The Alphabet House Nursery School

The Alphabet House Nursery School
Unique reference number (URN): 2503515
Address: 11 Telegraph Avenue, Ossel Court, London, Greenwich, SE10 0TE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 31/10/2018
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: The Alphabet House Nursery Schools Limited
Inspection report: 28 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children learn well. They take part in a range of learning activities, which they can
independently access, to support all areas of their learning. Children show independence as
they attempt tasks, such as filling their own water cups or cutting and serving their own
snack. These opportunities support their confidence in managing everyday routines. When
they need support from staff, they receive positive encouragement to have a go at tricky
tasks for themselves.
Children make steady progress from their starting points. Children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities or those facing other barriers to learning receive enhanced support.
This enables children to take part in all learning opportunities. Children are suitably prepared
for transition to school. They learn about real-life scenarios about moving on to school,
through listening to staff's carefully chosen animated stories, using children's own photos
and experiences.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children generally behave well. Staff carefully consider children's age and stage of
development when adapting teaching. Children listen well and are supported by staff to build
their emotional security, such as by having cuddles where needed. Staff often use well-
considered techniques, such as 'hands on' massage, to support children with their emotions.
Staff demonstrate to children how to use pressure and gentle touching of hands, such as
gently placing their hand on their own chest and practising deep breathing together. This
helps children to understand and manage their emotions generally well.
Leaders have recently placed more emphasis on establishing routines and understanding
children's behaviour. However, leaders recognise that this is not consistently embedded
across the setting. For example, although staff are calm in their approach, they do not fully
explain to children the impact of unwanted behaviour. They do not follow up with clear
explanations to ensure that children fully understand how and why to behave well. At these
times, some children are unclear on how to manage their behaviour. Leaders work with staff
to build consistency with children regarding daily routines. However, at times, transitions can
become disorganised and do not support children's understanding of what is happening now
or what is coming next.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff are considerate and polite, respecting children's wishes, and they have established
caring bonds to ensure that children feel safe. For instance, staff use familiar objects to build
children's understanding of care routines. For example, when it is time for nappy changing,
staff bring a nappy to show to children and explain carefully what is happening next. Staff
thoughtfully promote children's independence, understanding the need for keeping clean,
staying healthy and keeping themselves safe. Staff understand the importance of safety
during routines, such as when children are eating or sleeping. They follow children's own

routines from home, such as sleeping, by working with parents and carers about how to
comfort their child to sleep. This supports the emotional needs of all children and provides
opportunities for them to express themselves confidently.
Staff generally have strong bonds with children. Staff typically support children to develop an
understanding of wellbeing. Children show kindness. For instance, children show care and
compassion when playing with dolls and cleaning them up affectionately. Staff provide
generally high-quality interactions as they have fun and work collaboratively with children in
supporting their understanding of consideration and kindness to the dolls.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders identify the quality of staff's teaching and curriculum delivery swiftly. Leaders have
put in place well-considered plans for improvement, such as around supporting staff's work
with children. Staff plan learning opportunities well, both inside and outside, to support all
children across the age ranges, adapting teaching where needed. For example, when in the
nursery garden, staff encourage children's social skills through teamwork and turn taking
with others. Children initiate play with a parachute, and staff encourage teamwork to make
the parachute move.
Staff support children's understanding of the world around them. For instance, staff skilfully
engage children in play with toy insects. When children discover a real spider, staff help
children to investigate, for example, under a microscope. This creates exciting opportunities
for children to explore a spider close up, and to develop their curiosity through hands-on
discovery. Staff build on children's previous learning well, through stories, songs and
counting. Staff support children's communication and language skills through their
interactions effectively.
Staff make careful use of their observations and assessments to check what children know.
They use this information to tailor their interactions to support children's development. For
instance, staff generally adapt routines and teaching to provide extra support for children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities, such as by following children's lead in
play. Staff make thoughtful decisions responsively, focusing on different ways to support
individual children.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff demonstrate inclusive practice to ensure that all children, including those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who may face barriers to
learning, are able to participate in all that the nursery provides. Staff are supported by
experienced colleagues who are qualified in SEND. This ensures that staff provide precise
targets which are unique to individual children. Staff understand their key children well and
use a range of different ways to support them throughout their day. Staff build trusting
relationships with families to help personalise opportunities and experiences for children.
This helps children to feel valued, understood and supports consistency between nursery
and home.
Leaders understand how to use additional funding effectively. They work alongside parents
and carers and staff to enhance children's experiences and engagement in learning. Staff

use observations and adapt provision and routines so that children can thrive. For example,
leaders have developed two sensory spaces within the nursery rooms to support children's
emotional development and sensory experiences. All children have access and can freely
use this space at any time, independently or with support from staff.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
A recent change to leadership has allowed the setting to review the quality of staff's practice
and reflect on areas for improvement. Leaders have taken steps to strengthen the quality of
interactions between staff and children, nursery environments and establishing routines.
They recognise that these changes will further support children's learning and demonstrate
a commitment to ongoing development. Leaders have an appropriate plan for improvement,
but further precision is required. Leaders are visibly in the nursery rooms and work
alongside staff to model positive practice and interactions, making their own connections
with children.
Staff engage in training provided by leaders who monitor this through meetings and
supervisions with staff. Staff report feeling well supported by leaders and to enhance their
practice through ongoing training. Staff speak highly of the professional learning and
development opportunities provided by leaders who support them well. For instance,
apprentices value the mentoring and flexibility provided by leaders to support them when
needed.
Leaders and staff generally maintain positive relationships with parents and carers and the
wider community. Parents typically speak positively about their children's relationship with
staff and how children have settled into the setting well. Children benefit from leaders' well-
considered gradual approach to joining the setting, and parents take their time when leaving
their children with staff. This supports children to feel safe and secure.
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 have clear bonds with staff and settle well, showing that they feel safe and secure.
Children's good attendance is promoted well by leaders and staff. Staff patiently join children
and their parents and carers, who are welcomed to stay a little longer to support with settling
their child if needed. Children gravitate towards staff's carefully planned learning activities
that are tailored to children's interests. Children learn well because of staff's skilful
interactions during play. They develop their thinking skills effectively, such as when staff ask
them carefully considered questions.
Children proudly share their achievements with staff, demonstrating their confidence, such
as when watering the nursery's plants. Children learn about the importance of what plants
need to grow and build on their first-hand experiences of caring for living things. For
example, children talk with staff at mealtimes about the potatoes they have grown. They
build on their knowledge of how food grows, where the food comes from and the benefits
that healthy food has on their bodies. This supports children's understanding of healthy
eating and supports their learning and development well.
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those
facing barriers to learning, are supported well. Staff generally tailor targets, routines and
plans to ensure that children make positive progress from their starting points. Children
benefit from staff who are responsive and respectful. Staff make careful use of the nursery's
resources to reference and guide children's expectations and knowledge. Children learn
what staff expect of them. For example, when it is time to eat, staff gently guide children, by
pointing to chairs, that they must sit down while eating. This supports children's
understanding as well as their safety.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen daily routines to support children to understand what is
happening now and next.
Leaders should improve staff's understanding of how to support children's behaviour to
enable children to manage their own feelings well.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs
coordinator during the inspection.

Inspector:
Tania Poulton
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2503515
Address:
11 Telegraph Avenue
Ossel Court
London
Greenwich
SE10 0TE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 31/10/2018
Registered person: The Alphabet House Nursery Schools Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Greenwich
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 28 July 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
60
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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