URN EY371020 · Inspected 2026-03-10 · Published 2026-05-12 · Inspector: Michelle Blake
Skallywags Unique reference number (URN): EY371020 Address: Crispins Church, Southwark Park Road, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 2HU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/06/2009 Registers: EYR Registered person: Playdays UK Limited Inspection report: 10 March 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard Children confidently learn in an inclusive, well-resourced environment that supports and embeds language development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Children develop and refine fine motor skills. For example, they manipulate dough into shapes using fingers and one-handed tools, and squeeze tweezers to take toys out of the sand. Children develop mathematical knowledge, joining magnetic shapes together and talking about the shapes and models they make. They explore the sensations of shaving foam and slime with staff and count how long different textures stay attached to their hands. Babies listen to stories and look at books with staff, learning new vocabulary. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who face barriers to learning, enjoy playing outdoors. They dip thick paintbrushes and rollers in water, making large-scale body movements. 'We're washing the wall… it's dirty,' children say. Babies develop self-confidence and strengthen muscles for walking as they venture across the bridge. Children at this setting are effectively prepared to transition to school. They develop skills across the curriculum, and this supports a strong foundation for future learning. Children freely take risks and achieve appropriately from their starting points. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders embed a calm, stimulating culture in which children at all stages of development consistently learn about boundaries and routines. Children learn to collaborate, share and take turns, and talk to others with respect. They are kind and polite and play nicely. Staff consistently support children in understanding the expectations of the setting. For example, they sensitively remind children how to sit during circle time. Leaders and staff effectively model the behaviour that they expect from children. They encourage children to always use manners in their play. Staff instil a sense of pride when children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They 'high-5' or encourage older children to pat themselves on the back, and they use verbal praise and gestures with babies. All children behave well. Leaders promote attendance and punctuality with parents. They motivate children to attend daily and offer a well-sequenced, exciting curriculum that meets children's needs and supports children to achieve. This helps barriers to attendance diminish, and children attend regularly. Leaders create a setting filled with love. Children are happy, confident learners, who develop respect for others. They celebrate other religions and cultures respectfully and form secure, trusting and loving attachments with staff and each other. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff consistently embed practice and policies that support children to lead healthy lifestyles. They provide children with a range of healthy, nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. They meet the dietary needs of children with allergies and special dietary requirements to ensure they eat safely. Children always have access to water, in named bottles. Hygiene practices are embedded, and children know what to do. For example, children wash their hands before having snack. Staff clean babies' faces after eating. They support toddlers to develop independence, such as using facecloths to wipe their faces, and pre-school children wipe their hands and faces independently. Leaders consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. This is evident across the setting. They focus on teaching children the importance of good oral hygiene. This practice supports children to develop healthy lifestyles and is embedded across the setting from babies to pre- school. Staff routinely talk to children about their emotions and show children how different emotions make them feel. They use vocabulary to help children describe their emotions, and children express that 'mummy' makes them happy. Children are encouraged to manage their emotional health independently. They have a 'chill out' space where they can go if they need to self-regulate. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities independently use a designated space to self-regulate when they feel overwhelmed. Children form secure attachments and bonds with key persons who know children in depth and persistently meet children's emotional wellbeing and needs. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders ensure the curriculum is inclusive and consistently of a high quality. They create an environment in which all children flourish. Leaders ensure resources are accessible to all children, in particular children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning. They use strategies such as labelled pictures, which also encourages children to become familiar with seeing print. Leaders prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development throughout the day. For example, staff support all children, including children with SEND, to celebrate the festival of colour, 'Holi'. They give children paints and paintbrushes and encourage children to chase their friends and splash colours. Staff and children have fun celebrating together. Staff interactions are highly engaging to extend children's learning. They continuously talk to children about what they are doing. Staff use high-quality interactions to assess what children know and can do. For example, they teach oral hygiene with activities tailored to children's age and stage of development. Staff encourages babies to explore toothbrushes using teeth models and dolls, while supporting older children with stories and discussion. Leaders and practitioners quickly identify and address any gaps in learning. Staff support children's language development and encourage collaborative play. They effectively interact with children to support and extend their play, indoors and outdoors, across all areas of the early years curriculum. For example, during a shaving foam focus activity, staff ask questions to encourage children to describe the texture. They introduce mathematical language and count with younger children. Staff support older children to make letter shapes and pictures in shaving foam. High-quality talk is embedded and highly impactful in children's learning. Inclusion Strong standard Staff effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to regulate emotions. They know children extremely well and support their individual needs. Children with SEND express themselves freely and explore their surroundings, working closely with staff. They are supported to jump on the trampoline to regulate their emotions. Leaders and staff adapt the provision to meet the needs of children with SEND. For example, they have introduced a lovely, quiet, calm area with things that they enjoy. This includes a trampoline, LED fish tank, ball pit, beanbag to sit on, textured wall, numbers, sensory lighting and spinner. This supports children to self-regulate when the environment becomes overstimulating. Leaders use funding to attend training that supports them to assess and identify gaps in children's communication and language development. They track children's progress over time and share results with parents and outside partners. After analysing assessments, designated leaders identified gaps in children's understanding and created visual prompts to support staff in tailoring intervention for individual children. Staff and parents work together on targeted areas, and children make excellent progress. Children who face barriers to learning enjoy listening to stories. Staff talk to children and encourage children to respond. They encourage language development and praise children. Children with SEND and those who face barriers to learning have fun. They let staff know their wants and needs and run around and express how they are feeling. Leaders consistently make a demonstrable difference to the experiences of children with SEND. They quickly address barriers children face, making referrals to outside agencies and seeking the support that children need. They share next steps with parents so that children's needs are fully met. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders ensure high expectations are consistently embedded across the setting. They accurately identify strengths and areas for development. Parent partnerships and communication are highly effective and significantly impact children's learning. Leaders form excellent relationships with staff. Staff feel comfortable to approach leaders and talk about concerns they face. Staff enjoy working at the nursery, and turnover is very low. They are long-standing, and if staff leave, they return. Leaders support staff to carry out their roles effectively. They support staff wellbeing, promote a culture of continuous improvement and steer staff towards their strengths and interests. This creates a nurturing environment. Leaders swiftly act on improvements to bring about long-lasting change. Since the last inspection, leaders have introduced a child-led curriculum based on children's interests and needs. Leaders strengthen partnerships with parents, implementing events that encourage parents to visit the setting to engage in children's learning. These include, for example, stay- and-play sessions, Mother's Day biscuits events, and reading sessions and story sacks with parents. Parent partnerships are a strength of the setting. Leaders create a setting where all staff support children to achieve. Partnerships with professionals and local early years settings are highly effective in improving outcomes for children. Leaders are prioritising developing the outdoor space for the summer. They are creating areas for planting and building stronger engagements with community-based projects, such as visiting care homes and singing in the community. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children at this setting are happy, confident learners. They learn alongside their peers in a lovely, calm, stimulating environment that supports their age and stage of development. Staff consistently talk to children during their play, asking questions that support children to develop skills across the curriculum. Children consistently behave well. They listen to staff, follow instructions and show respect to others. They are polite and kind and use good manners. Children are aware of their emotions and know what makes them happy or sad. They regulate their emotions in the 'chill out' space and develop habits that support their emotional and physical health and independence. Leaders create a welcoming environment in which children thrive from their different starting points. Children enjoy listening to stories, engaging in messy play and riding cars and bikes in the outdoor area. Staff make learning fun and place children's needs and interests at the centre of the provision. For example, children play in the role-play area that has real resources and photos of children. This helps to create a familiar homely feel. Staff celebrate children's unique qualities, in particular those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. All children are encouraged to be the best version of themselves. Leaders embed a positive, happy and stimulating nursery where children blossom and grow into sociable, independent and healthy children. Children form secure, positive attachments with staff and each other. Parents share positive feedback with others about communication and events, and children attend nursery regularly. This reduces barriers to learning and supports children to acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes that prepare children for their next stage of learning and school. Next steps Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children with special Inspector: Michelle Blake About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY371020 Address: Crispins Church Southwark Park Road Rotherhithe London SE16 2HU Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 01/06/2009 Registered person: Playdays UK Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Southwark Facts and figures used on inspection educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, designated leaders, staff, children and parents 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. This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 10 March 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 4 Total number of places 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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