Cornerstone Day Nursery & Pre-School

Cornerstone Day Nursery & Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): EY494421 Address: All Saints Church Hall, London, SE26 5EP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/10/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Cornerstone Group Of Nurseries Limited

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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.

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Achievement Needs attention

Not all children make sufficiently rapid progress. Inconsistent behaviour management strategies mean that children do not consistently know what is expected of them. This leads to unwanted behaviours and a disruption in children's learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are confident to try new things. They actively seek out their key persons to show them what they have done. During a construction activity, children proudly show their creations. They excitedly discuss what their building could be used for and who lives inside. Children take part in weekly Spanish sessions. Some children happily relay what they have learned with their parents and carers. This supports parents to build on what their children are learning at nursery.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children generally develop positive wellbeing. They make progress in their physical development and enjoy exploring different ways to move their bodies. Children are keen to show their new skills. They discuss how they have learned to play tennis with independent professionals who come to the nursery. Children explain the step-by-step instructions on how to hit a ball. This supports children to develop perseverance and resilience when facing new tasks.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Although leaders are aware of the expectations for children's behaviour throughout the nursery, they do not ensure that staff consistently follow these. There is not a common understanding of behaviour expectations. Some staff do not correct unwanted behaviour with children. This means some children do not consistently benefit from the learning opportunities that are available. Inconsistency in managing children's behaviour and using explicit praise leads to some children not understanding what is expected of them. Staff support some children to collaborate and work alongside their friends. These children are able to share experiences and negotiate turns. This supports them to respect differences and see where they fit in the world.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

On occasion, routines do not support children to learn and develop. At times, staff expect children to wait for long periods of time. This has a negative effect on children's behaviour. Leaders work hard to promote the importance of punctuality and attendance. Clear systems are in place to track children's attendance. This ensures that children are exposed to the curriculum and stay safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff do not consistently promote children's welfare to a high standard across the nursery. They do not always ensure that all children are aware of how to speak to each other kindly and the impact that their behaviour has on others. For example, some children do not receive encouragement to sit appropriately at the lunch tables. Some leave the tables before finishing what they are eating. This does not support children to learn the expected behaviours.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff build secure attachments with their key children. There are effective procedures in place to support children when there are staff absences. Babies and children seek out their key persons for comfort or confirmation regularly. Relationships are sensitive and responsive that reflect a positive culture. Babies crawl into their key persons' laps and share cuddles and giggles. This helps them to feel safe and secure and gives them a sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders and staff understand the importance of supporting children to manage and regulate their emotions. They have prioritised additional funding to develop this area. Leaders have made efforts to make adaptations of the environment to allow quiet and cosy areas. As a result, some children can express how they are feeling and recognise their emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children are independent learners. Younger children receive opportunities to explore freely and feed themselves. Older children manage their self-care skills with ease. They delight in showing their key persons how they can put on their own coat or help their friends. Children show much enthusiasm when staff choose them to help with the clearing up of lunch tables. This supports them with their transition to the next stage of their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Although leaders have a secure understanding of how their curriculum improves outcomes for all children, they do not have full oversight of how the curriculum is implemented across the whole nursery. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning varies across the rooms. Children's exposure to environments rich in language and reading of books are not consistent. During a snack time session, very limited communication occurs. This means that children are not exposed to new vocabulary or sentence structures.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders ensure that all children have the early sensory experiences that they need. Children delighted in exploring cornflour and observing how it feels, looks and changes. This supports children, especially those with barriers towards their learning, to understand the world around them.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

For the youngest children, staff prioritise their physical development. Staff teach some small steps that when children practise purposefully, lead to proficiency in their physical skills. Children have wide open spaces to explore inside. Staff provide furniture at varying heights to support the early stages of walking. This enables children to learn and build on what they already know.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Older children develop a love for finding out about the world. During group sessions, children eagerly discuss how police help them and what their uniform looks like. Staff use of props to support children's understanding and promote conversations. Children develop concepts of the past, present and future.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders support staff to identify individual children's needs. They highlight strategies to reduce barriers to children's learning. However, these are not used consistently or shared with staff. For example, children who speak English as an additional language have key words in their home languages to support with communication. However, staff do not use these words. As a result, these children do not not make rapid progress, and this extends the time in which it takes for them to settle in.

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Inclusion Needs attention

While leaders ensure that staff are well trained, they do not ensure that there is consistency in the assess, plan, do and review cycle. This means at times staff do not carefully monitor children's progress carefully or make adaptations swiftly, in order for all children to progress rapidly.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work closely with external agencies to shape the support given to children, especially those known or previously known to children's social care. They signpost parents to local support groups and other professionals in the community. This ensures that the right support is sought for children when it is needed and helps them to generally make progress from their starting points. A warm and friendly approach aids communication with parents and carers, who speak highly of this.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders' actions to bring about improvement are largely focused on the right areas of development. They know the training and development needs of their staff, but these do not lead to improvement quickly enough. Staff undertake ongoing training but the impact of this is not always evident. This means that some children with barriers to their learning do not make progress rapidly.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders work well with parents and carers and some professionals. Families who are known or previously known to children's social care receive additional support. Parents are very positive about their relationships with the nursery team. This helps leaders to have a holistic view of each child and generally tailor support for their needs.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders conduct regular supervision meetings with staff. These meetings allow for conversations about their role and ways in which the nursery can support them. Leaders make adaptations to support the needs of their staff. Staff feel they are listened to, and this has a positive impact on their wellbeing. Leaders take on board constructive feedback from external agencies and generally put measures in place to support change.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not always receive support from staff at mealtimes. This means children do not always understand when it is acceptable to leave the table and how to communicate with their peers. Generally, children behave well and keep themselves safe at nursery. Although the expectations for children's behaviour are clear, on occasion, staff do not follow through with these. This means children do not get consistent messages. This leads to confusion and unwanted behaviours left unsupported. As a result, some children do not learn how to work as part of a community and how to stay safe.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy coming to nursery. They receive a warm and friendly welcome from all staff. Children actively seek out their friends to play with. They enthusiastically tell their parents or carers who they are going to play with during the day. Building these secure relationships help children to achieve. Most children make progress from their starting points. A thorough settling-in period allows staff to get to know children well and put plans in place to help them progress. On occasion, children with barriers to their learning do not receive consistent support to help them make the progress they are capable of.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children feel like they belong in the nursery. They are delighted when their parents spend time in the nursery. Children are keen to show them their friends and what they have been doing. This supports staff to build trusting relationships and highlights how much they value the parents' contributions.

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY494421 Children's attendance is promoted. Parents are aware of the importance of their children coming to nursery every day and attending regularly.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

support staff to understand and be consistent in their approaches to managing children's behaviour, so children understand what is expected of them, and support is age specific 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that staff undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to build on their understanding of child development 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

embed the curriculum across the nursery, so all children, especially those with barriers to their learning, make progress in their learning and development. 19/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers, children, the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead during the inspection.

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About this 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.

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Cornerstone Group Of Nurseries Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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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.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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