URN EY479543 · Inspected 2026-01-20 · Published 2026-03-17 · Inspector: Natasha Jarvis
Farley Sparsholt Outdoor Nursery School Unique reference number (URN): EY479543 Address: Garstons Track, Westley Lane, Sparsholt, Winchester, Hants, SO21 2NB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/09/2014 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Farley Nursery School Limited Inspection report: 20 January 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 Achievement Strong standard Children are remarkably resilient and confident. This helps prepare children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, for their next stage of learning, such as school. Children strengthen their physical skills as they take on challenges such as obstacle courses, which encourage them to balance and climb. Children develop secure friendships with their peers and practitioners. This helps their personal, social and emotional development as they learn how to work collaboratively together. Children are very independent as they learn to put on and take off their many layers of clothing. They also learn independence skills through their everyday routines, such as pouring their own milk and self-serving lunch. Children learn a wide range of new vocabulary throughout their day. For example, children learn about reflective and matt surfaces as they explore different objects. Children learn mathematical skills through their play. For example, they learn about problem-solving and shape, space, and measure as they learn to navigate the outdoor space. Children are able to clearly identify numbers and relate these to concepts, such as age. For example, they work out which number symbolises their age and which number symbolises the practitioner's age. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders take swift action to reduce barriers children face to their learning. Practitioners are confident in assessing the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and in how to plan to meet their needs. They regularly review their approach and make changes as needed to ensure any gaps in children's development start to close. Children who face barriers to learning make rapid progress from their starting points, and their progress is clear for all to see. Practitioners ensure they celebrate all achievements with children and make sure each child feels valued. Leaders and practitioners work closely with families and other agencies to ensure children are receiving the support they need. They are swift in making referrals to these agencies, such as speech and language therapists, as needed. Leaders understand the impact that additional funding can have for children who face barriers to learning. They demonstrate how they would use additional funding well to meet the needs of individual children. This would be decided after a period of assessing and planning for their development to ensure they have closely identified where the additional support is needed. For example, they would use it to fund specific training or resources that would encourage children to build strength in their motor skills. Expected standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard There is a positive environment for children, with consistent expectations for behaviour across the nursery that are age and stage appropriate. Practitioners consider each individual's needs and whether adaptations around expectations are needed. These are then quickly implemented to ensure the needs of all children are met. Children behave well and have secure relationships with their peers and with practitioners. Children collaborate and play well with each other. For example, they work together to build a den and giggle in delight as they sit underneath it. There is a clear culture of friendship and kindness with very few minor conflicts, such as over a toy, between children. They support one another from a young age, for example holding each other's hand to help them balance on the obstacle course. Leaders understand the importance of punctuality and attendance. They regularly promote this to parents and follow up promptly with parents when children are absent and leaders are not aware why. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard There are secure attachments between children and their key person. For example, children beam in delight when they see them and race over for a hug before leading them away to play. Children develop a strong understanding of personal safety and their physical capabilities as they take appropriate risks in the environment. For example, children check whether it is safe to jump from the crates before excitedly jumping from the top. Children take risks and challenge themselves as they happily play outside. Practitioners support children as they develop their understanding of risk and safety as well as their own capabilities. They encourage children to make the judgements for themselves and promote a 'can-do' attitude. Practitioners develop children's resilience and ability to persevere by ensuring the environment provides the appropriate challenge. For example, children problem-solve how to get water for their creations in the mud kitchen, and then they skilfully carry the water across the uneven ground in ladles. They beam in delight at their success. Practitioners support children as they learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Children have a secure sense of their emotional wellbeing. Routines support children's individual needs. For example, babies take their naps when they need to, and the routine is adapted to meet this need. However, routines and transitions are not yet consistently precise across the nursery. For example, on some occasions, some children become restless as they transition into group activities or mealtimes. This impacts the quality of teaching children receive from some practitioners. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have been in post a very short time; however, they have a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. For example, at times, not all staff are consistently strong in their understanding of the curriculum and using this to extend and challenge children's learning further. This is something that leaders have already recognised and have devised plans to develop further. The curriculum is ambitious and ensures children receive teaching across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Practitioners support children's language development purposefully. They are continuously introducing new vocabulary and modelling how to pronounce words and use them in sentences. Practitioners teach children mathematics throughout the day. They count objects with children and extend their learning by providing further challenge. For example, practitioners encourage children to think about and develop their addition skills as they work out how many more penguins they need. As the nursery is an outdoor nursery, there is a key focus on children's physical development. As well as developing their gross motor skills as they climb, jump and explore, practitioners also strengthen children's fine motor skills as they learn to use objects such as pipettes in the water. Leaders ensure any adaptations needed for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are in place, with a particular focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, they ensure that favourite activities are set up ready to help children feel safe and secure in the environment. This helps children separate easily from their parents and carers as they enter the nursery. Practitioners use assessment well to ensure children are making progress from their starting points towards their next steps. They use this information to plan activities and tailor the provision to individual children. Leadership and governance Expected standard There are new leaders in post since the last inspection, including the manager who started very recently. Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and have already started to implement actions for areas identified for improvement, such as further developing the routines for the youngest children. Leaders ensure the decisions they make impact positively on the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to learning. Leaders ensure that practitioners' wellbeing is a high priority and provide practitioners with opportunities to give feedback to leaders and to work together to solve the concerns raised, such as staff workload. This means that staff workload is now more manageable, and leaders continue to reduce workload further. For example, they have prioritised the recruitment of staff. Practitioners have access to professional development through in-house training, as well as being supported to further develop their knowledge through completing their early years qualifications. This training helps to enhance the quality of teaching and children's learning and development. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive at this nursery. They demonstrate resilience and confidence as they eagerly explore the nursery. Children happily spend the majority of their time at this nursery outdoors. They excitedly jump in and out of the muddy patches. Practitioners model language such as 'sticky' and 'slippery' as they play in the mud. Children develop their imagination as they role play in the mud kitchen and proudly share their creations, such as the 'cake' they make. Inspector: Natasha Jarvis About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY479543 Address: Garstons Track, Westley Lane Children learn about the world around them. For example, they eagerly build a wormery in the garden as they learn about worms and how they live. Children also learn about how things grow with their own allotment. They take part in the full cycle of growing vegetables, planting the seeds, tending to them and then picking them ready for use at lunchtime. Children make secure progress from their starting points, including children who face barriers to their learning. They are well prepared for their next stage of learning. For example, babies transition seamlessly into the toddler group at the nursery. All children build positive relationships with their peers and with practitioners. For example, children beam in delight and actively seek out their key person when they arrive at the nursery. Children play collaboratively. For example, they set up a ball run together, using different resources, and then race objects down it. Practitioners develop children's love of reading, and children engage frequently with books. Practitioners extend children's literacy learning further as they encourage them to think about who writes books and who might have written their current favourite. Next steps Leaders should further develop staff knowledge and understanding of the curriculum to enable all staff to extend children's learning further. Leaders should strengthen routines and transitions to enhance teaching and learning. About this inspection Since the last inspection, there are new leaders in post. The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, practitioners 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 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. Sparsholt Winchester Hants SO21 2NB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 05/09/2014 Registered person: Farley Nursery School Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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 20 January 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 76 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. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted © Crown copyright 2026 © Crown copyright