Orchard Day Nursery

Orchard Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY309359
Address: Orchard Day Nursery, Trinity C of E V A First School, Coopers Lane, VERWOOD, Dorset, BH31
7PG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 25/08/2005
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Orchard Nursery (Verwood) Limited
Inspection report: 2 February 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Strong standard
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.
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.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff ensure from the start that information gathered from parents and home
visits, enable staff to understand and implement effective care routines for babies and
children. Leaders have recently enhanced the settling-in process to make this more robust.
For example, staff take toys on home visits and then have these available to children during
their settling period, providing reassurance and familiarity. Staff embed a 'co-key person'
system, to ensure continuity when children's key workers are absent. Staff teach children
from an early age to recognise, articulate and regulate their emotions, to develop their
emotional wellbeing. For example, younger children enjoy, 'The colour monster' story and
begin to label and match emotions to the colours, 'green is calm'. Staff share supportive
strategies with families and recognise developmental stages that children may go through
when learning how to manage their emotions.
Staff teach children to lead a healthy lifestyle. Younger children explore activities based
around oral health and staff use meaningful interactions to talk to children about brushing
their teeth, helping them to develop their understanding of oral hygiene. Staff actively
promote healthy eating habits and children enjoy freshly cooked meals. Leaders ensure the
nutritious menus are in line with nutritional guidance. Leaders invite parents in to taste the
food choices for themselves, also sharing ideas for home cooking. Children have access to
fresh air daily and make informed choices both indoors and outdoors. This successfully
supports children to develop their physical and emotional health. Additionally, staff who are
Forest school trained plan regular forest school sessions for children to explore nature and
the wider world. Children learn how to stay safe and healthy. Leaders invite parents to take
part in first-aid training, to support their confidence in dealing with situations that may arise
at home.

Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities,
those who are known to children's social care and those who face barriers to their learning,
are supported consistently. Leaders consult with parents/carers and discuss how additional
funding is to be used. Leaders have formed robust partnerships with parents and other
professionals to ensure continuity for children's learning. For example, leaders have recently
created a more detailed transition document when working with other settings that children
attend. This ensures regular communication and sharing of information, related to children's
learning outcomes and targets. Parents/carers comment on the strategies they have been
provided to support learning at home, including visual cards to support children's emotional
development.
Staff use robust assessment and monitoring procedures, to swiftly identify any emerging
gaps in children's learning. For example, staff use speech and language assessments to
track children's communication skills. They implement purposeful support plans and
effective intervention strategies. This helps all children to make sustained progress from
their starting points. Staff provide excellent support for children's understanding and
communication, including those that speak English as an additional language. Staff use
lanyards containing visuals and encourage children to use these when communicating. Staff
have a secure knowledge of how to track and monitor children's learning, swiftly involving
external professionals when necessary.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders demonstrate a deep understanding of the setting strengths and address any areas
for development quickly. Leaders work closely together and have created a positive working
environment that is well established. They create a culture of continuous improvement
through robust monitoring and self-evaluation. Leaders have recently introduced a new role,
providing a mentor to continue to closely monitor new staff and staff that are training. This
further enhances on the already strong induction processes. Staff show dedication to their
roles and speak confidently about recent training. For example, staff attended a recent early
years conference building on their knowledge of the importance of continuous provision in
the setting, including block play and how this can support and encourage children's
imaginations in their play and learning. Staff are highly motivated to upskill their knowledge.
Leaders work collaboratively with parents, the local community and other professionals.
Parents report the handovers are consistent, informative and supportive. They value the
sharing of information to support their children's learning at home and have noticed
progression, particularly in children's emotional and social development.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children make secure progress from their starting points. Babies independently look at age-
appropriate books, younger children engage with core stories and older children retell these
confidently. Outside children run, jump and move freely, they demonstrate confident physical
skills. Children throw balls through hoops and pour water carefully through various sized
funnels, developing their hand and eye co-ordination. Babies explore their abilities, as they
pull themselves up using purposefully placed furniture. They shuffle, crawl and lie
comfortably as they engage in various activities. Younger children build their finger-strength
through poking, rolling and manipulating dough.
Staff use their interactions to support and build on children's language, such as, roll, roll, roll
and younger children repeat this. Babies babble, observe each other and begin to say the
names of their peers. Children develop a number of important skills in readiness for the next
stage of their education, including school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff set clear expectations for children and help them to understand what is
expected of them. Staff have secure knowledge of child development and use this effectively
to implement age-appropriate and inclusive boundaries for all children, including, children
with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an
additional language. Staff use co-regulation techniques, such as, discussion and calming
approaches when helping children to manage any conflicts that may arise, adjusting their
language to ensure children understand.
Staff praise positive behaviours and build trusting and respectful relationships with children.
This helps children to feel valued, respected and listened to. Staff use 'wow' moments to
celebrate children's achievements and use praise effectively. Older children confidently ask
for help when needed and staff are attentive to their needs. Younger children build towers
and others knock them down. Staff and children respond calmly. Children develop their
tolerance and resilience from a young age. Staff are positive role models for children.
Some periods of the day are not as well organised as the rest of the day. For example, the
transition of children from the outdoor area to the indoor area at lunchtime is not well
planned. As a result, children become unsettled and learning is disrupted at this time.
Leaders share with parents the importance of attendance, punctuality and absence
procedures. This helps to ensure that children and families are safe and helps them to build
positive habits for the future.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have recently implemented a new curriculum that is clear and ambitious for all
children. Staff use detailed information gathered from parents on home visits and settling
sessions, to form robust starting points for children's learning. This helps staff to know what
children can do and what they need to know next. Regular assessment and monitoring of

children's development ensure that staff identify emerging gaps quickly. This ensures staff
provide opportunities that are carefully tailored, well sequenced and which promote all
children's positive outcomes. For example, staff help babies to build on their emerging
language skills, they begin to encourage their use of two-word phrases. Outside, children
use their imaginations as they revisit and make links to previous learning and familiar
stories. Staff use questioning to prompt and facilitate children's thinking, helping them to
recall and consolidate their new knowledge and skills.
Activities are varied and plentiful. Staff ensure they plan activities that engage and capture
children's curiosity; children are eager to explore. Staff help children to develop their
mathematical skills from an early age. They use number language when singing songs
through routines and during children's play. For instance, younger children say, '3,4,5,6'
when exploring water play and staff use language, such as under, over, full and empty. Older
children begin to form their numbers and recognise numbers one to 10. Older children are
provided with opportunities to develop their confidence and independence through daily
routines. For example, they know what they need for outdoor play and gather these items
independently. However, staff do not always use opportunities throughout their daily routines
to consistently build on younger children's independence.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Staff warmly greet children and children respond positively, demonstrating their secure
bonds with the friendly, caring and attentive staff. Babies eagerly explore their environment
and quickly immerse themselves into the activities on offer. For example, they explore a
sensory farm, containing crushed cereals and relish in their sensory experiences. Older
children enjoy freely moving between indoor and outdoor activities. They create scenarios
with their peers linking to their recent story, 'The Three Little Pigs'. Children show that they
feel safe and secure within a trusting and nurturing environment.
Younger children have fun, as they paint with dinosaurs, staff roar loudly and children copy,
'stomp, stomp, stomp'. Staff help them to develop new language through their interests.
Older children engage in back-and-forth conversations with staff about what they have built
and use excellent detail when explaining this. Outside, children work collaboratively to build
towers using small tyres; staff encourage children to count together. Older children play
number games independently and can subitise when rolling the dice. These skills have a
positive impact on children's readiness for school.
Children benefit from meaningful experiences, helping them to learn more about their
community. Leaders invite parents in to share their expertise and read stories to children in
various languages. Children benefit from regular Forest school sessions, helping to widen
their knowledge of the world around them. Staff adapt their teaching skills to suit the needs
of all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and
those who speak English as an additional language.

Inspector:
Chelsea Woollard
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY309359
Address:
Orchard Day Nursery, Trinity C of E V A First School
Coopers Lane
VERWOOD
Dorset
BH31 7PG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 25/08/2005
Registered person: Orchard Nursery (Verwood) Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Dorset
Next steps
Leaders should review lunchtime transitions for younger children.
Leaders should expand opportunities through daily routines for younger children to
develop their independence.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, children and parents/carers 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.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 2 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
80
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.
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