Dottie Tots Nursery School

Inspection of Dottie Tots Nursery School Scout Centre, Pankridge Street, Crondall, Farnham GU10 5RQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children spend their days enjoying learning in a calm environment that is thoughtfully designed to encourage them to actively explore and follow their curiosity. All children confidently access the environment and the resources. They use these creatively to develop ideas and games, supported by staff who actively extend their learning. For example, children confidently talk about holiday destinations as they build an aeroplane structure from large construction materials.

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The provision is good

Children feel at home at the nursery. They benefit from support from caring staff who listen to their views and know them and their families extremely well. This creates a strong sense of belonging.

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The provision is good

Children develop good social skills and learn to manage their emotions. For example, they all sit and listen attentively and join in with the 'nursery rules', which focus on having respect for each other, the nursery and nature. Children learn to take turns and speak about their emotions from an early age. Staff support children to resolve conflict. All of this helps prepare them for the wider world and the next stage in their education.

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The provision is good

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from highly effective care and education that is specifically targeted to meet their needs. This helps support all children to be fully included in all aspects of the nursery, to access the curriculum and make good progress.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are passionate about the care and learning opportunities they provide for children. They have designed a curriculum that offers children appropriately challenging activities, and they ensure that all children can access the entire curriculum through assessment and considered use of additional funding. n Based on the unique learning needs and interests of the children, leaders and staff plan and implement a carefully thought-out and well-sequenced curriculum that integrates mathematics. For instance, children vote for a story each morning by placing a counter in a jar. The book that gets the most votes is the book they read at circle time. Children excitedly sit down to count the votes and listen to the winning story. This provides children with a real-life understanding of concepts such as less and more than. n Early literacy is promoted well. Staff understand the importance of stories and

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need to do better?

rhyme, and these are included in the daily routine. Children happily take part and join in with familiar refrains, and staff make highly effective use of intonation and rhythm to engage and draw the children in. This helps to lay the foundation for a lifelong love of stories and books.

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need to do better?

15 May 2025 n Staff receive regular and ongoing supervision and support. However, leaders do not always monitor closely enough to identify when individual staff would benefit from support to better engage children to enhance their learning. This means that some interactions are slightly less effective than others at fully extending children's learning. n Children benefit from extremely effective support to develop their communication and language skills. They use their rapidly developing vocabulary to engage in animated and complex conversations. This is evident when two children very articulately discuss the unfair distribution of pillows. n Staff very effectively support children to be confident and independent learners. They incorporate opportunities for children to develop their independence as they patiently support them to learn self-care. For example, children cut their own fruit and 'wash up' after snack time. Staff provide time and encouragement

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need to do better?

for children to persevere. Children are proud of their achievements, for example, when they have worked hard to successfully peel an orange. n Staff make excellent use of the outdoor provision to promote all areas of children's learning. Children learn to manage risk as they curiously explore in the forest school. This helps them assess their own capabilities and develops their coordination skills. Staff design the groups for these activities carefully, which gives the younger children the opportunity to learn from their older peers. Older children excitedly instigate follow-the-leader type games, explaining the rules to their friends, who happily join in. This promotes collaboration skills, the children's growing self-confidence and a sense of adventure. n Leaders work closely with external professionals to identify and support children with SEND, helping them make good progress. n Staff have very strong working relationships with parents, who speak very highly

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need to do better?

of the nursery. They regularly discuss the children's progress and their next steps. Parents note their children's progress in speech, language, social skills and confidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n strengthen the monitoring of practice to more precisely identify when individual staff would benefit from targeted support to enhance the quality of their interactions with children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2731869 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10398097 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Dottie Tots Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07872040614 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Dottie Tots Nursery School registered in 2023. It is located in Crondall in Hampshire. The nursery operates during term time, Monday to Friday, between 8am and 4pm. The nursery employs 10 staff. Of these, two hold a level 6 qualification, one holds a level 5 and four hold a level 3. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation during snack time. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

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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Inspection activities

15 May 2025 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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