Cass Child & Family Centre

Inspection of The City of London Child and Family Centre at The Aldgate School St. James's Passage, Dukes Place, London EC3A 5DE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Staff form strong and trusting relationships with children. This helps children to feel secure and settled in this warm and home-like environment. Leaders and staff place a high priority on children's well-being and safety. Staff maintain high expectations for all children, who respond with positive behaviour. Children develop strong and respectful relationships with staff and their peers. They show kindness to one another and care for their surroundings by tidying up independently.

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting, making full use of indoor and outdoor play opportunities. Staff actively engage children in meaningful activities, such as exploring creatively with paint. Staff purposefully use engaging props, such as puppets, during story time to spark children's imaginations, sustain attention and bring stories vividly to life. Children develop physical skills, including balancing and pedalling bicycles, with confidence. Staff promote children's emotional well- being by offering praise and reassurance when needed. Leaders have designed an ambitious and challenging curriculum that supports the progress of all children, helping them to achieve well in all areas of development.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff collaborate closely with external professionals and the host school staff to plan a well-sequenced curriculum. This approach enables children to develop their independence skills extremely well. This helps to prepare children for a smooth transition into school. n Staff plan purposeful outings that extend and enrich children's learning by linking experiences to current themes. For example, staff use a visit to a transport museum to bring a topic on transport to life for children. This helps children to make meaningful connections between their learning and the world around them. n Staff provide meaningful and real-life experiences to teach children about growth and life cycles. For example, children observe caterpillars transform into butterflies. Through thoughtful questioning, staff check children's understanding and extend their learning. Children confidently use vocabulary, such as 'cocoon',

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need to do better?

to describe each stage, demonstrating strong communication and early scientific thinking. n Children benefit from staff intentionally creating opportunities to deepen their understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Through thoughtful planning, staff promote positive attitudes by celebrating each child as an individual. They encourage children to learn about the diverse backgrounds of their peers. This inclusive approach fosters respect, empathy and a strong sense of belonging within the setting. n Leaders and staff are deeply committed to nurturing children's healthy attitudes.

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need to do better?

School 27 June 2025 They ensure that children have access to nutritious meals and snacks, actively discussing the benefits of healthy eating. Children also have abundant opportunities to engage in physical activity and enjoy fresh air every day. This supports children's overall well-being and development. n Staff express feeling highly valued, with leaders providing exceptional support. They appreciate access to a broad range of training and mentoring opportunities that significantly enhance their skills and knowledge. This ongoing professional development enables them to support children to achieve positive outcomes. n Partnerships with parents and carers are strong and effective. Leaders and staff consistently keep parents well informed about their children's learning and development. Parents praise the caring approach of staff and note the excellent progress their children make, particularly in their language development, social

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need to do better?

interactions and confidence. n Leaders and staff plan a clear and structured curriculum that encourages children to explore and be curious. This supports smooth transitions to the next stage of learning. Staff know children well and understand their interests and how they learn. They use observations and assessments to plan what children need to learn next. However, staff do not consistently support younger children to be fully engaged in activities or build their next steps in learning into play. This means some younger children miss chances to practise and develop their skills more consistently.

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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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should:

n strengthen the implementation of the curriculum by ensuring that staff consistently embed younger children's individual next steps in learning into their play to support meaningful engagement.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY288677 Local authority City of London Inspection number 10388188 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person The Aldgate School Governing Body

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reference number

Telephone number 0207 283 1147 Date of previous inspection 1 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The City of London Child and Family Centre at The Aldgate School registered in 2004 and is situated in Aldgate in the City of London. It is open from 7.45am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday, for 48 weeks of the year. The setting employs seven members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. It provides government funded childcare for children aged up to three years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager discussed with the inspector how staff organise and plan the curriculum, environment and experiences for children during a learning walk. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector evaluated children's learning together. n The inspector held a meeting with the managers. She looked at relevant documentation, including the evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector took account of parents' views, which were gathered 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

School 27 June 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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