Holmwood Preschool Wallington
Holmwood Preschool Wallington is a pre-school in Wallington for children aged 2 to 4, with 18 registered places. Ofsted report card, 24 April 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.
Wallington United Reformed Church, Stanley Park Road, Wallington, SM6 0EU
Key facts
- Type
- Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 2 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 18 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 5 December 2023 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:15 - 12:15
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 24 April 2026
Who runs it
Holmwood Preschool Wallington is run by Holmwood Preschool Wallington CIO (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard
- Achievement: Strong standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
- Leadership and governance: Strong standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 24 April 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are delighted to see staff and their friends as they arrive. They are warmly greeted by staff, who gently support them to easily separate from their parents. Children who are a little upset are given support by their key person, who gently reassures them. All children settle quickly. Staff create a calm and inviting environment that supports children to be curious learners. Children show they feel safe as they eagerly and confidently explore the environment. They select activities that interest them and find the tools and resources they need from accessible storage. Staff are highly responsive to children and expertly support them to learn the skills they need to be independent. They give children clear instructions, role model what to do and provide children with opportunities to develop their emerging skills. For example, staff help younger children who are trying to work out how to use the resources in the water understand how to do this. This provides children with opportunities to develop their hand coordination and finger skills.
Staff participate in older children's play as they competently talk about what they have planted and the insects they find in the sand. They confidently talk about where they can get seeds to buy to feed the birds in the garden. Children are excited to join in activities. They shout with joy watching their cars roll down equipment and onto the ground. Staff comment on how fast the cars roll down and which travelled the furthest. Children are respectful of one another and willingly share.
Staff place high importance on children's attendance. Children's absences are promptly followed up. Parents are reminded of the absence policy and the procedure to follow if their child is unable to attend. Staff are highly reflective and ensure the environment is suitable for all the children, which ensures the needs of children are best supported in the community they serve. For example, they adapt their teaching skills to suit the needs of all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. Children are supported to access other activities in the community to broaden their development and enhance their learning.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Strong standard
Management and staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning are supported consistently. Management consult with parents and carers to discuss how additional funding can be used. They have robust partnerships with parents and other professionals, such as speech and language and occupational therapists, to ensure continuity for children's learning. This ensures regular communication and sharing of information, related to children's learning outcomes and targets. Parents and carers comment positively on the support provided to enhance their children's learning and development, and say they achieve positive outcomes.
Staff use clear assessment and monitoring to swiftly identify any emerging gaps in children's learning. For example, staff use daily morning meetings to discuss the children and contribute to key person's assessments to track children's learning and development. They implement purposeful support plans and effective intervention strategies, which help all children to make sustained progress from their starting points. Staff provide superb support for children's communication, including those who speak English as an additional language. They liaise with parents to identify and introduce words and phrases in children's home language. They use highly effective strategies, such as eye contact and lots of singing and stories, to encourage children's communication and language skills.
Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard
All staff demonstrate high-quality teaching methods in their interactions with children. They are highly responsive to the needs of children and skilfully use different strategies to engage them in play and learning opportunities. For example, staff get down to younger children's level and gently model how to use the resources. They introduce new vocabulary as they name items, such as 'funnel, top' and 'end', pointing to the resource. Children listen intently and have a go. Staff support children's language and communication remarkably well. They encourage older children to engage in in-depth conversations about what they have planted and how plants grow. They skilfully extend children's thinking through discussions about birds, what they eat and where food for the birds can be bought to help them grow and stay healthy. Staff identify steps they will take to support all children and continue to elevate their progress in all areas of development. They focus on building the foundations to children's learning and prioritise teaching children the skills they need to become independent and successful in the future. All children are competent, curious, kind and confident communicators.
Management carefully reflect on the setting's curriculum with the staff team to ensure they create a curriculum that meet the needs of all children. They use books and stories linked to children's interests and tailor learning to the individual needs of each child.
Achievement: Strong standard
All children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress. Children develop excellent problem-solving skills and are supported to learn through trial and error. They develop excellent 'can-do' attitudes that help them face future challenges with confidence. Children are consistently engaged in learning. They show their enjoyment as they happily join in games with laughter and excitement.
Children are accomplished communicators. Conversations continually take place and staff increase children's vocabulary very well. Children use language to convey their needs and wants, which helps avoid any feelings of frustration. Children are prepared incredibly well for the next stage in their educational journey. They gain important skills, such as how to avoid each other as they play with bikes. Older children know numbers and identify what number comes next after 4. Children develop creative skills as they use different tools and materials to make marks and create pictures. They know the routine and competently attend to their personal needs in the bathroom, and know to wash their hands. Children wait patiently in a line before venturing outside. They show excellent social skills. They interact appropriately with others and develop fabulous relationships with each other. They collaborate well as they take turns in role play and other games.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
Children demonstrate they understand the behavioural expectations of the setting. Clear instructions from staff and well-established routines support all children to understand what is expected of them. All children successfully follow the rules and behave impeccably. Staff teach children to be respectful and considerate towards others. They support children to understand and follow simple rules, such as walking sensibly in a line when moving between areas of the premises. Staff encourage children to take turns, collaborate with their peers and work together during activities. Children eagerly join in team games, laughing and showing excitement as they play. Staff ensure children who need additional support are guided to help them fully enjoy the experiences. Staff acknowledge children's positive behaviour with praise, which enhances their self-esteem. Children regulate their feelings and emotions expertly as they play.
Staff are well deployed to ensure children have vital support, which impacts positively on their behaviour. All children are confident to express their thoughts and feelings constructively with their peers and staff. Children have good attendance, which staff monitor. They follow up children's absences with parents. This helps children to settle, thrive and form positive relationships with their peers and staff. Staff teach children the importance of perseverance and encourage them to keep trying when completing tasks, for example while they play games with staff. Staff help children to celebrate their achievement, and this promotes positive attitudes to learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
Management and staff provide a calm, relaxed environment, where children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging. Children explore with confidence and show they feel comfortable, content and safe. Staff know the children well, for example what they like and do not like. They ensure the environment caters for the children's needs. Staff build highly effective partnerships with parents to create a secure link between home and the setting. They celebrate what makes children unique and use their knowledge of each individual child to provide them with tailored activities to meet each child's individual interests and needs. Children are calm and very engaged in the play and learning opportunities available. They show great curiosity as they freely explore. Children independently practise and extend their skills as they participate in the well-structured routines.
Staff help children learn to make positive choices regarding their physical health and access to the outdoors is part of daily routines. Children learn through planned activities about the importance of healthy practices, such as to stay hydrated by drinking water. Staff monitor children's lunch bags to ensure food provided from home is healthy. They help parents and children understand the importance of healthy food choices. There are robust systems in place for managing food allergies and children's medical needs.
Leadership and governance: Strong standard
Management is aware of the community they serve. They consistently consider how they support children and their families, and work with other organisations to better support children. Parents report they could not have sent their children to a better setting. They state that staff really care for the children and families, which helps their children to thrive and make swift progress.
Management strive to continually improve the setting. They focus meticulously on the professional development of staff to improve outcomes for children and to continue building on the excellent work they are doing. Staff share the curriculum and children's progress with parents, so they are aware of their children's learning and development and know how to support them at home. Management prioritise the wellbeing of their staff. They provide support and create a harmonious working environment, where staff want to be. All staff report they feel well respected and supported and enjoy their job. The team have a clear vision for the setting and what they can do to best prepare children for future learning.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should continue to sustain the high quality and positive work they are doing with children, and ensure continual improvement and excellent standards.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 24 April 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
- 24 April 2026: Full inspection, report card: Strong standard in 6
Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.
The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.
Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.
Source: Ofsted reports
Funded childcare hours in England
All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.
Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.
The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.
Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)
Other nurseries nearby
- Jancett Childcare, Stanley Park Road, Wallington - Day nursery, Wallington SM6 0EU, ages 0 to 3, 36 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 23 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Jancett Childcare, Stanley Park Road, Wallington - Day nursery, Wallington SM6 0EU, ages 2 to 4, 53 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 11 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Sutton Opportunity Pre-School - Pre-school, Wallington SM6 0EU, ages 2 to 4, 30 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 22 April 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Collingwood Nursery - Day nursery, Wallington SM6 0BD, 9 places, 0.3 miles
- Mini Treasures Nursery Wallington - Day nursery, London SM6 9AY, ages 0 to 4, 70 places, 0.4 milesOfsted, 12 March 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Wood Field Primary School - Primary, 0.2 miles
- Collingwood School - Prep, 0.4 miles
- Stanley Park Junior School - Primary, 0.5 miles
- Stanley Park Infants School - Primary, 0.5 miles
- Bandon Hill Primary School - Primary, 0.6 miles