Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Achievement verified
Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified
Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
- Inclusion verified
Strong standard
- Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
- Framework verified
Report card
- Group verified
City Island Daycare LTD
- Inspection datesingle source
23 Jul 2026
- Inspectors verified
Yemi Afolabi
- Postcode verified
E14 0SY
- Name on report verified
Amelia House Nursery
- Safeguarding verified
Met
- URN verified
2813642
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.
- AchievementExpected
- Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
- Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
- Curriculum and teachingExpected
- InclusionStrong
- Leadership and governanceExpected
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- They provide highly effective care that consistently reflects children's individual needs. p.2
- Leaders consistently ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, receives highly effective support to achieve their next steps in learning. p.2
- Staff are caring and patient, which helps them build warm trusting relationships with children. p.3
- Children develop secure relationships with their key person through warm, responsive interactions that help them feel safe, valued and confident. p.4
- Key persons respond warmly to children's needs, helping them develop secure attachments, feel safe and develop a secure sense of belonging from the outset. p.2
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Consequently, children do not consistently receive high-quality learning experiences. p.4
- However, staff do not always use effective strategies to gain and maintain children's attention during transitions throughout the day. p.3
- Staff do not always use effective questioning or explanations to build on children's language and ideas and deepen their understanding. p.4
- However, teaching is not consistently effective across the nursery. p.4
Next steps
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Leaders should support staff to use effective strategies consistently to gain and maintain children's attention during transitions so that children remain focused and engaged in their learning. p.6
- Leaders should ensure consistently high-quality teaching across the nursery to further extend children's language, thinking and learning. p.6
- Leaders should continue to develop and embed strategies to engage parents who are harder to reach to help them support their children's learning and development. p.6
What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 8
- Words of findings
- 1,833
- about usual (typical 1698)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 34, typical 43
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 3
- typical 3
- Hedged sentences
- 5%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Amelia House Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2813642 Address: 31 Hopewell Square, London, E14 0SY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/11/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: City Island Daycare LTD
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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.
p.1
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Staff work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to identify children's needs and adapt care accordingly. They provide highly effective care that consistently reflects children's individual needs. Staff accurately assess children's needs and use specialist advice, including recommendations from speech and language therapists, to provide prompt, well-coordinated support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Staff respond sensitively to children's emotional needs and skilfully help them recognise, express and manage their feelings. This support helps children develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing, enabling them to participate fully and confidently in learning experiences.
p.2
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Effective settling-in procedures enable staff to get to know children well and understand their emotional needs. This supports a smooth transition between home and nursery. Key persons respond warmly to children's needs, helping them develop secure attachments, feel safe and develop a secure sense of belonging from the outset.
p.2
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Staff consistently promote children's health and wellbeing through carefully planned daily routines. For example, they teach children the importance of washing their hands before and after meals. Children enjoy nutritious, freshly prepared meals and snacks that meet their individual dietary requirements and allergies. Staff supervise children closely throughout mealtimes to ensure they eat safely and receive prompt support when needed. Pre-school children confidently discuss the benefits of healthy eating. For example, they explain how different foods give them energy to play with their friends in local parks and playgrounds.
p.2
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders consistently ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, receives highly effective support to achieve their next steps in learning. They identify children's individual needs promptly through accurate assessments, careful observations and purposeful discussions with parents, carers and external professionals. For example, staff skilfully implement strategies recommended by speech and language therapists to support children's communication and language development.
p.2
Inclusion Strong standard
Staff know children extremely well. They rigorously monitor their progress, carefully review the impact of the support they provide and adapt strategies when children's needs change. Staff make thoughtful adaptations that remove barriers to learning and promote children's emotional wellbeing. For example, staff respond sensitively when children become overwhelmed by high noise levels in the classroom and support them to regulate their emotions in a quieter space.
p.2
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of how early years pupil premium funding can be used strategically to strengthen children's outcomes through staff training, purchase of specialist resources and targeted interventions. Their highly inclusive practice enables all children, regardless of their backgrounds or individual needs, to participate in stimulating
p.2
Expected standard
well-organised indoor and outdoor learning experiences. Leaders collaborate with parents and external professionals to ensure children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
p.3
Achievement Expected standard
Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, generally make progress from their starting points. Babies build towers using blocks, begin to feed themselves, drink from beaker cups and gradually learn to use open cups. They communicate through gestures, babbling and single words. Toddlers use spoons independently, follow simple instructions and express their needs using phrases. Pre-school children use forks and knives safely, pour their own drinking water and manage their personal care with increasing independence. They recall past experiences using full sentences.
p.3
Achievement Expected standard
Children draw pictures with recognisable features, such as eyes, noses and mouths, and proudly explain that their artwork represents members of their family. They count accurately, compare the lengths of the nursery's snails and identify which are longer and shorter. Children identify flags of America and New Zealand, recognising the stars and other distinctive features.
p.3
Achievement Expected standard
Children show interest in their learning and choose resources that capture their attention. They follow instructions well during group activities and engage positively in conversations with staff and their peers. However, variations in the quality of teaching and periods of high noise levels affect children's concentration and focus. As a result, children do not always sustain their engagement in learning, which limits how well they achieve across the curriculum.
p.3
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff are caring and patient, which helps them build warm trusting relationships with children. Children demonstrate that they feel safe, secure and valued. Staff consider children's age, stage of development and individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Staff typically adapt their approaches to help children understand expectations, regulate their emotions and participate in learning experiences. For example, during group time, children identify and discuss emotions, such as feeling happy, sad and scared. Staff use stories and conversations to help children understand their feelings and develop appropriate strategies to manage them. This supports children to behave respectfully, cooperate during play and develop positive attitudes towards learning.
p.3
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff typically plan group activities that reflect children's interests and next steps in learning. Children take turns, share resources and cooperate well with their peers. However, staff do not always use effective strategies to gain and maintain children's attention during transitions throughout the day. At times, staff raise their voices and children copy this behaviour by raising their own voices. Consequently, increased noise levels affect children's ability to maintain focus and concentration, limiting their engagement in learning.
p.3
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders work with parents and carers to promote consistent attendance. They monitor attendance and follow up absences promptly. For example, leaders respond flexibly when families experience unexpected changes in circumstances, making appropriate adjustments to support children's continued attendance. This helps children benefit from the nursery's well-sequenced curriculum.
p.4
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. The curriculum meets the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. The curriculum places a priority on children's communication and language alongside their physical, personal and emotional development. Children develop secure relationships with their key person through warm, responsive interactions that help them feel safe, valued and confident. Daily opportunities to explore the outdoor environment strengthen children's spatial awareness, coordination and balance.
p.4
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Teaching typically reflects the nursery's curriculum and responds to children's interests and stages of development. Staff use ongoing assessment to identify what children know and can do and use this information to plan learning experiences that support their next steps. Babies explore sensory resources, join in with familiar nursery rhymes and communicate through gestures, facial expressions and emerging words. Toddlers build on these foundations through role play, storytelling and conversations during everyday routines. Pre- school children extend their vocabulary by linking past experiences to daily routines. For instance, children carefully cut cucumbers into small pieces to feed the nursery's snails, count how many there are and name them after popular children's television characters. Children communicate confidently and share their ideas with adults and their peers.
p.4
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff generally promote learning across all areas of the curriculum through daily routines and planned activities. However, teaching varies across the nursery. Staff do not always use effective questioning or explanations to build on children's language and ideas and deepen their understanding.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders generally understand the nursery's strengths and areas that require further development. Leaders ensure newly qualified staff receive a thorough induction. All staff engage in continuing professional development through online courses, team meetings and supervision. However, teaching is not consistently effective across the nursery. Consequently, children do not consistently receive high-quality learning experiences.
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders make appropriate decisions that support the wellbeing and development of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. They work with parents, carers and external professionals to ensure children receive the support they need. Leaders understand how early years pupil premium funding can be used strategically to support eligible children. Leaders work in partnership with parents and use a range of approaches to promote family engagement. They personalise the settling-in process to help children settle smoothly into the nursery and collaborate with parents to understand each child's individual needs. In addition, leaders invite parents to events such as Father's Day, Mother's Day and parent workshops. Parents generally speak positively about the support they receive and report that their children make progress from their starting points. However, leaders do not
p.4
Leadership and governance Expected standard
consistently engage parents who are harder to reach. For example, they do not always provide personalised suggestions to extend children's learning and development beyond the nursery. Consequently, leaders do not always maximise opportunities to work in partnership with parents to further strengthen children's learning and development.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children enjoy attending this safe and inclusive nursery, where staff prioritise their wellbeing. Caring staff welcome children when they arrive at the nursery. Children confidently separate from their parents and carers and are familiar with the daily routines. For example, they hang up their coats on their named pegs and eagerly choose from a broad range of stimulating activities and toys. Children develop secure attachments with their key person, who responds warmly to their individual needs. For example, they provide reassurance through comforting words and cuddles. This helps children feel emotionally secure and ready to learn.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff know children well and provide engaging experiences that reflect their interests and stages of development. Babies enjoy singing familiar songs and joining in with actions. Toddlers turn pages of books during interactive storytelling sessions. Pre-school children use their imagination to create and share their own stories. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, benefit from positive interactions with staff and their peers. Children develop a growing vocabulary and communicate confidently with adults and one another. Typically, children make progress from their starting points.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children behave well and are kind towards one another. They invite staff to join their play and develop secure friendships with their peers. Children enjoy regular outings and visits in the local and wider community. They visit playgrounds, parks, farms and museums. Toddlers enjoy listening to sounds during local walks and excitedly point to an aeroplane in the sky and say 'aeroplane'. Pre-school children learn to identify birds, including swans, coots, moorhens and mallards. This broadens their understanding of the world around them. Leaders encourage regular attendance so that children benefit from consistent learning experiences and continue to build on what they already know and can do. Children generally
p.5
Address:
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
p.6
Address:
Registered person: City Island Daycare LTD develop the knowledge, skills and independence they need for a successful transition to school.
p.6
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to use effective strategies consistently to gain and maintain children's attention during transitions so that children remain focused and engaged in their learning. Leaders should ensure consistently high-quality teaching across the nursery to further extend children's language, thinking and learning. Leaders should continue to develop and embed strategies to engage parents who are harder to reach to help them support their children's learning and development.
p.6
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents, carers and children during the inspection.
p.6
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. Register(s): EYR
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About this inspection
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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