URN 110056 · Inspected 2026-04-27 · Published 2026-07-06 · Inspector: Kelley Ellis Hayley Doncom
YMCA Fairthorne Manor Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 110056 Address: Curdridge, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2GH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/10/1997 Registers: EYR Registered person: YMCA Fairthorne Group Inspection report: 27 April 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Needs attention Safeguarding standards not met Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. Those who hold designated safeguarding lead roles do not demonstrate robust knowledge regarding their responsibilities. The arrangements for effectively managing unexplained injuries are insufficient. As such, leaders have failed to escalate concerns with the relevant agencies in line with safeguarding policies and procedures. Additional failures to refer child protection concerns does not keep children safe from risk of harm. Leaders do not ensure that staff's knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures, including the responsibilities of external agencies, are consistently embedded across the setting. This does not ensure that safeguarding referrals are made in a timely manner and followed through to their conclusion. These failures undermine the safeguarding culture and do not ensure children are protected from harm. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: 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. Achievement Needs attention The achievement that children make is inconsistent across the setting. While some children are offered opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, others, at times, are not supported well enough to remain focused. For instance, some children wander around the room uninterested in the activities on display. This is not always recognised and does not help children sustain their attention for periods of time. Children are not always supported as well as they could be to prepare them for their next stage of their learning. Children are not typically learning behavioural expectations. Children access some activities that support their development in accordance with their age. At these times, children are supported to improve their skills. For example, younger children enjoy sensory activities where they develop good physical skills and build on their vocabulary as they squish and squeeze play dough. Meanwhile, older children develop independence as they self-serve their meals during lunchtime. Children become engrossed in their explorations as they fill and empty containers of oats. They are curious and are actively involved in their investigations. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention There are weaknesses in the key-person arrangements that negatively impact all children's behaviour and attitudes towards learning. For instance, there are times when children do not have their key person present to help them form warm, trusting relationships and support them to remain focused on activities. This leads to children demonstrating unwanted behaviours towards each other. Some staff members do not recognise such behaviours, which leads to these going unchallenged. This does not help children learn what is expected of them as they learn right from wrong. Some children are keen and confident to follow the routines of the day. For example, staff energetically sing familiar songs and support children as they learn to share resources. Children take part in small groups where they enjoy stories and group interactions. This helps support children's communication and language development well. Older children confidently share and follow the rules and boundaries when using the woodland garden. For instance, they know they must go around the firepit area to keep themselves safe. Leaders have taken action to improve the transitions between routine events of the day in the youngest children's room. For example, staff ensure activities are prepared ready for children when they arrive, and when they leave the table at mealtimes. This has ensured smoother transitions and engagement for children in this room. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders have shared their ambition to revise and strengthen the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious and well sequenced for all children. This has not yet been actioned, and staff continue to work on the current curriculum priorities. Some inconsistences in the implementation have a negative impact on children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, not all children receive the support required to access the curriculum at their level. Staff's knowledge of the priorities for children's learning is variable, which impacts on the consistency of teaching. This does not always help children develop and build on their skills. Staff support children to develop an interest in early literacy. For instance, children work closely with adults to form letters of their name using sticks. At these times, children focus well and are proud of their achievements following staff praise. Staff read to children in a way that captures their attention. Children listen with interest and look at books independently. They are developing a love of stories and handle books with care. Children engage in water play where they fill and empty containers. They show curiosity about the marks that water makes when they form puddles on the floor. Staff support children to develop an understanding of mathematical concepts by using words and actions to demonstrate when containers are full and empty. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders and staff do not ensure that children, in particular those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or those that face barriers to their learning, have their needs met. Some children with SEND are not offered the same experiences as other children even when they show a desire to participate. For instance, children regularly go on woodland walks to explore forest areas. However, some children are not always able to attend due to staffing arrangements. This does not help them to feel included, support their wellbeing or provide consistency in learning experiences. Although staff carry out regular Urgent improvement assessments to monitor children's development, this information is not used effectively to support and extend their progress and tailor support. For instance, children with SEND have individualised plans and targets to help them improve their skills. However, these are not always understood and effectively reinforced by staff. Staff and leaders treat all children with kindness and respect. However, further work is required to reduce barriers for children and their families who may speak English as an additional language to ensure they are fully included, with their cultures celebrated. For example, key persons do not always know about any languages spoken at home. This limits the support offered and does not consistently reinforce an open and inclusive environment. Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement Leaders have not ensured the key-person arrangements are effective. This, alongside ineffective staffing arrangements, does not ensure all children's individual care and learning needs are tailored and met. For example, children new to the setting are not well supported and do not have appropriate individual targets to achieve. Although, on occasions, the children's key person is present, other staff that are not often in the room are left to support children that require help to regulate their emotions. These staff have little information regarding what support is needed to help children feel safe and secure. This does not meet children's emotional wellbeing or encourage secure attachments where trusting relationships can be established. Leaders have not ensured that staff understand and implement policies and procedures that promote children's health and welfare. The expectations around cleaning routines are not clearly understood or applied consistently and rigorously by staff. For instance, staff fail to ensure nappy changing areas and toilets are clean and sanitised, and some children are not kept clean and tidy throughout the day. In addition, leaders have not ensured effective security measures are in place to ensure those who are not authorised can gain access to the building, which places children at potential risk of harm. Weaknesses in staff deployment mean that some accidents and injuries go unnoticed and staff fail to ensure all accidents and injuries are recorded as required. This leads to reduced oversight and gaps in documentation and information not relayed to parents. This compromises children's safety, health and wellbeing. Leadership and governance Urgent improvement There have been recent changes to the senior team, which mean that adjustments are being made. The provider does not have sufficient oversight of the day-to-day running of the nursery. The provider, alongside other senior members, has devised action plans to bring about improvements; these measures have been ineffective and are not embedded. For example, although leaders spend time in the rooms to monitor staff practice and provision, they have failed to recognise continued breaches of requirements for the early years foundation stage. For instance, leaders have not identified that staff fail to sign children in on arrival as required. Furthermore, leaders have not ensured all records, such as accident and existing injury records, are filled out in line with their own policies and procedures. These repeated failings to ensure records are correctly maintained place children at potential harm. Although some staff members report they feel supported through regular meetings, coaching and training, this is not consistent across the team. Some staff members share unmanageable workloads and insufficient support daily. Staff supervision and monitoring are ineffective. Leaders have not ensured staff fully understand and adhere to the setting's policies and procedures. Staff do not receive the coaching and support required to help them improve their skills and develop their personal effectiveness. This has a detrimental impact on the care and education that the children receive. Leaders new to their roles demonstrate commitment to make the necessary improvements. What it's like to be a child at this setting Weaknesses in leadership and governance do not keep children safe. Leaders fail to ensure they, alongside their staff team, understand and follow the policies and procedures in place. Leaders do not respond to emerging concerns about children in a timely way or ensure all staff recognise how to escalate concerns beyond the setting. Leaders have weak oversight of the setting, including staff practice and provision. For example, leaders have not recognised that information and records are not well maintained and kept up to date, such as allergy information. In addition, staff do not understand their responsibility to ensure accidents and injuries are managed in line with internal processes. Staff do not follow robust hygiene procedures to ensure children's health is well promoted. These failings do not protect children from harm. Key-person arrangements are not effective. As a result, children, including those that face barriers to their learning, are not receiving the secure, responsive support required to promote their individual care, learning and development. This does not help children achieve. Inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum and teaching mean that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive variable learning experiences. This does not help children to make the progress that they are capable of. Leaders do not ensure staff deploy themselves well. This means that, at times, there are too many children for some staff members to effectively engage in meaningful activities. As such, without clear direction or supervision, some children become distracted and display some unwanted behaviours. This does not help children to consistently learn behavioural expectations. Children enjoy the company of staff and one another. Staff recognise the importance of attendance. They work with parents to reduce any barriers that children and their families may experience, flexibly supporting children's hours. Staff talk kindly to children and value their individual characters. This helps children to feel valued and to have a sense of belonging. Next steps The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action. We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure child protection concerns are acted upon and reported to the appropriate agencies without delay 11/05/2026 improve staff understanding of safeguarding referral processes so they can confidently and appropriately escalate concerns beyond the setting 11/05/2026 ensure that the key-person arrangements are appropriately embedded to ensure every child's care and learning are tailored to meet their individual needs 11/05/2026 ensure staff receive effective supervision, coaching and training to improve their understanding of their roles and responsibilities 11/05/2026 ensure the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively planned for and met 11/05/2026 ensure all staff fully understand the processes in place to manage accidents or injuries in line with the setting's polices and procedures 11/05/2026 improve building security measures and hygiene procedures to ensure children's health and safety 11/05/2026 improve procedures to ensure records are kept accurate and up to date, supporting the safety and welfare of all children 11/05/2026 improve staff deployment so that children are kept safe, receive appropriate support and benefit from quality 11/05/2026 Inspectors: Kelley Ellis Hayley Doncom About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 110056 Address: Curdridge Southampton Hampshire SO30 2GH Action Completion Date interactions to meet their individual learning needs ensure staff develop a clear and consistent understanding of how to support and manage children's behaviour, helping children gain a secure awareness of behaviour expectations and remain focused in learning 11/05/2026 To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following action by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure that an ambitious, well-structured curriculum is fully implemented and clearly understood by staff, to help children build on their skills over time 30/06/2026 About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and carers and children during the 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. Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 01/10/1997 Registered person: YMCA Fairthorne Group Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Hampshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 27 April 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 150 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. 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. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. 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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