The Little Kew Nursery
The Little Kew Nursery is a day nursery in Richmond for children aged 1 to 4, with 50 registered places. Ofsted report card, 11 December 2025: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.
Barn Church, Atwood Avenue, Richmond, TW9 4HF
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 1 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 50 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 22 August 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 11 December 2025
Who runs it
The Little Kew Nursery is run by The Little Kew Nursery Limited (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 11 December 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive and show a sense of belonging in this homely nursery. The friendly and inclusive environment is welcoming to all children and families. Leaders work with parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance and value parents' contributions. Children are happy to attend. They arrive full of smiles and settle quickly. Children share positive relationships with the staff who care for them. They approach staff with ease and are confident to express their needs. Children spend time in mixed-aged groups. This helps them to build relationships with children of their own and different age groups. Children show kindness, play well alongside each other and take turns.
Children have fun in the nursery. They are beginning to develop their independence. They enjoy the activities on offer and are eager to try new things. Children benefit from the improved curriculum, which covers all areas of learning and takes account of children's unique needs and interests. Babies are curious. They explore paint with their hands and grasp tools. This helps to support their small-muscle development. Older children build on their mathematical skills. They count and use numbers in a variety of ways. This helps to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. All children make the progress of which they are capable of from their starting points.
All children engage in activities. They benefit from focused activities, which help to ensure that any gaps in their learning are identified and closed. Staff use additional funding effectively to provide support for children. For example, they plan small language groups to help support children's communication and language skills.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Expected standard
Leaders are ambitious for all children. They provide an inclusive environment, where everyone is valued. Staff work with support from the leads for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to identify and assess the next steps in children's learning. They adjust activities to ensure that all children are included. For example, staff set out activities in the baby room on the floor to provide more opportunities for babies to be mobile.
The team works closely with parents and carers and external specialists to help children to receive the support they require. For example, they make and implement individual plans for children and regularly review these. They use additional funding effectively to support children's needs. For example, daily opportunities for physical play and speech and language groups help to support children's unique needs. This has a positive impact on children's experiences in the nursery.
Leaders provide support and training for staff to improve learning opportunities for children. For example, the special needs coordinators support staff to develop plans for children. They are beginning to develop transitions between rooms and on entry to help ensure that children's unique needs are known to all staff. This is still being embedded and some staff do not yet have precise knowledge to meet some children's learning needs right from the start.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Leaders understand the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching. They know what they want children to learn. Staff use observation and assessment to identify and plan the next steps in children's learning. This helps children to overcome barriers and narrow any gaps in their learning and development.
Staff adapt activities to ensure that all children can join in. For example, they have made changes to the layout of the environment to enable all children to access resources and join in activities on offer. The curriculum builds on what children know and can do, so they gain the knowledge and skills in preparation for the next stage in their learning.
The focus on babies' development is a particular area of strength. For example, an early focus on communication helps babies to develop language. Staff prioritise children's physical development. Children have daily opportunities to spend time outdoors and be physically active. Children of all ages enjoy yoga sessions and move their bodies in a variety of ways. The curriculum for mathematical development is sequenced. Staff check children are secure in counting and recognise numbers from one to 5, before moving on to the next stage. They support children's personal social and emotional development effectively, enabling them to build positive relationships.
Achievement: Expected standard
Children develop suitable knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. They benefit from age-appropriate activities, which build on what they know and can do. Children are prepared for the next stage in their learning, They are confident speakers, ask questions and contribute to discussions.
All children are achieving from their starting points and catch up in their development. Children who may need additional support benefit from small language groups and group sessions, such as 'what is in the bag?' activities. This helps to develop their communication skills. However, some children do not have consistent opportunities to develop their self-care skills. For example, children sometimes struggle to handle large utensils at mealtimes, which impacts on their independence.
Children are curious and eagerly join activities, focusing well. They are proud of their achievements. Children receive praise and encouragement, which helps to develop their self-esteem. They develop positive attitudes towards being healthy. Children understand the positive impact that a healthy diet and regular exercise have on their wellbeing.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They manage children's behaviour effectively and consistently, taking account of children's age and stage of development. They use visual prompts to help children who speak English as an additional language to understand instructions more clearly. Children understand what is expected of them and follow routines. They know what is coming next. For example, staff explain it will soon be lunch, so children have time to finish what they are doing before preparing for lunch.
Staff provide a calm, friendly and welcoming environment. They are positive role models. Staff talk clearly and politely and take time to explain to children about what is expected. This helps children to understand and develop positive relationships and interactions with each other and adults. Children learn about the impact of their behaviour on others and quickly learn to share and be kind.
All children behave well for their age and stage of development. Leaders and staff support parents and carers in establishing routines. For example, they explain the importance of being punctual and attending nursery regularly to support children's learning. This benefits children and helps develop positive patterns for the future.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
Children's wellbeing and welfare are met effectively in this inclusive nursery. Leaders and staff provide a secure and happy environment, where children are relaxed and flourish. This helps all children to feel safe and protects their wellbeing. Each child has a key person, which helps to meet their individual needs and helps them to form secure attachments. Children learn to understand and regulate their feelings.
Staff understand children's individual care routines effectively. For example, staff adhere to children's individual dietary requirements. Children enjoy healthy meals and learn about the benefits of healthy eating through regular discussions. Children are beginning to develop their independence. For example, they learn to serve food. However, the utensils provided for children are not always suitable to enable them to do this on their own.
Staff work with parents and carers to establish sleep, eating and toileting routines. They follow suitable nappy changing procedures to ensure that children remain comfortable throughout the day. Staff attend relevant baby training. This helps to ensure that babies' sleep arrangements are safe and suitable. Children learn to stay safe in the nursery and on outings. They learn about road safety and make trips to the fire station to learn about fire prevention.
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Leaders strive to provide high-quality education and care to improve the lives of all children, including children who may need additional support. They have made significant improvement since the last inspection. Leaders work closely with early years advisers to implement changes. Recent changes to the leadership team have had a positive impact. For example, leaders have implemented effective procedures for supporting supervising and mentoring staff. Staff manage children's behaviour effectively. Children benefit from an improved curriculum and secure environment, improving outcomes for children. Staff say they enjoy working in the nursery and that their workload is manageable.
Leaders understand the setting's strengths and take action to improve areas identified for improvement. They recognise the need to continue to enhance the teams' skills and knowledge. For example, they acknowledge that they need to support staff to develop children's independence further and develop a sharper focus on how transitions are managed on entry and when children move between rooms to enhance outcomes for children further.
Staff work effectively with parents and carers, who speak positively about the nursery. Parents receive regular updates about their children's activities and progress electronically and verbally. Staff work with other agencies to ensure children's needs are identified and met. This provides a consistent approach to children's care and learning,
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should provide further opportunities for children to develop their independence.
- Leaders should support staff to strengthen communication during transitions to extend understanding of each child's needs.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 11 December 2025. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
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
- Casa Montessori Richmond - Day nursery, Richmond TW9 4JE, ages 1 to 4, 35 places, 0.1 milesOfsted, 12 November 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Montys Nursery And Pre School - Day nursery, Richmond TW9 4JW, ages 1 to 4, 34 places, 0.2 milesOfsted, 22 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Fennies Richmond - Day nursery, Richmond TW9 2EP, 122 places, 0.3 miles
- Bright Horizons Kew Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, Richmond TW9 4ES, ages 0 to 4, 67 places, 0.3 milesOfsted, 24 September 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Stagecoach Kew - Pre-school, Richmond TW9 3HS, 0.5 miles
Schools nearby
- Darell Primary and Nursery School - Primary, 0.2 miles
- Kew Riverside Primary School - Primary, 0.3 miles
- Windham Nursery School - Nursery, 0.4 miles
- Unicorn School - Prep, 0.4 miles
- Broomfield House School - Prep, 0.5 miles