URN 2867769 · Inspected 2026-09-18 · Published 2026-10-19 · Inspector: Nicola Houston
CherryHarbour Pre-School Unique reference number (URN): 2867769 Address: Mill Rythe Junior & Infant School, Havant Road, HAYLING ISLAND, PO11 0PA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 28/10/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Nursery Rhymes (H.I.) Limited Inspection report: 18 September 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. Strong standard Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Leaders and staff are remarkably passionate about putting children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of everything they do. Children consistently benefit from warm and positive attachments through a consistent and well-established key-person approach. This means that children settle quickly and their emotional security needs are met. Staff consistently promote good health throughout their practice, and leaders are continuously thinking of new ways to extend teaching of healthy lifestyles further. Children are already making independent, healthy decisions for themselves. Together they engage in activities that promote children's understanding of the importance of good hygiene and plenty of exercise. Leaders provide staff with precise training that further increases their understanding of nutritional guidance for young children. Those involved in food preparation are highly passionate about providing children with opportunities to try a range of healthy foods. As a result, children learn about a balanced diet, and parents and carers feel assured of the high-quality meals that children receive. Children's care needs are met with the highest sensitivity and respect. Staff kindly ask children if they can change their nappy and have cheerful conversations with them throughout the experience. Children feel safe and well supported by caring staff. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders have secure systems in place so that children's individual needs are identified, right from when children first start. They work closely with the families of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to understand children's current stage of learning and how they can best meet their needs. Leaders are strategic in their approach and work closely with other professionals to ensure collaborative plans are implemented. For example, they work with educational specialists and speech and language therapists to implement collaborative plans for children's care. Leaders support families who may face barriers to their attendance, learning and/or wellbeing, such as those who are at a disadvantage or those who may be known or previously known to children's social care. They support their families' needs closely and provide signposting to local support services. Staff are knowledgeable about all children's needs. Staff implement tailored and effective strategies and review children's targets regularly. Staff make skilful adaptations throughout their teaching to support children's different stages of learning. Through this consistent approach, leaders and staff make a demonstrable difference to children's outcomes. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders have excellent oversight of the setting. Policies and procedures are frequently and rigorously reviewed to ensure practice is consistently of high quality. Leaders use perceptive Expected standard and detailed evaluation of the effectiveness of the setting to drive improvement. For example, leaders recognise areas of improvement and work together to establish the right method of training for improvement. Furthermore, leaders recognise that there are areas of teaching that need strengthening and take swift action to raise the quality of staff interactions. Staff feel valued and appreciated in their roles. They discuss that they have plenty of opportunities to gain feedback about their own performance and that they have a wealth of opportunities for their own professional development. For example, staff access training to enhance their understanding of working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, when this is an area of practice they are specifically passionate about. Staff also report very high levels of support for their wellbeing. Leaders are perceptive of staff workload and provide flexible, targeted support to ensure that tasks are manageable. Leaders engage readily with the community to enhance the experiences of the children that attend. They visit the local area, including beaches and libraries, to extend children's understanding of the world around them. Leaders also use this engagement to ensure their setting is at the heart of the community so that they continuously understand the needs of the families they serve. Leaders also work proactively with the local schools to ensure that children receive a smooth and well-supported transition to school. Achievement Expected standard All children typically make secure progress across the different areas of learning. They learn to understand numbers and counting. Children identify different numbers with ease and begin to use different mathematical language in their play. For example, they describe different capacities as they pretend to make potions with water. Children build excellent social skills. They learn about kindness and respect for others. Children are beginning to understand how to play alongside their friends. Children are independent and make independent, healthy decisions for themselves. Children become very confident communicators. They engage excitedly with their friends and staff. There are, at times, limited interactions that support children to develop a love of books, which limits opportunities to explore new language. Despite this, children show confidence as they engage in conversations and have discussions at snack times about the different foods they like. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Expectations for children's behaviour are generally very high. Leaders encourage a positive environment that is calm and nurturing. Staff continually promote kindness, respect and the importance of listening to others. They also support children to develop resilience and confidence as they play with their friends. As a result, children build very positive relationships with one another and can easily follow instructions provided to them. Staff have been considering different methods to support children to begin to manage disagreements for themselves. This is still in the early stages and, therefore, it is not implemented consistently by all staff. This means children occasionally receive different information from staff about rules and when trying to resolve conflicts. Despite this, children generally play harmoniously with one another and very much enjoy joining in with imaginative games, making 'potions' together and playing with toy dolls. Children develop very positive attitudes to their learning and play as they engage readily in the many opportunities available to them. Leaders have a robust approach to establishing secure routines for children. They work very closely with families to anticipate any barriers to children's attendance. Parents and carers are aware of how to report absences, and leaders regularly share information with families about the importance of regular, punctual attendance. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leadership of the curriculum is secure. Leaders have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn and how staff should plan for children's education. This is generally implemented very well. For example, staff recognise important skills that they want children to learn, such as being independent in their self-care and becoming confident communicators in preparation for school. Leaders provide ongoing mentoring, coaching and support to help staff to implement the curriculum as intended. Activities are often very well planned. Staff know children well and it is clear that staff have been supported to increase their understanding of how to link experiences to children's specific stage of learning. Staff recognise children's different ages and stages of development and are skilled at supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to access all activities. Teaching is generally of very high quality. Interactions encourage children to think deeply, and conversations build children's language skills. There is a sharp focus on communication and language throughout the setting. However, at times, staff do not make the most of their interactions to help widen children's interest in books, rhymes and stories. Leaders recognise this part of the curriculum could be strengthened to promote and broaden children's vocabulary even further. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive at this welcoming and nurturing setting. Families are welcomed warmly, and staff provide a friendly and cheerful greeting to children. Children get involved with the many activities that staff have thoughtfully set up for them. Children have cuddles with staff, showing that they feel safe and reassured. Routines are well established and children confidently know what comes next. Expectations of children are high and children carry out tasks, such as tidying up, effortlessly. Staff have worked hard to support children to recognise different transitions throughout the day, for example when it is time to finish an activity or time for a sleep. Children receive plenty of time to adjust to any changes and, therefore, transitions through the routine are seamless and happen with ease. Children benefit from teaching that is tailored to their stage of learning. Staff are highly knowledgeable about the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make adaptations, such as changing the language they use, to help engage and excite children in activities. Children who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing also receive tailored support. Staff are knowledgeable about specific support that children and families might need. They ensure that learning experiences are enriching and focus on addressing any gaps in children's knowledge. Children have access to plenty of outdoor play. They build secure physical skills as they run, jump and climb in the garden. Children also use balance and coordination as they proudly learn to manoeuvre around objects on small bicycles. Children are confident learners and make the most of all the exciting experiences available to them. Next steps Leaders should support staff to provide more opportunities for children to access and enjoy books, to help further develop their early literacy skills. Leaders should strengthen how staff deliver expectations for behaviour and conflict resolution so that children receive consistent messages and expectations are fairly implemented. About this inspection The inspector spoke to children, parents, carers, staff and leaders 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. Inspector: Nicola Houston About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2867769 Address: Mill Rythe Junior & Infant School Havant Road HAYLING ISLAND PO11 0PA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 28/10/2025 Registered person: Nursery Rhymes (H.I.) Limited 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 18 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 3 to 3 Total number of places 40 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. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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