First Friends Holybourne

First Friends Holybourne
Unique reference number (URN): 2868631
Address: 20 London Road, Holybourne, Alton, GU34 4EG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 30/10/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: First Friends Limited
Inspection report: 16 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 consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They review practice in
response to updated guidance and check that staff understand safe sleeping, weaning and
safer eating. Children sleep on firm, flat surfaces, remain within sight and hearing and
receive frequent recorded checks. Individual weaning plans reflect familiar foods, textures
and developmental readiness and are communicated with parents/carers to ensure
consistency between home and the setting.
Staff know children and families extremely well and respond sensitively when circumstances
change. Key persons use information from parents to tailor settling, sleep, feeding, toileting
and comfort routines. Babies and children form secure attachments with their key person
and confidently seek reassurance when needed. Allergy plans, visual place mats, careful
seating and clear handovers from the chef enable children with dietary needs to eat safely
while remaining fully included.
Well-structured routines motivate children to make healthy choices and become increasingly
independent. They serve food, cut snacks safely and learn about nutrition through the
'Thoughtful Food' programme. Movement, outdoor play and mindfulness strengthen
children's physical health and help them recognise and express emotions. Children
experience consistently attentive care, which supports their confidence and emotional
security.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Since opening in January, leaders have developed a detailed understanding of the setting's
strengths and priorities. Supervision, room-leader meetings, observations and support from
the curriculum lead and sister settings are closely matched to improvement priorities. This
has established a culture in which staff reflect on practice and contribute to improving
provision.
Leaders and those responsible for oversight make decisions in children's best interests,
including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They check staff
knowledge, arrange relevant training and use coaching and constructive feedback to
strengthen practice. Protected breaks, wellbeing days, regular check-ins and recognition
schemes help staff feel valued and keep workload manageable.
Engagement with families is thoughtful and responsive. Leaders gather parents' views,
respond promptly to feedback and explain what they have changed. For example, they have
expanded outings following feedback from a recent parent questionnaire. Parents value
communication, settling arrangements and the support their children receive. Partnerships
with schools, transition visits and detailed one-page profiles help children move on
confidently. Leaders' work has secured high-quality care and continuous improvement
during the setting's first months of operation.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children develop age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills from their starting points.
Discussions with key persons show progress in children's communication, early literacy,
independence and social confidence. For example, a child who previously did not recognise
letters now identifies the first letter of their name and matches letters to cards. Children
apply mathematics in routines and play as they count friends, compare size and name
colours. They strengthen balance and coordination as they confidently negotiate movement
equipment and attempt challenging positions in their movement and mindfulness
programme.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress towards individual
goals. Targeted communication strategies reinforce developing speech, while physiotherapy
advice supports physical development. Older children manage belongings, serve food and
develop confidence for school. Parents describe children as well prepared for school with
visits, one-page profiles and liaison with teachers supporting continuity.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have established a positive environment in which expectations for behaviour are
generally understood. Practitioners use praise, gentle reminders, modelling and co-
regulation to help children share, respect boundaries and manage their emotions. As a
result, children increasingly reflect this in their interactions with each other. For example,
during transition time, a child thanked their friend for holding the gate open for them.
Familiar routines, consistent room layouts and visual labels help children know what to
expect and act independently. Staff adapt their approach to children's age, stage and
individual circumstances, including through calm spaces and additional support. Leaders
promote attendance by following up on unexplained absence and monitoring repeated
patterns with families.
In the toddler room, transitions from breakfast to the morning's activities sometimes take too
long. While practitioners prepare the next experience, some children wander, lose focus and
become less settled. Leaders should support the room team to establish smoother, more
consistent transitions so that children remain engaged, understand what is expected and
sustain positive attitudes to learning.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that encourages movement and mindfulness,
outdoor learning and a deep understanding of food and nutrition. Practitioners clearly
explain what they want children to learn and be able to do. They prioritise communication
and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Staff
teach mathematics through routines and play, including counting friends, comparing size
and naming colours.

Practitioners make appropriate adaptations for children with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and use assessment and children's next steps to tailor teaching to
different starting points and stages of development. Staff also respond to children's
emerging interests. For example, during an activity focused on identifying emotions, a
practitioner retained the intended learning while adapting resources when children became
interested in tipping and pouring.
However, the curriculum is not implemented consistently throughout the day. During the
transition from breakfast to the morning activity in the toddler room, some children wander
without becoming involved in an activity. This limits their opportunities to remain engaged in
learning during this part of the day.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders promote an inclusive culture from first contact with families. They gather information
before children start and offer extra settling sessions where needed. Leaders monitor
children whose needs are emerging and involve parents in decisions, with close attention
given to babies, non-verbal children and children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) oversees individual
education plans, reviews targets with parents and practitioners and seeks advice from a
variety of external agencies with confidence.
Staff make thoughtful adaptations so that children can participate alongside their peers.
They model language at children's level, follow targeted communication strategies and
provide alternatives when sensory experiences may overwhelm a child. For example, one
child was seen to find messy play distressing so practitioners allowed him to wash his hands
and change his clothing as much as he needed, allowing him to participate at his own pace.
Targets set by external speech and language therapists are incorporated into individual
plans and everyday interactions. The sensory room provides appropriate sensory input for
babies, as well as for children who need support to regulate.
Regular SENCO meetings within the company help staff share knowledge and agree
approaches. These adaptations help children participate and develop their communication.
However, leaders should maintain their support of staff so that they continue to build
confidence and expertise, allowing children's emerging needs to continue to be identified
promptly and the help they receive to be precisely targeted and reviewed for impact.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children receive a warm welcome and settle into a calm, homely environment. Babies and
older children build trusting relationships with staff and seek them out for comfort, help or
conversation. When children are new to the setting, their families help shape how they settle
in. This helps children feel secure and develop a sense of belonging.
Children eagerly join movement and mindfulness sessions. They explore indoor and outdoor
spaces and choose resources for themselves. As they play, children count their friends,
compare sizes, name colours and describe what they can hear. They remain curious and
involved as staff adapt experiences to follow their changing interests.
Children grow in independence as they serve food, cut snacks safely, wash their hands and
manage their belongings. They show increasing kindness and good manners towards their
friends. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part alongside their
peers. Individual plans and adaptations help them participate and make progress from their
starting points.
Children's individual needs shape their sleep, weaning and feeding routines. Those with
allergies share mealtimes safely with their friends, supported by clear care plans, visual
place mats and thoughtful seating. During meals, children talk about how food gives them
energy and begin to understand healthy choices.
Next steps
Leaders should establish smoother and more consistent transitions in the toddler room so
that children remain engaged, understand expectations and maintain positive attitudes to
learning.
Leaders should continue to develop staff confidence and expertise around special
educational needs and/or disabilities so that children's needs are identified accurately and
appropriate support is implemented and reviewed effectively.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs
coordinator 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:
Jodi Butchers
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2868631
Address:
20 London Road
Holybourne
Alton
GU34 4EG
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 30/10/2025
Registered person: First Friends 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 16 September 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
57

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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