URN 2785676 · Inspected 2026-04-09 · Published 2026-06-11 · Inspector: Claudia Castano
Skylines Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2785676 Address: 51 Skylines Village, London, E14 9TS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 18/04/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Merrygoround London Limited Inspection report: 9 April 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 generally behave well and enjoy taking part in activities. They develop skills such as turn-taking and problem-solving with support from staff. Children benefit from outdoor experiences that support their physical development and engagement. Children make progress from their starting points. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from adaptation to activities, such as smaller groups to support their learning. In the main, children develop key skills needed for their next stage of learning. However, at times, due to weaknesses in adult-directed activities, children have limited opportunities for independent and creative learning, This restricts how deeply children engage and apply their skills, which impacts on their overall achievement. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff generally establish clear routines. They work with families to ensure their expectations of behaviour are clearly understood by all parents and carers. Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality. They typically identify barriers to children attending regularly and provide support to families. For example, leaders provide flexible sessions to help children to develop a positive attitude towards learning. Children benefit from clear boundaries within a nurturing environment. Communications between staff and children are warm and respectful. Staff role model interactions and reinforce positive manners. Babies benefit from a kind and caring approach, such as when they spend time looking at books and singing songs with their key person. Staff use a supportive approach for those children who may find it difficult to regulate their emotions. They observe and identify behaviours before they escalate. Children generally have a an effective disposition towards their learning and enjoy taking part in activities, taking turns and sharing resources. Older children follow routines, such as tidying up after their play, washing their hands independently before and after lunch or snack time. Children enjoy a quiet time after lunch. They choose between looking at books independently or listening to stories in the book corner. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff generally establish effective ways of communication with parents and carers to support children's needs and wellbeing. The setting operates an open-door policy and communicates through regular meetings, digital platforms and parent consultations. Staff share children's assessments, stages of development and targets with parents. They usually highlight any concerns and put plans into place. Staff understand children's needs and successfully identify them early, ensuring early interventions take place. For example, children at risk of delay or with emerging needs take part in small-group activities, where they can fully participate and have less waiting time for interactions. Children form positive relationships with their key persons and other staff. Staff support children's hygiene routines well. Older children use the toilet and wash their hands independently with little reminders, while younger children are encouraged to wash their hands by attentive staff. Staff typically use a calm and comforting tone and give children time and support. Younger children generally develop independence as they feed themselves using spoons. Older children use cutlery at lunchtime. They sit together and have conversations with staff about the food they are eating. Staff encourage children's social skills and communication. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Staff plan and implement activities accordingly to the different areas of the curriculum. For example, children learn about numbers and matching quantities during a mathematics activity. Staff regularly assess children's knowledge to ensure children are secure in their learning. They provide appropriate support, where they identify children's needs. Children listen to stories and enjoy looking at books from a young age with the support of responsive staff, who support their language needs, especially for those children who speak English as an additional language. Staff teach children about the natural environment with activities, such as planting strawberries, herbs and observing the life cycle of butterflies. Children take part in a wide range of activities outdoors, such as climbing, riding on cars, which support their physical development. Younger children have a designated secure area to ensure they have access to physical activities that are appropriate for their age. The setting further provides opportunities for children to have dance and sports lessons to enhance their learning experiences. Staff are warm and supportive with their interactions with children. However, opportunities to further promote children's engagement, independence and creativity are not always consistently embedded throughout the provision. At times, activities are more adult directed, such as the use of templates and colouring sheets, which impact children's ability to develop their creativity and learning. In addition, background noise impacts on high-quality interactions, particularly for younger children, and this affects children's listening and attention skills. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders generally have assessments in place to support the early identification of children with special educational needs/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that children have individual plans in place to support their developmental needs. Children with identified needs typically take part in smaller size group activities to ensure their participation and achievement. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators have knowledge and experience of making referrals to gain additional support for children. In the main, they ensure that plans are in place for those children who face barriers to learning, to reduce the learning gap with their peers. Leaders usually seek advice from local authority advisers when needed. This ensures their practice is up to date and meets the individual needs of children. Staff have followed and implemented advice from speech and language therapists in the past when children have programmes that are shared with the setting. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators work effectively with the local schools that children are moving to. They arrange transition visits for children with SEND. This supports the sharing of information about children's individual needs and helps to promote smooth and well-planned moves for children. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have an appropriate understanding of the community they serve. They implement practices that support children's development and wellbeing, adapt activities and deploy staff to work with smaller groups. This helps to promote inclusion within the setting and remove barriers to children's learning. Leaders have well-established partnership with parents and carers. They implement initiatives, such as a 'book club' sharing system, encouraging parents to engage in their children's learning at home. Leaders have a clear and consistent approach to supervision sessions. They observe practice and provide staff with a range of training opportunities, such as a mathematics programme. This ensures staff feel confident to meet children's needs and, as a result, improves outcomes for children. Leaders work well with external agencies and other professionals. They support those children from disadvantaged backgrounds or known to social care, maintaining positive standards of education and care. Leaders ensure the team feels valued and has the opportunities to succeed, contributing to a culture of openness and reflection. Leaders have established links with local schools to support smooth transitions into school. However, leaders have not yet consistently supported staff to ensure that opportunities to support children's communication and language are fully maximised. In addition, there is scope for leaders to guide and develop staff practice in creating opportunities for children to use creative resources, think independently and explore materials during themed activities. 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 Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children form positive bonds with their key person and other members of staff, who know them well. They are respectful and show positive manners and social skills during interactions with peers and adults. For example, they greet all adults in the room on arrival and are eager to interact with their peers. Children have a positive attitude towards their learning and are keen to join in activities. They learn through play and benefit from a range of activities planned to support their different stages of development. Children take part in a variety of outings throughout the year, such as going to the theatre, museums, the library, Inspector: Claudia Castano About this setting farms and the forest area nearby. Staff use these experiences to support children's understanding of the local community and provide experiences beyond the setting. Children benefit from positive interactions with staff, who act as positive role models. Children engage in conversations with their peers and staff at lunchtime, where they learn about different types of foods. Children take part in different activities that provide learning opportunities, such as counting, matching quantities and learning to recognise and write their names. Younger children enjoy sensory books and naming objects and colours while looking at books together. Children enjoy daily outdoor play in the garden, where they use a large road layout with ride- on cars and bicycles. They learn about traffic signs, taking turns and negotiating space with their peers. Children benefit from activities, such as climbing, sliding and balancing, which support the development of their physical skills. Older children take part in daily hygiene routines, such as washing their hands independently or with staff's support for younger children. Children needs are well met by responsive and caring staff, who are available to support them. Next steps Leaders should support children's communication and language opportunities further, such as by reviewing how background noise is used throughout the day. Leaders should support staff to develop opportunities for children to use creative resources, think independently and explore different materials when carrying out activities that follow a theme or topic. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, parents and carers, 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2785676 Address: 51 Skylines Village London E14 9TS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 18/04/2024 Registered person: Merrygoround London Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Tower Hamlets Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 9 April 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 10 to 4 Total number of places 23 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. 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