Tachbrook Nursery School

Inspection of Tachbrook Nursery School Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RT

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children are exceptionally well cared for in this inclusive setting, where everyone is welcomed and given a chance to succeed. They are happy and thrive in their early learning. Children love coming to school every day. They appreciate playing and investigating in the well-equipped classrooms, outdoor and forest school areas. Staff ensure that children remain safe and provide them with an engaging environment to explore and learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants the very best for all children. It has designed a highly ambitious curriculum. Children learn to be kind to each other, behave well, and achieve highly across the areas of early learning. They are very well prepared for starting primary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school enriches its curriculum to broaden children’s wider personal development. For example, children learn to care for a wide range of living things, such as the birds and butterflies in the garden. They love to show visitors the pond area where they make sure the toads, snails and newts are kept safe. Children go on regular trips to nearby parks and into the local community. These experiences contribute well to children’s understanding of the world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at the school. Parents and carers praise the way that the school keeps them informed of their child’s development and learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is highly ambitious for all children. It is meticulously well designed, based on well-considered research into children’s early learning. The school gives careful thought to children’s starting points and level of development on entry. Staff are skilled at checking that children have understood new learning. Any misconceptions are swiftly addressed. The school’s regular checks on children’s learning help staff to make any necessary adjustments to their teaching. Children achieve exceptionally well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Developing children’s communication and language skills is a key priority. Staff ensure that this forms part of all learning activities. They encourage children to talk about their experiences. Staff have chosen books to develop children’s early reading skills. Books are evident throughout the school and are carefully linked to all areas of learning. Children begin to develop a lifelong love of books. In activities related to early mathematics, children explore numbers, shapes and mathematical concepts confidently using hands-on materials. Children love to sing songs and chant nursery rhymes.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has excellent working relationships with a wide range of professionals, such as those from health and children’s services. These relationships underpin the school’s effective work to quickly identify any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are skilful at making adaptations and providing support so that children with SEND can access and learn the curriculum successfully. As a result, children with SEND achieve extremely well from their varied starting points. 8 and 9 July 2025

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The school provides an extensive range of opportunities to promote children’s personal and physical development. Staff expertly provide opportunities for children to become increasingly resilient. The outdoor areas offer a range of physically challenging activities. Children show great determination in using their strength and balance to succeed at these. Staff teach children to make important choices to stay safe and healthy. Visitors to school, such as the mounted police and an award-winning chef, help to promote children’s future aspirations. The school provides meaningful opportunities for children to learn about different beliefs and cultures in modern Britain. For example, children learn about the celebrations of Eid, Diwali, Hanukah, and Christmas.

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Children’s behaviour is exemplary because of clear routines and consistent expectations from staff. Children learn quickly how to share and take turns. They understand the importance of looking after equipment and are eager to help in tidying toys and cutlery away. Children learn how to share their feelings and express their emotions. Relationships between staff and children are warm and caring. The school works in close partnership with its families to ensure that their children attend nursery every day. The school offers high-quality pastoral support where needed.

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There have been changes in leadership at the school since the last inspection. However, governors and the school have ensured that there has been continuity in the provision provided. The school ensures that staff benefit from extensive professional development and training opportunities. Consequently, staff are highly skilled and knowledgeable about early learning. Staff are proud to work at the school and feel well supported. They appreciate the way the school manages their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and 8 and 9 July 2025

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pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Ben Commins OBE (executive headteacher) Josephine Baker (head of school) Website www.tachbrooknursery.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Tachbrook Nursery is a maintained nursery school for two- to five-year-old children. Children attend either part time or full time.  The school joined the London Community Education Federation in January 2025.  The executive headteacher and the head of school were both formally appointed in January 2025.  The chair of the governing body of the school was elected in January 2025.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement. Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in communication and language, expressive arts and design, mathematics, and physical development. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with staff, visited classrooms and the garden area, spoke to staff, and talked with children. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other areas of learning.  The inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, curriculum leaders and groups of staff and children.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to children about their learning and looked at samples of children’s work.

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 The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair. He also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses and the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  The inspectors reviewed school documents, including those relating to governance, behaviour, and attendance. The inspector scrutinised leaders’ plans for improvement and their assessment of the school’s effectiveness.  The inspectors spoke informally to children at breaktimes, in the dining areas and on

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 2025

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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