Muddy Boots Fordingbridge Limited

Muddy Boots Fordingbridge Limited

Unique reference number (URN): 2858676 Address: Fordingbridge Junior School, Pennys Lane, Fordingbridge, SP6 1HJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/07/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Muddy Boots Fordingbridge 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.

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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.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make typical and steady progress in their development, including children who face barriers to learning. They are supported as they gain age- and stage-appropriate skills as they transition to their next stage of learning. For example, older children develop their listening and attention skills in preparation for the transition to school by taking part in music and movement classes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build on what they know and can do as they progress through the nursery. For example, babies learn to pull themselves up and over small climbing frames. This learning then supports them as older children as they learn how to use climbing walls. Children make steady progress in their communication skills as they progress from babbling to 3- and 4- word sentences as they move through the provision. Children begin to develop their independence skills through everyday routines. For example, children learn to scoop their own yoghurt onto their plates during snack time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

There are warm, trusting and respectful relationships between staff and children. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure with staff. For example, babies check in with their key person for reassurance as they explore. Overall, children understand the high expectations for their behaviour, which are consistent and adapted as needed for children who face barriers to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff act as positive role models for children as they teach children to treat each other with kindness and care. They regularly praise children for their efforts, who beam in delight in response. Generally, staff support children as they begin to learn how to solve minor conflicts, such as over favourite toys. Children learn to play collaboratively. For example, children include each other as they role play going to the shops together.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families to promote the importance of attendance and punctuality. They follow up on any unexplained absences to ensure the family's wellbeing, and they put strategies in place where needed to support children's attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to their learning, demonstrate they feel safe and secure with staff who know them well. For example, when children are unsure about leaving their parents, staff immediately offer support, reassurance and encouragement to join in with a favourite activity, such as reading stories. As a result, children very quickly settle into the provision and show delight at reading stories together.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff promote healthy eating and work in partnership with parents to develop their understanding and support for this. For example, staff share examples of different lunch ideas with parents that meet the nutritional guidelines. Staff generally teach children healthy habits through their everyday play. For example, staff share examples of different food as they role play in the mud kitchen with children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children as they learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. They support children as they learn to take turns and empathise with children, acknowledging that it is tricky to wait for a favourite toy. This validates children's emotions and helps them to manage the situation.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching at the provision. Changes to the structure of the nursery and the age ranges that staff are working with are new and are not yet fully embedded. This means that, sometimes, staff do not consistently stretch and extend children's learning further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, staff understand the aims for learning and what they want children to be able to do. There is a key focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff ensure children feel safe and secure within the provision and that they build secure attachments with staff right from the beginning. Staff know their children well with regard to the progress they have made in their learning and development, as well as children's personal likes and dislikes. This helps to tailor the curriculum to meet the specific needs of the cohort.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's communication and language are supported well across the provision. There is a sharp focus on developing children's language skills. For example, staff develop babies' understanding of holding conversations as they learn that communication goes back and forth, and older children develop their vocabulary as staff build on their specific interests. For instance, they learn words such as 'continents' when exploring where dinosaurs come from. Children also regularly sing stories and beam in delight as they listen to stories, including the youngest children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to learning, are supported well at this provision and there are high expectations for all. Staff typically use assessment to quickly identify any emerging needs. They regularly review and implement any strategies needed to ensure all children can fully participate in activities. Staff and leaders work hard to remove any potential barriers to a child's learning or wellbeing. For example, they work with parents to offer session times that meet the needs of the child and enable them to attend the provision.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with parents to offer support to the family as a whole, not just the child. Leaders also ensure that additional funding is used appropriately. For example, leaders use funding to ensure children have all the essentials they need to attend the provision, such as spare clothing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with external agencies, such as speech and language therapy services. They implement strategies suggested by external agencies to help support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities further. This uniform approach helps children to make steady progress in their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the provision's strengths and general areas for development. They are passionate about the provision and consistently strive to progress and develop further. Leaders are constantly reflecting, reviewing and adapting to ensure the provision meets the needs of the current cohort. For example, they have recently changed the structure of the rooms to ensure all children fully benefit from the provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff wellbeing is supported and workload is manageable. They ensure that any adaptations needed to meet staff's needs are implemented as quickly as possible, ensuring they act inclusively towards the staff as well as the children. Staff feel they benefit from regular training and supervision and that their wellbeing is a key priority for leaders. Leaders act quickly when staff suggest areas for their professional development. For example, staff have recently attended training on supporting behaviour and have started to implement different strategies within the provision. However, leaders do not yet consistently use training and coaching to precisely strengthen the areas for development for staff, as the focus is on developing and reviewing the provision as a whole.

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

Overall, children come into the provision happily and settle quickly. Older children begin to develop their literacy skills as they learn to recognise their names as they self-register. Children have secure bonds with kind and caring staff. Children adore playing with staff and including them in their games. For example, children work together with staff to build large scale models out of crates and wooden planks. They take pride in their creations as they eagerly tell others that they have made 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. Overall, staff use their interests to develop children's learning further. For example, they encourage children to think about how to put 'petrol' into their 'car', which helps children develop their problem- solving skills. Children are creative as they play with play dough and natural objects. They are proud of their creations and are keen to show others what they have made.

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

Children develop their sense of curiosity and are keen to share their excitement about the world with staff. For example, babies show awe and wonder as the ride-on lawnmower goes past and excitedly show staff what they can see.

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Address:

Fordingbridge Junior School Pennys Lane Fordingbridge SP6 1HJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registration date: 30/07/2025 Children are keen to share their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Staff value their input, including children who use nonverbal methods of communication, such as gestures. They take time to ensure all children feel listened to and heard. Children are given autonomy over their play. For example, older children take part in a vote each day over which story they are going to read during circle time. Children, including the youngest, are keen to engage with each other and play together. For example, babies seek each other out to play peekaboo. Staff support children's mathematical development through their play. For example, children learn about heavy and light as they use scales in the mud kitchen.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen staff's knowledge and understanding of the curriculum to ensure children are consistently challenged and have their learning extended. Leaders should develop further training and coaching for staff to ensure teaching is consistently of high quality.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during the inspection.

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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. Registered person: Muddy Boots Fordingbridge Limited

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 15:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

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

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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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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