality teaching across the setting. This includes reviewing background
music in the baby room, as this may limit babies' ability to listen and respond to staff.
Inclusion Expected standard
The setting promotes an inclusive approach to meeting children's individual needs. Parents
value staff's commitment to recognising their children's interests and unique personalities.
Staff know their key children well. They receive training on the graduated approach; this
typically helps them to support children to receive the right level of support at the right time.
Leaders support staff to develop targeted plans for children, including those who may need
additional support. However, the implementation of these plans is not consistently applied.
Leaders and staff work closely with parents to understand and overcome barriers to
learning, ensuring children can access the full curriculum. For example, children's physical
development and access to outdoor learning have been identified as a priority. Children
engage in a wealth of outdoor learning experiences that support their successful physical

development. They confidently balance, climb and build with large wooden blocks and
skilfully ride trikes and scooters with increasing control.
Leaders use funding purposefully to enhance children's learning. For example, they have
introduced home learning packs for parents to support children's progress further. They also
employ outside professionals to come into the setting to provide interactive music, dance
and yoga sessions. These help to enrich children's communication and language skills while
building their physical confidence and creative development.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leadership in the setting has strengthened since the last inspection. Leaders have an
accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for development and are
working effectively alongside staff to raise the quality of practice. They demonstrate high
aspirations for promoting an inclusive provision and have a clear understanding of the needs
of the families they serve, including those who are disadvantaged and face barriers to their
learning. Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the information they receive about
their children's progress and welcome initiatives such as parents' evenings and coffee
mornings. Leaders are reflective and recognise that partnerships with parents at the point of
children starting to settle into the setting require further improvement.
Staff report feeling extremely well supported by leaders, valuing both the training provided
and the attention given to their wellbeing. Staff are happy in their roles, which is evident in
the warmth and care they show towards children. Leaders are committed to staff
development and provide regular supervision. They acknowledge, however, that further
work is needed to ensure greater consistency in teaching practice across the staff team.
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

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children experience a welcoming and inclusive environment. They are warmly greeted on
arrival and are generally eager to engage in the many stimulating learning experiences
available. Staff plan a safe and fully accessible environment. Children, including young
babies, enjoy learning. For example, babies are excited to engage in pretend picnics with
baby dolls. Staff sit at their level, follow their interests and extend their ideas as babies
transfer sand into small cups and incorporate this into their imaginative play. Babies are
delighted when staff support their choices, which boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at this setting. Overall, babies enjoy
cuddles and reassurance from their key person. Staff talk confidently about their key
children's interests and how they incorporate these within their learning to help children
progress. For example, staff explain how children have been learning about people who
help us. Older children shared their own experiences of when their parents' car had broken
down and someone came to help. This led staff to recognise they should include breakdown
recovery services in their planning for this topic. This shows that staff use children's own
experiences to meaningfully shape the curriculum, valuing what children have to say.
Children's communication and listening skills are prioritised. Children thoroughly enjoy
morning circle and story times, which help them gently settle into the day. Older children
demonstrate excellent listening skills as they engage enthusiastically in conversations with
staff. They confidently talk about story events and reflect on experiences from their own lives
that make them happy. Staff skilfully weave in discussions about kindness and respect for
others, helping children build positive relationships with staff and their peers.
Leaders monitor children's attendance and clearly explain to parents why regular attendance
is important. This helps ensure children stay safe and do not miss out on valuable learning
opportunities.
Next steps
Leaders should review and assess the practice of playing background nursery rhymes in
the baby room to ensure it is consistently purposeful.
Leaders should review their settling-in procedures so that all children receive
personalised and well-planned support during their transition into the nursery.
Leaders should strengthen staff practice through their coaching and support
arrangements to help consistently promote high-quality teaching practice across the
setting.

Inspector:
Siobhan O'Callaghan
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY543065
Address:
Susan Lawrence Childrens School
Lawrence Avenue
LONDON
E12 5QR
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 03/02/2017
Registered person: Early Start Education Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Newham
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 4 February 2026
Children numbers
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs
coordinator 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.

Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
56
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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