Summary
What we read, and from where
Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.
- Achievement verified
Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified
Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing verified
Needs attention
- Curriculum and teaching verified
Needs attention
- Inclusion verified
Needs attention
- Leadership and governance verified
Needs attention
- Framework verified
Report card
- Group verified
MRFR Limited
- Inspection datesingle source
3 Dec 2025
- Inspectors verified
Leanne Merritt
- Postcode verified
GU32 3PB
- Name on report verified
Old Dairy Farm Nursery
- Safeguarding verified
Met
- URN verified
EY549719
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 wellbeingNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
Reads more critically than most 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 need to strengthen systems for identifying needs, reviewing provision and ensuring adaptations are effective so that every child can thrive. p.4
- Partnerships with parents are strong, and feedback is overwhelmingly positive. p.4
- Children are safe and enjoy their time in the nurturing environment that leaders create. p.5
- They seek comfort when needed and arrive happy, separating confidently from carers. p.3
- This promotes children's wellbeing and helps them thrive. p.3
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- This lack of oversight results in delay for some children, limiting access to targeted support. p.4
- While staff identify some children's needs, assessment lacks precision and does not always lead to timely or effective support. p.4
- Reasonable adjustments are not always made, and staff do not demonstrate secure knowledge of all children's individual needs. p.3
- Leaders' monitoring of some children's progress is limited, and reviews of support arrangements for vulnerable learners are infrequent, which means gaps in learning persist. p.4
Next steps
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What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Wellbeing & mental health8
“This promotes children's wellbeing and helps them thrive.” p.3
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 9
- Words of findings
- 1,524
- about usual (typical 1698)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 37, typical 43
- Average sentence
- 18 words
- Next steps
- 1
- typical 3
- Hedged sentences
- 9%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Old Dairy Farm Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY549719 Address: 36 Winchester Road, PETERSFIELD, Hampshire, GU32 3PB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/12/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: MRFR Limited
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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.
p.1
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.2
Achievement Expected standard
Children make secure progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. Despite some delays in early referrals and actions not being taken promptly, leaders and staff ensure that children develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage. Babies and young children communicate their wants and needs clearly, showing confidence in expressing themselves. Older children build a rich vocabulary through experimenting through their play and learning, which strengthens their language and communication skills. Children demonstrate good levels of physical development and independence, managing self-care routines effectively and adopting healthy habits. They sustain attention and listen well, which supports positive behaviour and engagement in learning activities. Children understand what is expected of them in social situations and learn to regulate their emotions, contributing to harmonious relationships with peers and adults. These
p.2
Achievement Expected standard
achievements prepare children well for future learning and support school readiness. Leaders should continue to refine systems for early identification and intervention so that all children, particularly those with additional needs, benefit from timely support and make even stronger progress.
p.2
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have effective systems to record and track patterns of attendance, accidents and incidents, including those occurring at home. They know when to escalate concerns to safeguard children's wellbeing. Key persons know their children well and understand family circumstances, enabling them to share next steps and plan for development in partnership with parents. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure by seeking comfort from familiar adults and quickly gaining confidence to explore the learning environment and engage in planned experiences.
p.2
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Babies and young children settle quickly because staff follow familiar routines that reflect home practices. Leaders ensure that staff gather detailed information during the settling-in period and keep this updated, including stages of weaning and any changes to health or dietary requirements. These routines promote children's emotional security and help them regulate their behaviour. Children show positive attitudes to learning, sustain attention and
p.2
Needs attention
respond well to expectations in social situations. They learn to cooperate with peers and develop independence in managing their own needs.
p.3
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Leaders do not have robust systems to identify and address gaps in children's learning and development at the earliest opportunity. Barriers to progress remain for some children because adaptations and reasonable adjustments are not consistently made. Leaders must implement clear procedures to monitor children's development and ensure timely interventions so that all children access their full entitlement and achieve wellbeing alongside learning.
p.3
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
In general, children are supported well to to recognise, express and manage their emotions across the age groups. Babies and toddlers form secure attachments with their key persons and familiar adults. They seek comfort when needed and arrive happy, separating confidently from carers. Young children settle to sleep unaided, showing they feel safe and secure. Staff work closely with parents to understand home routines and follow these in the setting, supporting children's emotional security. They communicate effectively with parents to keep information about dietary needs, allergies and stages of weaning up to date. This promotes children's wellbeing and helps them thrive.
p.3
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Children explore their environment confidently and enjoy opportunities to test physical skills, such as crawling, climbing and riding bikes. They develop an appreciation of nature and learn how to care for living things, which supports their understanding of healthy choices.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders and practitioners do not consistently adapt teaching for disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those facing barriers to learning and wellbeing. Reasonable adjustments are not always made, and staff do not demonstrate secure knowledge of all children's individual needs. Leaders must strengthen systems to ensure teaching is inclusive and responsive for all children.
p.3
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
In general, staff interact with children warmly and use everyday routines to introduce concepts in language and mathematics. They extend children's knowledge in the moment, introducing rich vocabulary such as gigantic and enormous, and encouraging children to compare sizes and explore patterns. Babies and toddlers engage enthusiastically in imaginative play, sustaining attention for long periods. Staff make effective use of outdoor learning, prompting discussions about light, shade and shadows, which sparks curiosity and early scientific thinking. They create an enabling environment where children explore and test ideas independently, and risk assessments support children's confidence and resilience. Staff teach children how to keep themselves and others safe during daily routines and forest school activities.
p.3
Inclusion Needs attention
Leaders have not ensured that inclusive practice is consistent across the setting. While staff identify some children's needs, assessment lacks precision and does not always lead to timely or effective support. Strategies to reduce barriers for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not embedded. Leaders' monitoring of some children's progress is limited, and reviews of support arrangements for vulnerable learners are infrequent, which means gaps in learning persist. Staff training on the graduated approach is variable, leaving some practitioners unsure how to adapt routines and activities. Leaders do not use early years pupil premium funding systematically to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, and systems in place do not currently swiftly identify children that are eligible for this additional support. Engagement with external professionals is inconsistent, reducing the impact of partnership working with multi-agency
p.4
Inclusion Needs attention
professionals. Although leaders are committed to inclusion, actions lack urgency and coherence. They need to strengthen systems for identifying needs, reviewing provision and ensuring adaptations are effective so that every child can thrive.
p.4
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders do not retain effective oversight of arrangements for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing barriers to learning. They have not ensured that staff with additional responsibilities make accurate assessments or apply their training to secure timely referrals and early intervention for children that face barriers in their learning. This lack of oversight results in delay for some children, limiting access to targeted support. Leaders recognise the need to improve the support for children with SEND to support their transition arrangements for pre-school but have not addressed weaknesses in inclusive practice. They must strengthen systems to identify and monitor SEND provision and workload, ensuring adaptations and interventions are implemented promptly. The provider has taken steps to improve their understanding of changes that need to be notified to Ofsted in order to keep their registration details up to date.
p.4
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm for improving the setting. The setting is lead by the experienced management team that is supported well by the provider. Staff show dedication to their work, and leaders prioritise staff wellbeing through a range of support and recognition strategies. They invest in staff continuous professional development opportunities. Partnerships with parents are strong, and feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Parents value the consistency leaders promote, including prompt attendance and routines. They benefit from a range of systems for keeping them informed about their children's learning and development. Recruitment procedures are robust, and regular supervisions are in place to help maintain staff suitability.
p.4
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
p.5
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
Overall, children are supported to develop well from their starting points. They acquire the skills needed to express their wants and needs and are supported to understand and manage their feelings and emotions. All children develop strong bonds with key adults. This supports their confidence and independence as they become resilient learners. For example, older children learn that they have to cooperate with others to move larger logs in the forest. Toddlers keep going when they try to coordinate spinning a skipping rope with their friends for others to jump through, even though this task is complicated. Babies try to help lift their friends' legs over into the ball pit to assist one another to succeed. Children are safe and enjoy their time in the nurturing environment that leaders create. However, systems in place do not fully support some children with gaps in their learning to be identified at the
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
earliest opportunity and receive the tailored support they may need to reduce barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Leaders ensure that children feel safe and well cared for. They settle quickly down to their learning, supported by the enabling environment that staff create to support children's natural curiosity. This promotes children's good level of deep engagement in their play and exploration. Children are surrounded by their own creations. Pictures of the children hang proudly on the walls, documenting their time at the setting. This helps all children feel welcomed and valued. Staff notice when their key children are absent and follow up on any unexplained non-attendance. This helps promote the importance of developing good attendance patterns and ensure leaders are alert to any concerns that may need reporting to partner agencies.
p.5
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
p.6
Address:
36 Winchester Road PETERSFIELD Hampshire GU32 3PB
p.7
Address:
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
p.7
Address:
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
p.7
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinators, parents/carers and children during the inspection.
p.7
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.
p.7
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
p.8
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
p.8
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.
p.8
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.
p.8
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.
p.8
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.
p.8
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.
p.8
Urgent improvement
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .
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Urgent improvement
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .
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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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