Old Basing Village Nursery School

A tree with a bell to reach and ladybirds to investigate gave learning a concrete shape in July 2021, when Ofsted rated Old Basing Village Nursery School Outstanding. The setting operates at Village Hall in Old Basing, Basingstoke, and accepts children aged 24 to 60 months.

The strongest thread in that inspection-era account is the connection between exploration and learning: children climbed, studied wildlife and used writing for a practical purpose. These examples give parents a clear picture of the experiences behind the grade.

In July 2021, the early years foundation stage took shape through writing, physical challenges and discovering the natural world. Older children put their names on a board to wait for a ladybird-making activity, while staff used their writing to discuss letters and sounds. Writing had an immediate purpose children could understand.

In July 2021, staff planned across all areas of learning and adjusted activities to what individual children needed next. Children sustained their attention and continued trying when tasks became harder. That gives the writing example a wider context: the activity involved taking a turn, making something and discussing the marks children made. For a parent interested in preparation for later learning, the useful detail is how those skills were practised together.

Staff also used observations and assessments to plan learning as activities unfolded in July 2021. Their knowledge of children's interests and ways of learning helped them choose opportunities to extend an activity. The practical value lay in responding to the child taking part: planning could draw on what staff knew about that child and what happened during play.

Garden spaces brought another kind of challenge. In July 2021, younger children worked out their footing as they climbed a tree to reach a bell, with staff supervising and encouraging them. Children also went pond dipping and searched for minibeasts; when drawing ladybirds, they remembered and described parts of their anatomy. Exploration connected with remembering and describing.

Diwali and Eid featured in July 2021 celebrations that introduced differences between people and their traditions. Older children shared food and discussed clothing, including saris. These were concrete opportunities to talk about other people's experiences.

At the July 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and assessed support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities positively, with teaching adapted to individual needs and children making excellent progress.

In July 2021, staff knew children's interests and next learning steps, using that knowledge to shape activities. Children formed close friendships and showed consideration for each other. For parents, those examples connect individual attention with the social experience of being part of a group.

Relationships with adults were also a strength of the July 2021 account. Children were happy in staff company and had developed meaningful bonds with them. Alongside friendships between children, that offers a picture of care built through familiar relationships. The detail matters for families weighing the emotional side of a nursery day as well as its learning activities.

Support for practitioners formed part of that July 2021 picture, too. Staff received coaching and supervision, while the manager took responsibility for their wellbeing. The team reflected on its practice and worked together on planning. For families, this adds context to the individual attention described above: it involved adults sharing responsibility for the children's experiences and reviewing how they taught. The garden was one concrete example of that reflection, with staff considering how its spaces could help children develop physical skills.

The address is Village Hall, The Street, Old Basing, Basingstoke, RG24 7DA. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays. Families need childcare arrangements that fit that calendar.

In July 2021, session times ran from 8.15am to 3pm, and the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Those funding arrangements belong to that period.

• Term-time calendar. The nursery closes during school holidays. This matters for families whose working pattern continues throughout the year.
• Garden challenges. In July 2021, younger children climbed a tree under staff supervision. At a visit, how are garden challenges adapted for a child joining at 24 months?

For families seeking term-time childcare within a 9am to 3pm opening window, Old Basing Village Nursery School offers a practical fit. Its July 2021 learning examples are memorable: purposeful writing, wildlife investigation and supervised climbing. The dated Outstanding judgement provides the quality context; the term-time calendar supplies the clearest everyday consideration.