Dulwich Wood Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 February 2026

Children enjoy coming to this nurturing and purposeful nursery. From the moment they arrive, they are welcomed into calm, well-organised classrooms. Children settle quickly and learn to play and learn alongside one another. They behave well. Staff model kindness and help children to understand and talk about their feelings. Disagreements are resolved thoughtfully. If children become upset or overwhelmed, adults provide gentle, consistent support. This helps children to calm down and return to their learning. Children feel safe. Staff know families well. They build positive relationships through home visits and regular communication. This close knowledge ensures that any worries are identified quickly and acted on. Adults supervise carefully as children move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces. They teach children how to keep themselves safe, for example when climbing large equipment, using tools to prepare fruit at snack time or serving themselves at lunchtime. Children enjoy learning. They listen intently to well-chosen books, join in with repeated refrains and borrow books to share at home. Adults encourage rich conversation. They introduce new vocabulary skilfully. Children make up their own stories. They grow plants from seed, follow simple recipes and confidently use bikes and scooters in the outdoor area. These experiences build their language, physical development and early mathematical understanding. Local visits and festival celebrations help children to learn about the community around them and the wider world. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who are disadvantaged, achieve well from their starting points. Accurate assessment and well-targeted support, particularly in speech and language, help to reduce barriers to learning. Staff work closely with families to promote regular attendance and punctuality. This helps children make the most of their time in school. By the time they leave, children are confident, increasingly independent and well-prepared for Reception.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should sustain the high-quality provision already in place and ensure that ongoing curriculum review and refinement maintains strong practice and builds on the effective approaches established across the school.

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