URN 2871850 · Inspected 2026-09-17 · Published 2026-10-21 · Inspector: Sonia Panchal
The Lodge Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2871850 Address: 85 Coronation Square, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 3QP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/11/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Reading Borough Council Inspection report: 17 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. Needs attention Achievement Needs attention Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, and the lack of sufficiently purposeful activities that are well matched to children's individual needs, mean that some children do not make the progress they are capable of. Some older children, particularly those who face barriers to learning, do not consistently benefit from appropriate teaching or have full access to the curriculum. Staff do not consistently make the necessary adaptations to meet children's diverse needs, despite these being recorded in their individual development plans. Consequently, gaps in children's development do not close at a steady or sustained rate. Babies and toddlers, on the other hand, begin to use key words and simple sentences to communicate their wants and needs. They typically join in with familiar stories and songs and follow routines established by staff. Babies and pre-school children prefer to be indoors, where they have access to more stimulating, engaging experiences, such as making marks on large pieces of paper on the floor. There are times in the day when babies and pre- school children wander without clear purpose or motivation when outdoors. This is because the outdoor curriculum does not provide children with sufficiently engaging experiences to help them achieve the expected progress needed for their next stage in learning. Babies hear vocabulary related to size as they make 'big' and 'little' splashes in water and notice the different reactions. Younger children's early mathematics skills are developing. For example, toddlers are encouraged to persevere and successfully complete 4-piece puzzles of their faces by comparing and matching the pieces. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention Leaders do not ensure that staff's expectations for children's behaviour, particularly for older children, are applied consistently. Although staff help the youngest children, including those who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing, to understand daily routines, this approach is not consistent across the setting. For example, when older children have disputes, sometimes involving pushing others over as they want the same toys, staff respond in different ways. Staff also do not always encourage older children to help tidy away their toys after playing with them, and often complete this themselves in order to move children on to the next routine more quickly. In this way, some routines lack consistency and predictability. In contrast, staff caring for younger children use routine times to build warm and nurturing bonds, such as by singing to babies and toddlers while changing their nappies. Positive interactions such as these help children develop secure relationships and settle confidently into the setting. Overall, staff encourage children to share and take turns, particularly in the baby and toddler rooms. With appropriate guidance, younger children learn to cooperate with others, through staff's good role modelling. For instance, toddlers enthusiastically collect balls in doll pushchairs in the garden, while others join their game and race around trying to keep the balls in their buggies. They laugh and giggle when balls fall out, while staff readily praise their efforts and join in with the fun. However, some staff do not consistently engage in children's imaginative games. This reduces opportunities to extend children's ideas and develop a deeper understanding of their interests, particularly for those who face barriers to their development. Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality. They work with families to ensure that parents and carers understand, and follow, the setting's procedures for informing the setting when their child will be absent. This helps to promote children's safety. Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention The key-person system is not effective in practice in the pre-school room. Older children, particularly those who face barriers to their development, do not consistently benefit from the support of a key person. Leaders have not ensured that all staff fully understand and fulfil their responsibilities in this role effectively. For example, some staff do not consistently take opportunities to build knowledge of children's families and home experiences, or share important information with colleagues when children move into the pre-school room. In addition, some staff who are key persons for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not always know how to support them effectively. This results in some children becoming upset and staff feeling unsure about how best to help them. Weaknesses such as these mean that some children's welfare and emotional security are not consistently supported. Overall, younger children settle well in the warm and nurturing environment. Babies and toddlers form positive relationships with staff and their peers. For example, they enjoy sharing books and cuddling up to staff, as well as singing songs during individual care routines, such as nappy changing. Children have daily opportunities to play outdoors, supporting their physical health and wellbeing, although some choose to remain indoors due to the lack of stimulating activities. Children are provided with a range of healthy foods. In general, staff support children to learn about healthy lifestyles. Staff gather information about children's dietary requirements and provide healthy food that meets their individual care needs. Staff follow safe-sleeping requirements effectively. They work with parents to ensure that care routines for younger children align between home and the setting. Children are reminded by staff to wash their hands thoroughly before eating. This consistency in care practices helps children feel secure and develop healthy habits from an early age. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention The progressive curriculum that has been newly created by leaders is not yet fully implemented or effectively embedded. Some staff lack the understanding and ambition to deliver the curriculum effectively for all children, particularly for older children, and for babies when outdoors. Leaders, some of whom are new to the setting, have not as yet accurately identified which staff require additional support to fully understand the curriculum and translate it into effective teaching practice. As a result, some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), wander around without clear purpose and do not always engage in meaningful ways. This is particularly evident outdoors, where babies have fewer stimulating experiences beyond using large climbing equipment. Although staff observe and assess children's development, some do not use this information to identify precise next steps for children's learning or build effectively on what children already know and can do. That said, some experienced staff plan language interventions with clear learning intentions for children with SEND, particularly toddlers, and babies benefit from a broad range of meaningful experiences when indoors. The indoor provision for toddlers and babies offers a wide range of activities across the areas of learning, with a particular emphasis on developing communication and language. Staff promote language through singing, modelling key words in context and sharing books. However, some activities lack sufficient purpose and challenge. For example, in the pre- school room, children create paper-plate models of their faces using different resources to represent their features. Staff expect these children, regardless of their ability, to name already familiar facial features that they know well. Staff do not consistently recognise when activities offer limited learning value and do not adapt them to extend individual children's knowledge and skills. As a result, some children have insufficient opportunities to deepen their understanding and make secure progress from their existing starting points. Inclusion Needs attention Leaders responsible for overseeing the assessment of children's needs do not carry this out consistently, to help reduce barriers to learning. They do not robustly monitor the progress of children who face additional barriers to ensure that interactions have a measurable impact. This is particularly evident for older children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, where gaps in learning remain. Leaders have systems for early identification and generally share relevant information with staff through training. However, inconsistencies in staff's knowledge and practice, particularly in the pre-school room, limit the effectiveness of these arrangements. In contrast, toddlers who face barriers to learning, including those at earlier stages of language development, make positive progress because their needs are quickly identified and appropriate interventions are planned, such as 'bucket time'. For instance, toddlers new to the setting smile and giggle in response to the sounds and lights of interesting toys, while those with speech delays, who were initially reluctant to engage, begin to show moments of interest by sitting down with the rest of their group. The setting works with external agencies, including local authority SEND advisers, to gain guidance for children with SEND and those facing other barriers to development. However, this partnership working is not yet having a sufficiently consistent impact on some children's progress, particularly older children with SEND. Referrals are made and external professionals provide advice. However, recommended strategies for older children's individual development plans are not consistently understood or implemented in practice by all staff. Consequently, children do not always benefit from the tailored approaches needed to build effectively on professional advice and make sustained progress. Leadership and governance Needs attention Leaders have not yet precisely identified weaker aspects of provision that need to improve across the setting, including behaviour management and self-regulation strategies for older children, support for older ones who face barriers to their development, and the opportunities for learning outdoors, particularly for babies and pre-school children. Leaders have identified that the previous curriculum was not sufficiently progressive or well sequenced. In response, they have developed a new curriculum with clearer goals, to provide clarity about what children should achieve before moving to the next stage of their learning. However, some improvement processes remain at a very early stage. Although leaders have some oversight of the quality of teaching across the setting, they have not yet begun to establish effective systems to monitor the quality and consistency of staff's implementation of the new curriculum and the impact on children's outcomes. New leaders are committed to driving improvement, and demonstrate the capacity to address the weaknesses identified through inspection. Staff value the consideration given to their wellbeing and individual circumstances by leaders. However, governance and oversight of the provision are not yet sufficiently effective in securing sustained improvements across the setting. Leaders are keen to carry out more purposeful supervision and feedback discussions to identify staff's individual development needs and improve the quality of teaching to a consistently high level. At present, inconsistencies in teaching remain and children do not always experience provision that promotes their best interests consistently well. What it's like to be a child at this setting There are some breaches of the early years foundation stage requirements that affect children's outcomes. Although new leaders have identified some weaknesses in provision, their actions to address them are at the very early stages. As a result, children receive varying levels of quality on their learning journey. Children, including some with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with other barriers to development, are not consistently well supported to participate fully and develop essential skills. Inconsistencies in teaching, behaviour management and routines, together with insufficiently targeted approaches across the setting, are not being addressed securely. Babies and toddlers generally benefit from better teaching and interactions in comparison to older children. Older children do not consistently build on what they know or acquire the skills needed for their next stage of learning. Generally, children enjoy a range of experiences indoors and outdoors. For example, babies enthusiastically wash their dolls with soapy water, carefully cleaning the heads and bodies, while toddlers throw balls through their legs and watch them roll away. Pre-school children construct long trains using carriages and make train sounds as they move them around. However, babies outdoors, and pre-school children both indoors and outdoors, have fewer engaging experiences to explore, broaden and expand their learning across all areas of the curriculum. During free play, they frequently choose to remain indoors, where there are more stimulating activities and greater staff interactions. Outdoors, babies are less motivated to explore, and pre-school children sometimes have disputes about resources not being shared fairly. Children's behaviour is inconsistent across the setting. Some respond appropriately to reminders and begin to follow expectations. However, there are times when children run indoors and leave activities to wander around without a clear purpose. Younger children, particularly babies and toddlers, benefit from more consistent approaches that help them begin to regulate their emotions and understand boundaries. They are supported by caring staff who get down to children's level, offer comfort and respond sensitively when children reassurance. Overall, children's communication and language are promoted well, especially for younger children. Babies hear names of body parts as they play with dolls, while toddlers show amazement and engage positively in language interventions, such as 'bucket time', where they hear key words repeated in context while being shown interesting toys. Children also develop their physical skills through active play. For instance, older children enthusiastically join 'stuck in the mud' games and balance on crates to avoid touching the ground. 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 ensure all staff develop a secure knowledge and understanding of child development and the curriculum, to precisely identify what children need to learn next and adapt teaching effectively 27/11/2026 support staff to develop the quality and consistency of their activities and interactions to effectively promote all children's best interests 27/11/2026 ensure leaders monitor the quality of teaching and carry out regular supervision to ensure that weaknesses in practice are identified promptly and that support leads to sustained improvements in provision 26/11/2026 implement effective key-person systems to ensure all children have a named key person who knows them, their individual needs and how to build secure bonds to support their emotional wellbeing 27/11/2026 ensure staff implement consistent behaviour expectations and boundaries, to help older children know and understand what is expected of them 27/11/2026 Inspector: Sonia Panchal About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2871850 Address: 85 Coronation Square Reading Berkshire RG30 3QP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/11/2025 Registered person: Reading Borough Council Register(s): EYR Action Completion Date ensure effective support is in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and that staff are confident to implement strategies identified to reduce gaps in children's development 27/11/2026 support staff to plan effectively for outdoor provision that reflects a broad curriculum to meet the needs of all children 27/11/2026 About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children, and those with roles, such as the special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding lead, 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Reading Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 17 September 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 38 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. 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