The Fordingbridge Day Nursery and Pre-SchoolOfsted report card, 18 Sept 2026

The Fordingbridge Day Nursery and Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): 2707009 Address: Salisbury Road, Burgate, Fordingbridge, Hants, SP6 1LX Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/10/2022 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Coach House Day Nursery 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

Typically, children achieve and make progress across the curriculum, despite some inconsistencies in teaching. Gaps in learning and development generally narrow, including for those who face barriers to their learning. Children are generally prepared for the next stage of their education. They develop the skills that they need in order to become appropriately independent in their self-care, communicate and develop relationships with their peers. Children hold conversations with adults and other children. They learn to listen to others as they talk. Children enjoy looking at books independently and listening to stories being read.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are confident and capable in their growing independence. For example, they help tidy away and put cutlery and cups out for mealtimes. They generally play well together and begin to understand the importance of sharing and taking turns. For example, babies learn to wait patiently and take turns before sliding down the slide. Older children play alongside each other in the sand, demonstrating positive social skills and an awareness of others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish warm, positive relationships with children. Generally, children behave well. They understand and enjoy praise when following the nursery rules. For example, children demonstrate manners at mealtimes, show kindness and use resources respectfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are curious and confident. They enjoy exploring the different areas of the provision, typically demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and engage well in their play. Children learn to work well together, developing important social skills. For example, children excitedly explore the sand, filling and emptying buckets. Leaders have recently introduced daily activities to provide stability, familiarity and comfort for children, which supports them to transition between rooms. Children feel safe and secure at the nursery, building close bonds with their key person and seeking comfort when needed. For example, children seek support from staff when building towers during construction activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote regular attendance and work with parents and carers to help them understand the importance of this to support learning and development. Leaders follow up promptly when children are absent. Leaders and staff build positive relationships with parents to identify and address any barriers to attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff have warm and affectionate bonds with the babies and children they care for. Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff working with babies are responsive to their needs and recognise when babies are hungry, tired or need support and comfort. They talk softly to them as they cuddle and rock them to give them the reassurance that they need. Older

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Needs attention

children begin to understand and express their feelings. Staff help them to redirect their emotions and behaviours in a positive way.

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Needs attention

Transitions between the different rooms are carefully considered. Staff typically identify that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning and wellbeing often need extra support during changes. Appropriate measures are taken to minimise disruption to children's learning.

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Needs attention

Mealtimes provide valuable opportunities to promote children's independence and social skills. Babies and children use manners, and staff encourage independence. All staff are aware of children's allergies and individual stages of weaning for babies. Staff follow appropriate systems for monitoring allergies and conduct regular checks to keep children safe. All staff have received training on safe sleep procedures and implement a secure and effective process.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically recognise and monitor the individual needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make early assessments to identify need and support. Leaders and staff collaborate with external professionals and receive targeted training and advice. This helps them to adapt provision and plan tailored support for the children in their care. For example, leaders and staff consult with local speech and language therapists, a physiotherapist, and specialist services.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify and address barriers to children's learning effectively. For example, visual aids, prompts and gestures are typically used in everyday practice. Staff attend specialist training to ensure they develop their knowledge and understanding of how to support children's specific medical needs effectively. On occasion, group sizes and staff deployment limit how well some children's needs are supported. Leaders have identified further staff training to ensure a more consistent and embedded approach across the setting. Individual educational plans are reviewed regularly and shared with staff, parents and carers. Parents speak highly of the support they receive from staff when going through referral processes, for instance. Additional funding is used thoughtfully and effectively to ensure it enhances the care and learning for those for whom it is intended.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have created a curriculum that is typically aimed at building children's independence, self-esteem and curiosity about the world. However, this is not yet consistently taught or embedded in practice. Some staff are unsure how to build on what children already know and can do. At times, experiences and activities do not sufficiently sustain children's attention. For example, some children do not remain engaged or receive the support they need to access learning at the right level. This limits their ability to make sustained progress. While staff introduce some mathematical language during activities, they do not consistently embed it into children's everyday experiences, which limits their overall learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

When teaching is delivered well, children benefit from purposeful interactions that support their learning. Staff promote language and communication as children excitedly recall what items are in the bag. Staff introduce new words to extend children's learning. Babies share back-and-forth interactions with their key person while exploring sensory activities. Staff promote physical development well, providing opportunities to aid babies' walking. Older children delight in using construction toys and tunnels, learning about cause and effect.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate commitment to improving the quality of education and care. However, some areas of the curriculum and its delivery need some improvement, such as embedding more consistent teaching, and mathematics in particular, into all aspects of the setting. Some staff lack confidence when recognising children's starting points, which means some children do not consistently receive the support they need from the outset to participate fully and make the best possible progress in their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff feel generally well supported by leaders. They have regular supervision sessions, focusing on their strengths and some training, which typically supports their development. A structured development plan has been implemented across the setting by senior leaders. Staff training and daily updates have led to some improvements in deployment and safety procedures. Leaders have implemented improvements to the security of the premises and reviewed drop-off procedures to ensure the safety of children. Leaders have appropriate recruitment and induction programmes in place, which are managed centrally within the organisation.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents and carers speak positively about the setting and appreciate the regular updates they receive. For example, parents know their children's key person and receive regular updates on progress. Leaders and staff hold open days and events several times a year for parents and carers to attend, to help them support their children further.

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

Children are typically happy, settled and confident in this setting. They generally experience an appropriate range of opportunities. However, the quality of teaching and children's experiences of learning vary. This does not always inspire children to become absorbed in what they are doing. Some children are inquisitive, communicate their ideas and enjoy finding things out. They develop language and physical skills through play and interactions. However, the curriculum and teaching do not yet enable every child to build securely on their existing knowledge and capabilities. As a result, some children are better prepared for their next stage of learning than others.

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

Overall, key staff support children's individual needs. However, children's learning is limited by the inconsistencies in teaching and learning experiences, particularly around mathematics. When teaching is more effective, children benefit from a curriculum that generally reflects their interests. For instance, babies actively engage in activities that support rhythm, coordination and following instructions. Older children excitedly make connections with what they see and use, developing language to communicate their ideas. Children actively participate in conversations, building their social skills at mealtimes. They develop independence as they self-serve their healthy meals and pour drinks independently. These skills help children to prepare for the next stage of their learning.

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

Children are eager to play, supported by warm and attentive staff. Positive communication between parents, carers and staff at the start of the day demonstrates effective partnerships. This helps children feel secure as they settle into their day. Children develop positive relationships with their peers. They communicate confidently and cooperate well during play and learning times. Children show kindness and respect towards one another, enjoy each other's company and play collaboratively. They demonstrate a sense of belonging in the nursery.

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Next steps

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

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Action Completion Date

improve the quality of teaching so that staff implement the curriculum consistently and provide purposeful learning experiences that support children's progress 23/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that mathematics is explicitly embedded into everyday activities to promote confidence and enjoyment of learning for all children. 23/10/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with managers, senior leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, parents, carers and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Salisbury Road Burgate Fordingbridge Hants SP6 1LX

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: The Coach House Day Nursery Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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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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Age range of children at the time of 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

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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

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

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