The BCoT Nursery

Piglets Patch gives babies who are not yet mobile their own outdoor space, while an enclosed slide links the nursery’s upper and lower gardens. These are practical details with a clear purpose: children at different stages can explore outside, with space for early movement as well as more adventurous play. The BCoT Nursery sits on the Basingstoke College of Technology campus on Worting Road and welcomes local families alongside parents studying or working at the college.

At its 3 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with the same judgement across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. Today, it has capacity for 64 children, accepting ages from 3 to 59 months. Roos, Piglets, Tiggers and Christopher Robins organise the day around different stages of childhood, rather than treating babies and preschool children as one group.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions make this a practical option for different working and studying patterns. Its strongest physical features are the connected gardens and a shared space where children from different rooms meet, including siblings.

Rooms and Ages

Roos Room takes babies aged 3 to 12 months, with a maximum of 12 children and separate spaces for books, sensory exploration and physical play.

Piglets Room serves children aged 12 to 24 months, also with a maximum of 12, bringing together messy play, construction, pretend play, books and small-world resources. Tiggers Room caters for ages 24 to 36 months, with a maximum of 16 and areas for maths, construction, books, role-play, small-world exploration and messy activities.

Christopher Robins accommodates up to 24 children, divided into Winnie-the-Pooh for ages 36 to 48 months and Wise Owls from 48 months until school starts, with a discovery station and spaces for early writing, maths, books, construction and imaginative play.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS Framework provides the foundation for learning, development and care: children learn through play, conversation, movement and practical exploration. Alongside that framework, the curriculum combines activities chosen by children with experiences led by adults, adapting to their interests and development. This makes room for children’s own ideas as well as planned learning.

Stretch and Grow, a visiting children’s fitness franchise, runs sessions once a week in the shared area. Cooking and language activities also use this space, which contains soft play, a wooden climbing frame and a sensory area.

In May 2022, babies experimented with paint frozen into cubes, toddlers searched for toy dinosaurs in slime, and older children stretched and jumped during exercise activities. Children also helped choose stories and future role-play themes through voting.

There was a teaching limitation in May 2022: staff did not consistently adjust their interactions and resources as children’s needs or interests changed during group activities. The improvement priority was to make those moments more productive for learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Every base room has access to the enclosed outdoor space. Piglets Patch uses a low wooden boundary to separate non-mobile babies from children already moving around. The lower garden combines paving with a central safety surface; bikes, a water run and a traversing wall give children different ways to move, investigate and practise coordination.

Raised beds with herbs and sensory plants sit in the upper garden alongside a digging area, mud kitchen and story circle. Steps and the enclosed slide connect the two levels.

The lending library supplies books, games and story sacks to borrow for shared reading and play at home.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who liaises with their parents or carers and, where needed, the SENDCo and outside professionals. Free settling-in sessions give families an introduction to the nursery before regular attendance begins. Together, these arrangements provide a named staff role for communication and time to become familiar with the setting.

The shared mealtime area has a further practical benefit: siblings can see one another during the nursery day, and children become familiar with staff and children from other rooms before moving up.

Parent information includes newsletters, a notice board and folders covering policies and complaints. A screen displays photographs of children’s activities, while space in reception allows pushchairs to stay at nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENDCo coordinates support for children with special educational needs or disabilities, working with families, practitioners and outside agencies where necessary. The procedures include individual observation and record keeping, consultation before admission, and links with professionals such as therapists, health visitors and Portage workers. The value lies in the mechanism: families can discuss their child’s needs with the people responsible for coordinating provision.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to recognise concerns and act on them, supported by training and recruitment checks. Current arrangements include a secure entrance system and a deputy safeguarding role.

Sessions and Attendance

Care runs Monday to Friday over 50 weeks of the year. Full-time sessions run from 8am to 6pm; the morning option is 8am to 1pm, and the afternoon option is 1pm to 6pm. The choice between a whole day and either shorter session matters for families fitting childcare around a course timetable, work or other caring responsibilities.

Closures cover two weeks at Christmas, bank holidays and an annual staff training day, usually in July. Applications can be made through the nursery’s contact page, and enquiries go to 01256 306213. The admissions policy gives priority to parents studying or working at the college and those on the waiting list; it also considers siblings and circumstances affecting family welfare.

Getting There

The address is Basingstoke College of Technology, Worting Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 8TN. The nursery is a ten minute walk from Basingstoke railway station, with a bus stop outside the college entrance on Worting Road.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for the nine-month working-families entitlement in the term after children turn nine months, criteria-based two-year-old funding, universal funding for three- and four-year-olds in the term after their third birthday, and the criteria-based supplementary extended offer for that older age group. Participation in these schemes does not establish an individual family’s eligibility.

Other accepted routes include Care to Learn for parents under 20 studying at college, criteria-based BCoT funding for parents aged 20 and over currently studying at the college, childcare vouchers and an HMRC tax-free childcare account. These funding routes support parents studying at the college, while families from the wider community can also use the nursery.

Breakfast, a morning snack and lunch are included in the morning session; the afternoon session includes a snack and tea. HungryMoose Catering supplies hot lunches and teas delivered to the college five days a week, with arrangements for dietary requirements.

Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Teaching during group activities. The May 2022 improvement priority concerned adapting interactions and resources as children’s needs changed. During a tour, ask how practitioners now adjust a group activity for children at different stages.
• College priority. Parents studying or working at the college, together with waiting-list applicants, receive admissions priority. Local families are also welcomed, but this priority is relevant when planning an application.
• Holiday cover. Two weeks of Christmas closure, bank holidays and an annual training day sit within the year-round pattern. Families needing continuous weekday care should account for those breaks.
• Funded attendance costs. The nursery accepts several funded entitlements and includes food within its session descriptions. Before agreeing a funded booking, ask how the entitlement is scheduled and how meals and non-food consumables are treated in the written quotation.

The BCoT Nursery suits families choosing morning or afternoon care as well as those needing a full day, with an especially practical connection for parents studying or working at the college. The room structure, baby outdoor area, connected gardens and weekly fitness sessions give its daily offer substance.

The balance is clear: a Good judgement from May 2022, concrete current facilities and attendance choices, and a dated improvement priority concerning responsive teaching. For parents, the decision turns on the fit of the rooms and sessions, the admissions priorities and how staff adapt learning for their own child.