Toad Hall Farnborough

Toad Hall Farnborough

Unique reference number (URN): 2846660 Address: 4 Boundary Road, Farnborough, GU14 6SF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/08/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Careroom Limited

p.1

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:

p.1

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.1

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

On the whole, leaders and staff have created a calm yet stimulating environment for children to play and learn. Staff place emphasis on children feeling safe and secure to enable them to learn. They promote punctuality to ensure that children receive the full benefit of daily routines and learning. Children feel safe as they develop solid routines, which help them understand what is happening next. Staff work hard to establish secure relationships with children and their parents. Children, including those new to the setting, swiftly build warm and nurturing bonds with staff. This promotes their confidence and self-esteem.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff are positive role models and talk to children with respect. They consistently reinforce children's behaviour through positive praise, distraction and promoting kind behaviours, such as being kind and sharing. Staff, generally ensure that expectations for behaviours are clear and appropriate for the age and stage of the child. For example, the youngest children receive gentle redirection when they put paint brushes into their mouths. Staff alter their tone of voice and facial expression when explaining this is not good for them and does not taste nice. Older children are encouraged to take turns and play cooperatively together. Staff talk to children about their own and others' feelings. This helps them develop self-awareness as they learn to navigate their vast growing emotions.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, staff fully understand their responsibilities as a key person. They work hard to ensure that attachments are secure, and they know their own and other staff members' key children well. This means children are always supported, even in the absence of their key person. Staff gather a wealth of information to ensure that care routines are followed as closely as possible to those at home. They offer guidance to parents regarding weaning, sleeping and toilet training. During care routines, staff are nurturing and attentive. For instance, when feeding the youngest children their bottles, they maintain eye contact, speak gently, smile and offer reassurance while they drink. This helps children to feel secure and strengthens their emotional wellbeing.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, have ample opportunity to exercise. They love being outside in the fresh air and run around with confidence and pleasure. Typically, staff talk to children about being safe as they run around and help them recognise obstacles that are in their way. This helps children develop an awareness of dangers. Children generally follow good hygiene routines and learn good manners as they sit down during mealtimes. Older children learn to become independent as they pour their drinks and scrape their plates when they have finished. Children grow their own vegetables in the allotments, which helps them understand where food comes from.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff value children's individual characters and personalities. They have created an environment that is inclusive and promotes respect for all children, including

p.2

Needs attention

children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff help children to understand similarities and differences between them and others. In turn, children begin to recognise diversity in backgrounds, abilities and cultures. Staff use appropriate assessment to swiftly identify children who may face barriers to their learning. These children typically benefit from individualised plans, which help them to make progress in-line with their abilities. The prompt action ensures that steps are taken to seek additional and specialised support if needed. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to seek guidance and support. They receive bespoke training to help them use specialist equipment that children may need. This builds their confidence and ability to help children with SEND when engaging in all activities that are on offer. Leaders share how additional funding can be used

p.3

Needs attention

to support gaps in children's learning and life experiences. They ensure that these funds are spent well to have a positive impact on children's care and learning.

p.3

Needs attention

Children who speak English as an additional language receive tailored support from staff, enabling them to develop language skills and make consistent progress alongside their friends.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Although children make some progress from when they start, gaps in some children's learning are not closed as swiftly as they could be. For example, the youngest children spend long periods of time with their dummies when they are happy and content, which may limit children's ability to develop clear speech and language. This does not prepare them well for their next stage of learning as they transition through the rooms. Despite this, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, demonstrate a love of learning. They become engrossed in their investigations and seek to find out more by asking questions and exploring. Children enjoy their time at the setting and place trust in those who care for them. Children develop a positive sense of self as their achievements are celebrated.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Although leaders and staff have a broad sense of intended learning, weaknesses in the curriculum design mean it is not carefully structured to build on children's skills in a clear, sequential way. For instance, some older children develop mathematical awareness through activities that encourage them to talk about capacity, volume and weight. This supports communication and language as they learn mathematical concepts. However, learning experiences are not adapted well enough for the varying age groups of children, such as mathematics being taught from an early age. The activities staff plan are well-thought out, inviting and fun, yet inconsistencies in the calibre of interactions and quality of teaching mean some learning is incidental rather than by design.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are effective arrangements in place to observe and assess what child know and can do. Staff use assessments to provide all children, including those with barriers to their learning, appropriate targets to achieve. This helps to narrow gaps in children's learning. Staff support children to build on their physical skills, as they encourage them to run around open spaces with pleasure and freedom. Additionally, they help children learn cause and effect and develop their hand-eye coordination as they use litter tongs to grab small balls out of a tray of water. Staff support children to turn take and praise their kind behaviours. This supports their personal, social and emotional development well.

p.3

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Following a significant incident, leaders have reviewed and strengthened their risk assessments, and additional training has been implemented for both staff and leaders. As a result, staff have a clearer understanding of identifying and minimising risks more effectively to ensure that children play in an environment that is safe and secure.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

While leaders have recognised the curriculum needs improvement, their actions have not been focused or effective enough to secure the necessary improvements. Additionally, leaders have not swiftly identified weaknesses in the provision, teaching and the variable interactions children receive. They have not yet considered how to raise the quality of education to a consistently high level for all children. Despite this, staff receive regular supervision sessions where their wellbeing and workloads are considered. Staff share that they feel supported and feel valued as part of the team. They confidently share how recent training, such as promoting children's behaviour, has a positive impact on their practice. This supports children as they learn behavioural expectations. Leaders have demonstrated their commitment to make the improvements necessary.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders work effectively with other settings children attend or have previously attended to share information and establish a joint understanding of children's development. This ensures continuity of care and learning.

p.4

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not experience a well-sequenced and carefully structured curriculum. Additionally, staff's practice is not monitored carefully enough to ensure that children receive consistent interactions and teaching that are valuable to building on children's skills. This impacts on the quality of education children receive. Despite weaknesses in the provision, children appear settled and content in their environment. Staff are warm, caring and gently guide children as they separate from their parents. They support new children well by offering consistent reassurance and gentle reminders that they are safe and about what part of the routine they are experiencing. As a result, children establish a sense of security and are less anxious as they transition through activities.

p.4

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have fun in the setting and trust those that care for them. They quickly develop positive relationships with staff and each other. There are times in the daily routine where children spend time in mixed-aged groups. This exposes them to different ideas, abilities and fosters a sense of community. All children take pleasure when engaging in activities. For instance, staff guide children as they mix ingredients together to make play dough. They talk about textures, volume and weight, which supports their vocabulary and mathematical awareness. At this time, children learn a sequence of steps that lead to a desired outcome.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Parents know who their child's key person is and understand they can talk to them if they have concerns. Staff share regular updates about the children's next steps and activities they engaged in that day. They offer guidance on how to support learning at home and work with parents to increase attendance and punctuality. This strengthens parent partnerships and benefits outcomes for children.

p.5

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.5

Action Completion Date

Leaders should plan and implement a broad and ambitious curriculum that builds on children's existing skills and knowledge 20/04/2026

p.5

Action Completion Date

Leaders should put suitable arrangements in place to provide staff with coaching and support that enables them to improve their ability to implement a suitable curriculum and improve interactions and teaching for children. 20/04/2026

p.5

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, children and parents and carers during the inspection.

p.5

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.5

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.6

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.7

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.7

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 .

p.7

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 .

p.7

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8