First Friends Day Nursery

First Friends Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): 2842542 Address: Denmead Junior School, Bere Road, Denmead, Waterlooville, PO7 6PH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/05/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: First Friends 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 Strong standard

Children across the setting make excellent progress in their learning and development. They demonstrate high levels of curiosity, confidence and independence as they eagerly engage in a wide range of stimulating experiences. Children sustain their concentration, explore resources creatively and build successfully on what they already know and can do. They show resilience when faced with challenges, persevere with tasks and take great pride in their achievements, enthusiastically sharing their successes with others.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. They make thoughtful choices about their play, confidently follow their interests and collaborate well with their peers. They communicate their ideas, share resources and take turns, demonstrating strong social skills and growing emotional maturity. Children show a deep sense of belonging and understand that their views are valued, confidently contributing ideas about activities and resources. They move independently between indoor and outdoor environments, making decisions about their learning and becoming increasingly self-assured. As a result, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for the next stage of their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

A deeply respectful culture has been established where children and adults develop exceptionally positive relationships and communicate calmly with one another, working together to solve problems. Children's behaviour is excellent, and all children, including babies, understand the setting's high expectations. For example, children remind their friends about the importance of sharing toys and tidying away resources before transitions in the routine.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Staff skilfully support children to understand what will happen next and help them manage changes in the daily routine. They use their detailed knowledge of individual children to provide additional support where needed, including visual prompts, pictures and clear, simple language. As a result, children move confidently between activities and transitions are managed successfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are highly motivated and excited to learn. They enthusiastically participate in activities they have helped to choose, such as discussing a recent bus journey or reflecting on a visit to a local care home to play games with residents. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for children to collaborate, develop their communication skills and build positive relationships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Attendance is excellent. Leaders have worked exceptionally hard to promote the importance of regular attendance, helping parents understand the positive impact it has on children's learning and development. Parents value the personalised support provided by staff, who go above and beyond to help children settle into the setting, build secure attachments and establish positive routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff consistently place children's welfare and happiness at the heart of everything they do. The environment is thoughtfully designed to ensure every child is valued as an individual and feels fully included as an important member of the group.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe and healthy. For example, older children explain the importance of wearing sunscreen and hats in sunny weather, showing that they understand how to protect themselves and care for their friends. This contributes to a nurturing environment where everyone feels safe, respected and well cared for.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff work seamlessly together to maintain routines that keep children highly engaged and motivated to learn. Children develop healthy habits that positively support their physical health and emotional wellbeing. For example, they enthusiastically join in with songs and movement activities, talking about how their hearts beat faster after exercise and beginning to understand the benefits of being active.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children eagerly explore fresh vegetables through imaginative play, pretending to chop leeks and stir kale in a cooking box. They confidently talk about what they are doing, while skilled questioning encourages them to extend their vocabulary and thinking. As a result, children remain deeply engaged in their learning and develop a positive understanding of healthy foods in a meaningful, familiar context.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum has been carefully designed to fully engage and interest every child in the setting. Leaders have an extremely effective overview of what staff want children to learn and staff use their expert knowledge of every child to set appropriate next steps to build on what they already know. For example, staff use moving toys such as trains and cars to engage children who have this as a particular interest. This means children are excited to engage in their learning and are always keen to explore.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff are impressive at noticing every child's individual response during activities. They skilfully and promptly change or adapt their approach to ensure every child is learning at the right time and speed. Staff make specific targets that encourage all children to make excellent progress. The robust review process means all children are securely embedding each skill before moving onto the next.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children respond exceptionally well to the carefully sequenced activities planned by staff. They use their detailed knowledge of child development along with knowing every child as an individual to ensure teaching is timely and appropriate. For example, during snack time staff support some children to cut their own fruit and pour their own drink, while others find their own names and clear their plates away.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Practice across all areas of the setting is completely inclusive. Staff are extremely skilled at identifying when children need extra support or may have a barrier to their learning. Parents are fully included when staff notice a child who may need extra help and they share how much they value staff's knowledgeable and consistently gentle approach.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children are expertly supported to access all areas of the curriculum and respond really well to the targeted intervention put in place. For example, staff consistently use their knowledge of children's individual interests to introduce small achievable targets in order to develop existing skills or introduce something new. This approach keeps children interested and excited to move forward in their own learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders of special educational needs and/or disabilities are excellent at working closely with staff to enable them to remove any barriers that might prevent children reaching their full potential. For example, they use their in depth knowledge to support children to take part in weekly mindfulness and wellbeing sessions. Staff consistently teach children how to express their emotions using large movements, which positively impacts on all aspects of their learning. This means that every child is being empowered to focus, join in with others and feel fully included in the experiences that are offered.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have an excellent overview of the setting and work closely with staff to ensure practice remains consistently of a high standard. They have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and are proactive in identifying areas for further development. Leaders have created a culture in which staff feel highly valued and respected. For example, thoughtful gestures such as sharing appreciation gifts help staff feel recognised, resulting in a positive, supportive environment where everyone feels included and has a strong sense of belonging.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have established a fully inclusive setting with strong links to the local community. Children regularly visit places such as the local park and library and take part in activities that help them understand the importance of kindness and contributing to their community, including showing appreciation to local workers.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Strong professional partnerships with local schools and support services ensure children receive timely and appropriate support. Staff work closely with receiving schools, attending transition meetings to share relevant information and help children move confidently to the next stage of their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders provide a comprehensive programme of professional development that equips staff with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver a high-quality, inclusive curriculum. Staff value these opportunities and are committed to continually developing their practice to achieve the best possible outcomes for children.

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

Children at the setting benefit from a rich and varied curriculum that provides them with carefully planned, highly engaging experiences. They confidently access a wide range of opportunities that support their learning, development and individual interests. Children demonstrate curiosity, enthusiasm and a willingness to explore, showing that they are motivated and excited to learn. They develop increasing independence as they make choices, follow their interests and become deeply involved in activities. For example, babies show great excitement as they join in with movement and mindfulness sessions in the garden. They confidently participate, respond to music and movement, and develop their physical skills through exploration and play.

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

Children are continually encouraged to try new experiences while also building on their existing knowledge and skills. They show resilience when faced with new challenges and are supported to develop confidence in their own abilities. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those experiencing barriers to learning, are fully included and able to participate successfully. Children demonstrate that they feel secure, valued and understood, allowing them to make strong progress from their individual starting points. They are developing the skills, knowledge and confidence needed for their future learning.

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

Children are encouraged to share their ideas and contribute to decisions within the setting. They understand that their opinions are valued and confidently express their thoughts about their experiences. For example, through the children's committee, children suggest resources they would like to have available and share ideas about places they would like to visit. This helps children develop confidence, independence and a strong sense of belonging.

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

Children are becoming confident communicators who enjoy sharing their thoughts, ideas and experiences with others. They take part enthusiastically in activities such as learning a 'sign of the week', which supports communication, inclusion and vocabulary development. Children benefit from strong partnerships between the setting and their families. Parents value the regular communication and feedback they receive, which helps create consistency between home and the setting and supports children's continued progress, wellbeing and development.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all

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Address:

Denmead Junior School Bere Road, Denmead Waterlooville PO7 6PH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: First Friends Limited

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with senior leaders, the manager, the special educational needs coordinator, children and parents 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 the provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years' foundation stage. This data is from 8 July 2026

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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. 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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