Marmalade Bear

Inspection of Marmalade Bear St Mary Magdalene Church Hall, 212 Trinity Road, London SW17 7HP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Leaders and staff provide a safe and welcoming space where children thrive. They prioritise children's well-being, demonstrating a deep respect for their emotional needs. This begins before children start attending, when staff visit children and parents at home and provide 'stay-and-play' sessions at the setting. This enables children to build trusting and affectionate bonds with staff right from the start. Staff develop a secure understanding of each child and provide highly individualised care to help them settle and engage in activities. Children flourish and find joy in this exceptionally supportive environment.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff have high expectations for children's learning and behaviour. They equip children with the language and skills they need to regulate their emotions and become kind and thoughtful friends. Children enjoy being helpful and show care and respect for others. They learn how to manage setbacks and disagreements. Therefore, staff rarely need to intervene.

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The provision is outstanding

The superbly ambitious and inspiring curriculum nurtures children's personalities, knowledge and skills in readiness for school and later life. For example, children acquire a secure understanding of sustainability as they learn about the world. They collect rainwater to water their plants and grow seasonal fruit and vegetables in a 'secret garden'. This 'hands-on' approach to education ignites children's curiosity and instils an intense love of learning. Children consistently demonstrate high levels of focus and enthusiasm as they play.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have excellent oversight of the provision. They know the children, families and staff exceptionally well, which enables them to build continually on the outstanding practice. For example, leaders have identified that some children joining the provision struggle to coordinate their large-muscle movements. Therefore, they ensure that children consistently practise and refine their physical skills in motivating and interesting ways, such as gardening, ballet and sports sessions. This highly proactive approach helps to close rapidly any gaps in children's learning. n Staff instil children with a love of literacy and help them to build excellent foundations for reading and writing. They recognise that books, poems and songs offer rich learning opportunities that enhance children's language and communication skills. Children are inspired by a story about sea creatures and create their own colourful illustrations of sharks and jellyfish. They delight in

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need to do better?

taking part in 'helicopter story time', where they create their own characters and storylines. Staff record the children's ideas and read them back as children perform their stories.

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need to do better?

5 February 2025 n Teaching is inspirational throughout the provision. Staff have a wonderful ability to engage with children and are highly in tune with their current interests. This is reflected in the exciting activities that they plan and the children's obvious enthusiasm for learning. Children show high levels of motivation and concentration as they tackle challenges and complete self-initiated tasks, such as squeezing the juice from an orange, catching a magnetic fish or creating a spaceship from a cardboard box. n Children learn about their own bodies and how to stay physically and mentally well, such as through daily outdoor play, yoga and breathing exercises. Staff have set up a 'self-clean station' to further promote children's independence in their personal care. Children show a keen awareness of good hygiene as they use tissues to wipe their noses. They look in the mirror provided to check that

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need to do better?

they have done a good job and then dispose of their tissues in the bin. n Leaders foster a culture of openness and respect among all of the setting's employees so that values and high expectations are shared. They consistently support staff through role modelling and ongoing coaching, and encourage them to improve their qualifications and skills. As a result, staff morale is exceptionally high, with team members showing passion and dedication to their roles. This commitment ensures that children receive consistently high standards of teaching from motivated educators. n Leaders and staff work tirelessly to engage with parents and include them in their children's learning. Parents describe how staff value each family's uniqueness and organise events such as 'rainbow day' to celebrate their similarities and differences together. Parents recognise that staff genuinely care about their children and place them at the 'centre of everything they do'. They

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need to do better?

say that staff are 'knowledgeable and helpful with every aspect of their children's development'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2702407 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 10368652 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person Marmalade Schools Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 672 4711 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Marmalade Bear re-registered in 2022, following a company restructure. The setting is in Wandsworth, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It operates from 8.45am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. The provider employs 11 members of childcare staff, nine of whom have early years qualifications from level 2 to qualified teacher status. The provision offers government funded early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n Leaders showed the inspector around the childcare premises, explained the curriculum and how the provision is organised. n The inspector observed the quality of the education and considered the impact on children's learning. This included a joint observation with the manager. n Leaders met with the inspector to discuss issues such as staff recruitment, supervision and training. They ensured that relevant documents were available for the inspector to view. n Parents, staff and children shared their views and experiences with the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

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.

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Inspection activities

5 February 2025 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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