The Pheasant Nest

The Pheasant Nest
Unique reference number (URN): 2871006
Address: Manor Farm, Newton Stacey, STOCKBRIDGE, SO20 6BP
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 24/12/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Eggnest Childcare Ltd
Inspection report: 15 May 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.

Exceptional
Strong standard
Inclusion Exceptional
Highly effective leaders and staff put the children and families at the heart of everything they
do. Before the children start at the nursery, parents receive a comprehensive telephone call
to discuss their individual circumstances. This helps to ensure that the experienced staff
consistently meet children's needs from the beginning.
All children, including those facing barriers to their learning making incredible progress from
their starting points and thrive in this inclusive nurturing nursery. Leaders and highly
qualified, experienced staff have the same high expectations. Children make tremendous
progress at the nursery, from having no language or not eating on arrival, to becoming fully
conversational and sitting with their friends for mealtimes. Staff have weekly discussions
about children's individual progress. This helps to ensure children continue to receive the
support they need at the right time. Leaders and staff go above and beyond to meet the
needs of the children and are passionate about consistently providing all children with the
best opportunities to always make the most progress.
Leaders ensure they operate with higher than statutory ratios every day, employing extra
staff at every session. This gives children the time to develop the skills they need in an
inclusive stimulating environment. Staff know all the children and recognise their
uniqueness. They operate sessions at a slow pace to ensure every child has the time, space
and opportunity to fulfil their needs.
Achievement Strong standard
All children including those facing barriers to their learning make excellent progress from
their starting points across every area of learning. Children demonstrate exemplary
communication and language skills. For example, they talk about seeing their reflections in
the mirrors and making lasers with the magnetic shapes. They are inquisitive and show
curiosity in their play. Their imaginations take them on journeys using the tree trunks as cars
and the grass and buttercups as food. Children show high levels of concentration as they
play. They demonstrate perseverance and confidence as they balance on the planks and
climb in and out of the hammock. Children consistently show a pride in their achievements
from cutting fruit, through to creating towers with building blocks. Children have the essential
age and stage appropriate knowledge and skills for their future success. They are incredibly
well prepared for the next stage in their education.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Inspirational leaders and staff create an incredible inclusive environment where children feel
safe and secure. Regular attendance is embedded from the very beginning of the children's

journey at the nursery. Leaders and staff have extremely high expectations and children rise
to the challenge and behave impeccably. There is a fluidity to the routines which ensures
children continually have their needs met. For example, if children are engrossed in an
activity, such as watching the tractors, staff will take the snack to them and not disturb their
concentration and enjoyment. Children know the routines incredibly well and when the cow
bell rings, they make their way across the field to the cabin for food. Staff involve children in
routine tasks, such as helping to lay the beds out under the large canopy ready for sleep.
Independence is embedded at every opportunity. When children arrive, they are familiar with
self-registration. They find their magnetic pictures attached to their own personal towels and
fix these to the metal cabin wall. These are accessible and used throughout the day. For
example, children select their own towels after washing their hands before meals and after
using the toilet. Staff praise the children's achievements which consistently helps to develop
their self-esteem.
Children consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and develop secure
friendships with other children. Highly qualified and experienced staff know the children
extremely well and offer reassuring cuddles to new starters and demonstrate their
knowledge of the children's needs and interests. They use this information to ensure they
provide highly impactful experiences to aid the children's development.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Exceptional leaders find out all about the children and their families before induction into the
nursery. This helps to ensure the highly qualified staff know and can build on children's
emotional wellbeing from their first day. Staff form secure and responsive attachments with
all babies and children. They consistently support children to develop an understanding of
their physical skills by providing a range of opportunities to increase their core strength.
Routines are incredibly effective and consistently support and develop individual needs.
Older children competently cut the fruit to share with all their friends, younger children and
babies. They confidently talk about using 'the bridge'. This is a technique where the hand is
placed over the food so the knife can pass safely underneath to cut items, and a 'claw grip'
to increase fine motor control as they work. Children spontaneously count the pieces of fruit,
with no prompts from staff, demonstrating their secure knowledge of early counting skills. At
mealtimes children can help themselves to as much, or as little food, as they would like,
which ensures no one goes hungry. Children expertly pour drinks for their friends, which
further helps to develop their excellent physical skills.
Children understand when it is time for sleep and gather their comforters. They head across
the field to their beds laid out under the canopy. Children independently remove their shoes
and snuggle up under their covers and fall asleep listening to the sounds of the birds.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders ensure quality of the curriculum and teaching is incredible through consistent
monitoring and oversight. The qualified staff weave mathematical language and new
vocabulary into every opportunity, from snack time to story time. Questioning techniques are
consistently thought provoking. Experienced staff show a genuine interest in the responses

that children give and extend their learning further still with expert probing. For example,
children talk confidently about Vitamin D being in the fruit they have at snack time and staff
encourage the discussion, questioning their knowledge and imparting further information
about other vitamins that are present in the fruit children eat.
Children develop a love of books from an early age and regular group story telling is
integral. Children also have individual time to look at books after lunch and whilst waiting for
the shuttle bus at the end of the day. Story time is a great learning experience. Skilled staff
introduce new vocabulary to the children such as 'whoosh' and then explain that the word is
an 'onomatopoeia'. During another story, children talk about the animals. They share that
they know that the lion is a mummy and when questioned as to why they think that is so,
they respond because it is asleep. This leads onto further discussions about the other
animals and gender. Staff instinctively know when to step in to support children's learning
further and when to stand back and observe, allowing the children to develop their own
curiosity and wonder.
Children's natural curiosity and inquisitiveness is clear throughout the nursery. This is
evident from babies experimenting with bottles in the water play, to older children discussing
the robin that flew into the cabin. Children confidently speak about how it must be scared
seeing the children watching it. Staff expertly extend children's learning, talking about the
habitat for birds, encouraging the children to think about where they live.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are inspirational and extremely committed to making a difference not only to the
children in the nursery, but also in the wider community, opening their inclusive provision to
other early years providers. They have a clear vision for further development and a want
more children and families to benefit from their nurturing inclusive environment.
Experienced leaders know what they want from their staff team to help them continue to fulfil
their vision. They recruit and appoint the most qualified and knowledgeable staff, with many
having teacher status. This helps to ensure that they provide the best opportunities they can
for all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. Staff comment that their
wellbeing is good and their workloads manageable. They enjoy working outside and value
the support and opportunities they have for further professional development training to
ensure their knowledge remains current.
Parents are extremely complimentary and talk about the transformation they have seen in
their children since they started at the nursery. Committed leaders build on children's
knowledge and understanding by creating real family-like experiences, including outings to
the local 'Pumpkin Patch', visits to the Christmas lights and the local garden centre. Parents
value the opportunities children are given to explore, socialise and learn in meaningful and
memorable ways.
Reception teachers of the schools children transition to comment on how the children have
developed strong characteristics of effective learning and a high level of mathematical
understanding. They also share that the children have positive 'can-do' attitudes towards
phonics and problem-solving skills.

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 highly inclusive, awe-inspiring nursery. They arrive happily and
separate from their parents with ease. Children receive a warm welcome from the friendly
staff who find out how they are feeling. Some children arrive with staff on the shuttle bus.
They calmly disembark and join their friends in the outdoor play space following their self-
registration.

Inspector:
From the moment they arrive, children immerse in purposeful learning. Leaders have
created and designed an outside play space that captures the imagination. It provides
endless opportunities for spontaneous learning and development. Children spend most of
their time outside in the open space that nurtures and encourages children's social skills and
independence.
Siblings can play alongside each other in this family orientated nursery, and older children
often pay a visit to the baby garden. Communication skills are extremely well promoted and
children play incredibly well together. They support each other, building constructions with
the wooden bricks and make suggestions as to how they can ensure the structure does not
fall. Experienced staff skilfully question on what they can do if their creation falls down.
Children confidently reply, 'rebuild it' showing a knowledge and perseverance of how to
achieve their aim. Older children are kind and considerate and offer support to the younger
children. All children including those who face barriers to their learning make tremendous
progress from their starting points. Some children have minimal communication when they
start and now talk confidently using sentences and demonstrate a wide vocabulary.
Leaders and staff place the children at the centre of everything they do. They explain to
parents the importance of children's regular attendance and punctuality when the children
start at the nursery.
Children demonstrate great confidence and independence. For example, children sensitively
collect the eggs from the chicken coop and carry them into the cabin. They carefully place
the eggs in the container and demonstrate their knowledge of one-to-one correspondence, a
foundational early maths skill, as they count the eggs.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the nursery's successful work to
remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on
all children's achievement and wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the nominated individual, leaders, staff 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.

Lindsay Osman
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2871006
Address:
Manor Farm
Newton Stacey
STOCKBRIDGE
SO20 6BP
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 24/12/2025
Registered person: Eggnest Childcare Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00
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 15 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 8
Total number of places
28

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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