The Fordingbridge Day Nursery and Pre-School

The Fordingbridge Day Nursery and Pre-School
Unique reference number (URN): 2707009
Address: Salisbury Road, Burgate, Fordingbridge, Hants, SP6 1LX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 21/10/2022
Registers: EYR
Registered person: The Coach House Day Nursery 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Typically, children achieve and make progress across the curriculum, despite some
inconsistencies in teaching. Gaps in learning and development generally narrow, including
for those who face barriers to their learning. Children are generally prepared for the next
stage of their education. They develop the skills that they need in order to become
appropriately independent in their self-care, communicate and develop relationships with
their peers. Children hold conversations with adults and other children. They learn to listen
to others as they talk. Children enjoy looking at books independently and listening to stories
being read.
Children are confident and capable in their growing independence. For example, they help
tidy away and put cutlery and cups out for mealtimes. They generally play well together and
begin to understand the importance of sharing and taking turns. For example, babies learn
to wait patiently and take turns before sliding down the slide. Older children play alongside
each other in the sand, demonstrating positive social skills and an awareness of others.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff establish warm, positive relationships with children. Generally, children
behave well. They understand and enjoy praise when following the nursery rules. For
example, children demonstrate manners at mealtimes, show kindness and use resources
respectfully.
Children are curious and confident. They enjoy exploring the different areas of the provision,
typically demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and engage well in their play.
Children learn to work well together, developing important social skills. For example,
children excitedly explore the sand, filling and emptying buckets. Leaders have recently
introduced daily activities to provide stability, familiarity and comfort for children, which
supports them to transition between rooms. Children feel safe and secure at the nursery,
building close bonds with their key person and seeking comfort when needed. For example,
children seek support from staff when building towers during construction activities.
Leaders promote regular attendance and work with parents and carers to help them
understand the importance of this to support learning and development. Leaders follow up
promptly when children are absent. Leaders and staff build positive relationships with
parents to identify and address any barriers to attendance.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff have warm and affectionate bonds with the babies and children they care for. Children
are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff working with babies are responsive to their needs
and recognise when babies are hungry, tired or need support and comfort. They talk softly to
them as they cuddle and rock them to give them the reassurance that they need. Older

Needs attention
children begin to understand and express their feelings. Staff help them to redirect their
emotions and behaviours in a positive way.
Transitions between the different rooms are carefully considered. Staff typically identify that
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning and
wellbeing often need extra support during changes. Appropriate measures are taken to
minimise disruption to children's learning.
Mealtimes provide valuable opportunities to promote children's independence and social
skills. Babies and children use manners, and staff encourage independence. All staff are
aware of children's allergies and individual stages of weaning for babies. Staff follow
appropriate systems for monitoring allergies and conduct regular checks to keep children
safe. All staff have received training on safe sleep procedures and implement a secure and
effective process.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff typically recognise and monitor the individual needs of all children,
including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make early
assessments to identify need and support. Leaders and staff collaborate with external
professionals and receive targeted training and advice. This helps them to adapt provision
and plan tailored support for the children in their care. For example, leaders and staff
consult with local speech and language therapists, a physiotherapist, and specialist
services.
Leaders and staff identify and address barriers to children's learning effectively. For
example, visual aids, prompts and gestures are typically used in everyday practice. Staff
attend specialist training to ensure they develop their knowledge and understanding of how
to support children's specific medical needs effectively. On occasion, group sizes and staff
deployment limit how well some children's needs are supported. Leaders have identified
further staff training to ensure a more consistent and embedded approach across the
setting. Individual educational plans are reviewed regularly and shared with staff, parents
and carers. Parents speak highly of the support they receive from staff when going through
referral processes, for instance. Additional funding is used thoughtfully and effectively to
ensure it enhances the care and learning for those for whom it is intended.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders have created a curriculum that is typically aimed at building children's
independence, self-esteem and curiosity about the world. However, this is not yet
consistently taught or embedded in practice. Some staff are unsure how to build on what
children already know and can do. At times, experiences and activities do not sufficiently
sustain children's attention. For example, some children do not remain engaged or receive
the support they need to access learning at the right level. This limits their ability to make
sustained progress. While staff introduce some mathematical language during activities,

they do not consistently embed it into children's everyday experiences, which limits their
overall learning.
When teaching is delivered well, children benefit from purposeful interactions that support
their learning. Staff promote language and communication as children excitedly recall what
items are in the bag. Staff introduce new words to extend children's learning. Babies share
back-and-forth interactions with their key person while exploring sensory activities. Staff
promote physical development well, providing opportunities to aid babies' walking. Older
children delight in using construction toys and tunnels, learning about cause and effect.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders demonstrate commitment to improving the quality of education and care. However,
some areas of the curriculum and its delivery need some improvement, such as embedding
more consistent teaching, and mathematics in particular, into all aspects of the setting.
Some staff lack confidence when recognising children's starting points, which means some
children do not consistently receive the support they need from the outset to participate fully
and make the best possible progress in their learning and development.
Staff feel generally well supported by leaders. They have regular supervision sessions,
focusing on their strengths and some training, which typically supports their development. A
structured development plan has been implemented across the setting by senior leaders.
Staff training and daily updates have led to some improvements in deployment and safety
procedures. Leaders have implemented improvements to the security of the premises and
reviewed drop-off procedures to ensure the safety of children. Leaders have appropriate
recruitment and induction programmes in place, which are managed centrally within the
organisation.
Parents and carers speak positively about the setting and appreciate the regular updates
they receive. For example, parents know their children's key person and receive regular
updates on progress. Leaders and staff hold open days and events several times a year for
parents and carers to attend, to help them support their children further.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are typically happy, settled and confident in this setting. They generally experience
an appropriate range of opportunities. However, the quality of teaching and children's
experiences of learning vary. This does not always inspire children to become absorbed in

what they are doing. Some children are inquisitive, communicate their ideas and enjoy
finding things out. They develop language and physical skills through play and interactions.
However, the curriculum and teaching do not yet enable every child to build securely on their
existing knowledge and capabilities. As a result, some children are better prepared for their
next stage of learning than others.
Overall, key staff support children's individual needs. However, children's learning is limited
by the inconsistencies in teaching and learning experiences, particularly around
mathematics. When teaching is more effective, children benefit from a curriculum that
generally reflects their interests. For instance, babies actively engage in activities that
support rhythm, coordination and following instructions. Older children excitedly make
connections with what they see and use, developing language to communicate their ideas.
Children actively participate in conversations, building their social skills at mealtimes. They
develop independence as they self-serve their healthy meals and pour drinks independently.
These skills help children to prepare for the next stage of their learning.
Children are eager to play, supported by warm and attentive staff. Positive communication
between parents, carers and staff at the start of the day demonstrates effective partnerships.
This helps children feel secure as they settle into their day. Children develop positive
relationships with their peers. They communicate confidently and cooperate well during play
and learning times. Children show kindness and respect towards one another, enjoy each
other's company and play collaboratively. They demonstrate a sense of belonging in the
nursery.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
improve the quality of teaching so that staff implement
the curriculum consistently and provide purposeful
learning experiences that support children's progress
23/10/2026
ensure that mathematics is explicitly embedded into
everyday activities to promote confidence and
enjoyment of learning for all children.
23/10/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with managers, senior leaders, staff, special educational needs
coordinators, parents, carers and children during the inspection.

Inspector:
Kirsty Stickley
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2707009
Address:
Salisbury Road
Burgate
Fordingbridge
Hants
SP6 1LX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 21/10/2022
Registered person: The Coach House Day Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 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
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

0 to 4
Total number of places
74
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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