Hidden Garden Day Nursery at Paper Lane

Hidden Garden Day Nursery at Paper Lane
Unique reference number (URN): 2820299
Address: Paper Lane Day Nursery, Purnell House, Paper Lane, Paulton, Bristol, BS39 7AA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 22/11/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: HGDN Limited
Inspection report: 6 July 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children are given many opportunities to develop their independence throughout the day.
For example, babies independently access their own cups when they want a drink of water,
while older children serve their own food at mealtimes. These daily routines help children
develop confidence, self-help skills and independence.
Children typically benefit from a well-planned school readiness programme that promotes
their emotional wellbeing, communication and independence. They take part in activities that
support early literacy, listening and turn-taking skills, helping to prepare them for the next
stage in their learning. As a result, children are developing the knowledge and skills they
need for school. However, opportunities to deepen children's thinking and mathematical
understanding are not always consistent, which means children do not always build as
securely on their learning across all areas of the curriculum.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have established a warm and positive environment where staff generally promote
high expectations for behaviour. Staff promote positive behaviour through praise, clear
routines and the use of the nursery's 'golden rules'. Staff have received training in positive
behaviour management. They support children to understand their feelings by talking
through situations, using redirection and offering calm activities when needed. For example,
staff remind children to use 'kind hands' and use a sand timer to help children learn to wait,
take turns and share fairly.
Leaders promote British values through daily experiences, with children typically learning
respect, kindness and cooperation. Children receive encouragement to express their views
through activities and games where they share ideas while listening to others. In the main,
staff promote independence, positive manners and turn-taking throughout the day.
Leaders work closely with families. For example, they share the behaviour policy, provide
'golden rules' keyrings, and offer library books and activities linked to stories that help
children understand their emotions. These partnerships, together with the nursery's
emphasis on regular attendance and punctuality, help children to settle quickly and build
positive relationships.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children are happy, settled and engaged in their learning. They benefit from daily access to
the outdoor environment. Children develop their physical skills through physical play, as well
as wider learning experiences, such as sand and water play.
Staff support children's health and wellbeing effectively through established routines. During
lunchtime, staff identify children's dietary requirements using placemats with dietary pegs to
ensure meals are served safely. Children greet the catering team as lunch arrives and

independently serve their food from shared bowls. Staff encourage independence by asking
children to take 4 scoops before returning for more if they are still hungry. Mealtimes are
typically calm and sociable. Staff engage children in conversations about their favourite
foods and family members, supporting their communication and social development.
Children sleep in their designated rooms on appropriate mats with breathable sheets, and
staff complete checks every 10 minutes. Staff follow children's individual care plans
carefully, including enhanced monitoring for children with medical needs. Staff also support
children's emotional wellbeing by helping them to recognise and talk about their feelings. For
example, they use mirrors and emotion cards to discuss expressions, asking questions such
as, 'How do you know he is sad?' and 'What makes you happy?'. This helps children to
develop emotional awareness.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed a curriculum that covers all areas of learning. The curriculum is
sequenced to help children to build the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage
of development. Staff understand the intended learning for each day, They use ongoing
assessment to adapt activities to children's different starting points and needs. Staff
prioritise children's personal, social, emotional and physical development well. They
celebrate children's achievements, such as taking their first steps, promote independence
through daily routines and support positive relationships.
There is a clear focus on children's communication and language. Across the nursery, staff
introduce new vocabulary through play, stories and singing. Younger children learn colours
and shapes as staff model language during activities, such as mark making and play-dough
play. Staff also use descriptive words, including 'spiky', 'soft', 'large' and 'stomp', alongside
Makaton signs. This helps children to develop their vocabulary, understanding and
confidence to communicate.
Staff make appropriate adaptations so that children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities and those facing barriers to learning can participate fully alongside their peers.
Teaching is typically effective and engaging. For example, staff use forest school activities to
teach children about bees and the natural world through a well-sequenced range of practical
experiences. However, staff do not consistently use open-ended questioning to extend
children's thinking or develop mathematical concepts such as measuring, comparing,
recognising patterns. As a result, children are not always exposed to a broad enough range
of mathematical learning experiences to deepen their understanding and vocabulary.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all children, including
those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing
barriers to learning, receive support to achieve well.
Leaders hold daily morning meetings with room managers to discuss children's learning and
progress. Staff know children well and make appropriate adaptations to activities and
routines so that all children can take part and make progress. Staff use observations,
assessments check points to identify children's individual needs. Leaders regularly review

children's progress and the impact of the support provided. They make changes where
needed to help children to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Staff who are responsive for the coordination of support for children with SEND are
developing their knowledge through training. They are beginning to embed effective systems
and advice from outside agencies into practice. Leaders use early years pupil premium
funding to provide targeted support and additional learning opportunities for disadvantaged
children. Leaders also work closely with families and other professionals to ensure children
known to, or previously known to, children's social care receive consistent support that
promotes their learning, wellbeing and overall development.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have a secure understanding of the nursery's strengths and are committed to
continuous improvement. They regularly reflect on practice, monitor the quality of provision
and identify priorities to further improve outcomes for children. Recent changes to
leadership have been managed well. There are clear induction processes that help new staff
to understand the nursery's expectations, policies and procedures. However, leaders should
strengthen professional development and monitoring to further improve staff's use of open-
ended questioning and the teaching of mathematical concepts.
Leaders typically make decisions that are in the best interests of all children, including those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those who
face barriers to learning. Staff are well supported through regular supervision sessions,
training opportunities and clear professional targets, which are displayed on lanyards to
keep priorities at the forefront of practice. Staff report that leaders are approachable, value
their wellbeing and are mindful of workload. This helps to create a positive and supportive
working environment.
Staff generally work well together and share information effectively to ensure children's
needs are met. Parents and carers report that staff are available to talk and will telephone if
needed, helping to remove barriers to communication. These positive relationships support
effective partnerships with families and help to promote children's learning, wellbeing and
development.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are happy and settled in this calm and nurturing environment, where they feel safe,
welcomed and valued. A secure key-person and buddy system helps children to settle
quickly. Children are warmly greeted on arrival, promoting a sense of belonging. Children
build warm, trusting relationships with staff who respond sensitively to children's individual
needs. Leaders ensure that children's personal care needs are approached respectfully. For
example, staff get down to children's level, use an object of reference and ask for their
permission before providing nappy changing or nose wiping. This ensures children feel
respected and valued.
Children receive support in an environment rich in language. They hear and use a wide
range of vocabulary throughout the day. Staff use Makaton alongside spoken language,
modelling phrases, such as 'more please'. This helps children to understand, express
themselves and communicate in their own way. Children develop their vocabulary through
descriptive language and singing.
Children follow familiar routines, play cooperatively and behave well. Staff reinforce the
setting's golden rules by reminding children to use 'kind hands'. They use a sand timer
effectively to encourage turn-taking, helping children to develop patience, fairness and the
ability to share with others. Children also benefit from a spacious learning environment, with
all rooms providing daily free-flow access between the classroom and outdoor garden areas.
The nursery further enriches children's learning through dance and forest school sessions.
Children learn about bees, the environment and the natural world through a carefully
sequenced series of activities during forest school session. They listen to a story, made a
bee bath, created bees from play dough and collected 'nectar'. These hands-on experiences
help children to deepen their understanding of the natural world.
Next steps
Leaders should extend children's thinking, encourage deeper conversations and provide
children with time to think and respond, such as by ensuring that staff consistently use
open-ended questions.
Leaders should ensure staff maximise opportunities to embed children's mathematical
learning throughout daily practice.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, those responsible for safeguarding and children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities, 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

Inspector:
Angelene McCormack
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2820299
Address:
Paper Lane Day Nursery
Purnell House, Paper Lane, Paulton
Bristol
BS39 7AA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 22/11/2024
Registered person: HGDN Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 06:00
Local authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 6 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
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.

Total number of places
61
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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