URN 2788957 · Inspected 2026-01-14 · Published 2026-03-10 · Inspector: Laura Brewer
Osman Squad Preschool Limited Unique reference number (URN): 2788957 Address: 74 Gorringe Park Avenue, Mitcham, CR4 2DJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/06/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Osman Squad Preschool Limited Inspection report: 14 January 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 Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Leaders and staff take a positive and consistent environment and approach to supporting children's behaviour. They model kindness and consideration in their interactions, helping children to learn respectful behaviour. Children form secure relationships with staff and their key person, who understands each child's individual needs. When children find it difficult to manage their behaviour, staff effectively consider their individual needs so that they have time to settle and offer calm, reassuring support. Staff talk to children about their feelings, acknowledge their emotions and provide nurturing care. As a result, children feel safe and learn to regulate their behaviour. Children learn to be kind and welcoming towards others. For example, when a child arrives, staff encourage their friends to greet them, and children respond warmly, often hugging each other with excitement. Children are supported to collaborate and get along with others, such as when they hold hands to join in ring games and listen to each other's ideas. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance. This helps children benefit from consistent early education and supports them to develop positive attitudes to learning over time. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff greet children warmly as they arrive and give them time to settle at their own pace. Staff offer kind, nurturing care that supports children's emotional wellbeing. For example, staff ask children for permission before changing their nappies and use visual cues so children know what will happen next. They sing gentle songs during nappy changing routines to help children feel safe, calm and comfortable. Staff use effective strategies to meet the needs of younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including pictorial prompts and visual timetables. These tools help children understand daily routines and expectations, such as when it is time to wash their hands before meals. Leaders and staff actively help children learn how to manage their own safety. Indoors, staff gently remind children to use 'walking feet' to prevent accidents. During outings to the park, children learn how to assess and respond to potential risks. They walk sensibly in pairs and listen carefully to staff instructions, which supports their understanding of road safety. Staff remain vigilant throughout outings to ensure children receive the right level of supervision. Although the setting does not have a designated outdoor play area, staff plan regular outings so children enjoy fresh air and opportunities for physical exercise. Staff follow safe and consistent procedures for children's sleep routines, ensuring appropriate supervision at all times. Children show increasing independence at mealtimes as they serve themselves and use utensils confidently. While children receive some healthy meals and snacks, leaders have not ensured that the meal provision is consistently Needs attention balanced, healthy and nutritious. Subsequently, children do not always learn the importance of making healthy choices to support a healthy lifestyle. Achievement Needs attention Overall, children make steady progress from their starting points across most areas of their learning and development. However, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not consistently build relationships with their peers. Parents comment that they have seen improvements in their children's language and communication skills and that their children have become more confident. Children form warm, trusting relationships with staff. Younger children know they can seek comfort when needed and receive reassuring cuddles, which supports their emotional wellbeing. Older children build social relationships with their peers and engage in conversations with staff. For example, during an outing to the park, they excitedly talked about the weather, describing it as 'frosty' and 'sunny'. While children generally develop their language and communication skills, they do not yet engage in more complex discussions that demonstrate a broader, more varied vocabulary. Children are developing the skills they need for future transitions in their learning. They show increasing independence, with older children confidently putting on their own hats and coats, while younger children manage these tasks with some support from staff. Older children enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, such as helping to tidy up after lunch. They complete these tasks with pride, which helps to build their self-esteem. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders and managers have not designed the curriculum well enough to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make secure progress across all areas of development. Although staff generally support children's personal, social and emotional development, the curriculum does not place sufficient emphasis on extending children's language and communication skills. Staff talk to children about what they are doing and reinforce key words for younger children, but they do not consistently challenge children's thinking or support them to hold more complex conversations. Children with SEND also do not receive consistent opportunities to develop relationships with others. In addition, group learning times for older children are not planned effectively and are sometimes cut short, limiting their opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills. Children enjoy outings to the park, where they explore the environment and take part enthusiastically in ring games. They sing familiar songs, join in with actions and have fun pretending to brush their teeth to 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.' Staff successfully sustain children's attention by varying the pace of singing, encouraging children to sing slowly and then quickly, which results in laughter and enjoyment. Leaders recognise that planning for children's physical development needs further improvement. Although children move confidently in open spaces and practise coordination using balls and hoops, they receive limited opportunities to develop their gross motor skills more fully. Children learn basic mathematical concepts, such as counting, recognising numbers and identifying shapes. Staff respond to children's interest in numbers by supporting them to count during everyday activities. However, the curriculum does not provide enough opportunities for children to develop a broader range of problem-solving skills. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders and managers do not yet ensure that the curriculum consistently meets the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Although staff use their assessments to identify appropriate targets, such as supporting children to build relationships and learning to take turns, these targets are not consistently planned for or implemented in practice. As a result, children who prefer solitary play do not receive enough opportunities to develop social interaction skills or build relationships with others. Staff with lead responsibility for children with SEND have completed relevant training and work with parents and external professionals to assess children's progress and set individual targets. Children's individual needs are generally well identified and monitored through regular observations and tracking systems. Leadership oversight of SEND provision has begun to improve. However, it is too early to evaluate how effective these changes will be. Leaders and managers consider children's individual needs when deciding how to use additional funding to enhance learning opportunities. For example, they have recognised children's strong interest in role play and drawing and have used funding to enrich resources in these areas. Leaders and staff understand the needs of the local community and work hard to ensure all families feel welcomed and included. Staff take time to get to know each family and support them with any challenges they face. This helps to reduce potential barriers to children's learning and promotes positive engagement with the nursery. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders do not ensure that all statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage are met. Although they have recently reviewed and updated some required policies and procedures, they have not fully understood or met their legal responsibilities regarding the use of video recording equipment within the nursery. Leaders and managers work with staff, parents and external support services to identify areas for improvement. They have introduced positive changes, such as a book lending library and new story sacks to encourage children's enjoyment of reading. They also seek guidance from early years professionals, including those within the local authority, and are gradually implementing recommended improvements to strengthen the quality of care. However, leaders and managers do not place enough emphasis on providing staff with professional development opportunities to raise the quality of education and support the delivery of a more ambitious curriculum. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not make the progress they are capable of. Despite these weaknesses, staff report that they enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and supported by leaders and managers. 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 Weaknesses in leadership and governance affect the overall quality of care and learning children receive. Leaders are not fully aware of their legal responsibilities regarding the use of video recording equipment. Despite these weaknesses, children enjoy attending the nursery. They form warm, trusting relationships with staff, who are consistently kind and caring. Children show that they feel happy and secure as they interact positively with staff and eagerly involve them in their play and learning. Children particularly enjoy sharing books with staff. Staff notice children's interest in animals and provide resources and stories that reflect and extend this interest. Children also take pleasure in sensory experiences, such as exploring shredded paper. They scrunch it to hear the sounds it makes and laugh as they hide toy animals within it. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the use of pictorial signs and visual prompts that help them understand routines and expectations. Staff take the time to show children the images and explain what will happen next. This supports children's emotional wellbeing by helping them feel prepared and secure. However, the targeted support for children with SEND does not allow sufficient opportunities for children to develop social interaction skills or build relationships with others. Leaders value partnerships with parents and carers and recognise the importance of consistency between home and nursery. Leaders work with parents to promote regular attendance so that children can consistently benefit from learning opportunities to support their early education. Parents appreciate the support and guidance that staff provide, including help with toilet training. Although leaders and managers work positively alongside staff and guide and support practice, they do not ensure that staff professional development opportunities are targeted to raise the quality of education and support the delivery of a more ambitious curriculum. As a result, not all children, including those with SEND, make the progress they are capable of. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure leaders understand and comply with their legal duties, particularly in relation to the General Data Protection Regulation and the use of video recording equipment 28/02/2026 improve the arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure they receive the targeted support required to meet their individual learning needs 28/02/2026 ensure that training for staff actively contributes to raising the quality of education and staff's confidence in delivering the curriculum so that all children make the progress they are capable of in all developmental areas. 28/02/2026 Leaders should review the meal provision arrangements to ensure that meals provided for children are consistently balanced, healthy and nutritious. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, those responsible for safeguarding and special educational needs, parents and carers 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: Laura Brewer About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2788957 Address: 74 Gorringe Park Avenue Mitcham CR4 2DJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/06/2024 Registered person: Osman Squad Preschool Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR Operating hours: Local authority: Merton Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 14 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 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. 48 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? 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