URN EY448266 · Inspected 2026-09-11 · Published 2026-10-09 · Inspector: Tracey Murphy
Collingham Gardens Nursery Unique reference number (URN): EY448266 Address: Henrietta Mews, Off Handel Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1PH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 16/07/2012 Registers: EYR Registered person: Collingham Gardens Nursery Inspection report: 11 September 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 Children typically make steady progress from their starting points, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are confident and curious learners. They show growing concentration as they take part in a range of activities. Children demonstrate social confidence and secure relationships as they play together in imaginative games. They progress well in their communication and language. Children use increasing vocabulary, join simple conversations and join in with action songs. Children with SEND show sustained concentration during activities they choose, playing alongside others. Older children demonstrate confident mathematical understanding as they count, beginning to understand concepts more as they set the table for lunch. Children develop their small hand muscles as they confidently and safely use scissors and manipulate play dough. Older children are growing in confidence and becoming increasingly independent. All children learn skills in readiness for their eventual move to school. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff typically have a secure understanding of how to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. They get to know the families and children that attend the nursery. This helps staff to support children's individual care routines. As a result, children feel safe and secure in their environment. The key-person approach is securely embedded, which supports children to feel safe, settled and secure. This is particularly evident for younger children, who benefit from consistent care and nurturing interactions in a calm environment. This promotes children's wellbeing. Staff respond to children who may become a little unsettled, offering them warm reassurance. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. This helps children to understand safe procedures. They know children and their families well and work closely with parents and external agencies to ensure children receive the support they need. Staff foster warm and nurturing relationships with children. Children are comforted sensitively when they become unsettled and are supported to recognise and communicate their feelings through reassurance from staff. These positive relationships help children develop confidence and emotional security. As a result, all children show they feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Leaders and staff actively encourage children to develop positive attitudes to leading a healthy lifestyle. Staff provide daily opportunities for children to get fresh air and engage in physical activity. They build children's confidence, so they can use the outdoor environment safely and independently. Children develop their spatial awareness as they ride bikes and use hula hoops. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum that focuses on children's exploration and curiosity through their interests. Alongside this, staff are focusing on social and emotional development in particular as some children are new to the nursery, despite routines still being established by staff. They complete regular observations and assessments, particularly to monitor children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As such, teaching is generally purposeful and supports children's next steps of learning, including adaptations for children with SEND. Staff typically build on children's vocabulary and communication skills. Children are confident. They are articulate and talk about the activities they are exploring. For example, children talk about the leaves falling and changing colours. Leaders plan to support children's physical skills and enthusiasm to be among nature in the natural and spacious garden. Children giggle and smile with joy as they balance and climb. Staff support them to manage risks and develop their physical skills. Staff nurture children's imagination and curiosity as they collect falling leaves and sticks to add to the mud kitchen. Staff are skilful at teaching children early mathematics as they play and during routines. This helps children to learn to count and recognise shapes in the environment. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders have created an inclusive culture where children's individual needs are identified quickly through effective settling-in processes, discussions with families, progress checks and early assessment. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who speak English as an additional language, those in receipt of early years pupil premium funding and children known to children's social care. Leaders and staff create an environment where children feel valued and supported. They use ongoing assessment to assess children's individual needs. This helps them to identify children's needs early and take effective action to secure the support children need. Leaders typically monitor the impact of support through observations, assessments, supervision and partnership working with external professionals, using this information to review and adapt provision. This means that children receive timely, targeted support that meets their individual needs, helping them to make progress and feel secure. Leaders work closely with external professionals, including the local authority, to plan and ensure children receive support that they need. This two-way approach provides consistency for children's development. Children with SEND make progress from their starting points. Staff use their knowledge of each child to adapt their teaching and provide well-matched support. For example, staff provide targeted strategies, including sessions to support their communication and language development. Leaders are secure in their knowledge on how to allocate any additional funding to support children's needs. Needs attention Leadership and governance Expected standard The nursery is run by an experienced management team. It is dedicated to its roles and has made lots of positive contributions to the development of the nursery. This includes organising parent support to maintain the outdoor environment. Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children. The curriculum is well understood by staff. Leaders monitor and evaluate practice regularly to identify strengths and areas for development, which leads to continuous improvements. This shows in their awareness of areas to build upon further, such as developing the routines and transitions throughout the day to support children to understand expectations, minimising distractions. However, this is not yet embedded across the setting. Staff are well trained and supported. A clear training schedule is in place, including ongoing professional development through the local authority and other agencies. Supervision sessions and staff meetings are consistent, ensuring that staff feel valued and that their needs are identified swiftly. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing. Staff comment they feel well supported in their role. Leaders ensure that all children can access the curriculum, working with other professionals with agreed individual plans and adaptations made when necessary. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Inconsistencies in staff's practice and expectations of children result in children demonstrating less positive behaviours towards their learning. For example, staff have not fully embedded clear routines and transitions throughout the day, such as times when transitioning from activities or to mealtimes. This means children are unclear about expectations. This impacts children's listening skills and understanding of expectations. Staff do not consistently demonstrate clear expectations for children's behaviour or teach children to manage small tasks or to join group activities. Generally, children play collaboratively with their friends as they pretend to be dinosaurs and build an obstacle course for their cars. Staff give children praise and encouragement during daily routines and play experiences. They prompt children to use positive manners. Children receive encouragement to treat each other with kindness and respect, as they take turns and share toys with each other. There are warm and trusting relationships between staff and children. Leaders work with other agencies to help meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use visual cues to support children to help manage their emotions and behaviours. Leaders support and promote children's regular attendance through engagement with families. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children typically behave well. They share tools, such as spades and pipettes, take turns and share. However, routines and transitions during the day are not well organised by staff or embedded thoroughly. This means children become distracted, which impacts on their general behaviour. Children arrive at the nursery happy and keen to start their day. They enjoy a warm and welcoming environment. Children explore the extensive large outdoor space with confidence. Children climb tree houses with confidence. They collect natural items, such as sticks and leaves, and show curiosity as they watch leaves fall. Children enjoy sensory play. They mix leaves, pour water and create simple recipes in the mud kitchen. Children develop their fine motor skills as they paint and use scissors. Children enjoy stories and songs. They choose books from baskets and listen to familiar stories. Children repeat phrases and point to pictures, showing their love of stories. Children explore rhyme and rhythm as they join in with action songs and copy simple movements. They demonstrate they feel included. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning are typically supported to make progress from their starting points. Children follow routines at mealtimes and wash their hands. They enjoy the responsibility of being the 'helper' at mealtimes. Children pour water, serve meals and talk about healthy food choices. Children thrive because staff build secure attachments. Children still settling smile at familiar adults and seek comfort when upset and return to play. Children show pride when they complete tasks and enjoy praise. Overall, children enjoy their learning, feel safe and build positive relationships. Staff plan meaningful activities that engage children in learning and help them prepare for their next steps. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following action by the assigned date: Action Completion Date support staff to embed high expectations for children's behaviour and to follow the daily routines. 15/10/2026 Inspector: Tracey Murphy About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY448266 Address: Henrietta Mews Off Handel Street Bloomsbury London WC1N 1PH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 16/07/2012 Registered person: Collingham Gardens Nursery Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 17:00 Local authority: Camden Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 11 September 2026 About this inspection The inspector spoke with parents and carers, leaders, staff 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. Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 24 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. 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