The Old School House Cabot Lane

In November 2024, foam-brick houses, experiments with floating objects and books shared with babies gave The Old School House Cabot Lane a recognisable character: children had opportunities to test ideas and talk about what they discovered. At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective.

The Poole setting has capacity for 48 children, with an age range of 3 to 60 months. Its strongest inspection examples connect practical play with language: building a house became an opportunity to remember how addresses work, rather than simply stacking bricks.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and everyday experiences into their education. In November 2024, activities encouraged children to make predictions and try them out: they tested objects in water, then extended the experiment by mixing in glitter. That gave their questions a practical outlet.

Books provided another route into conversation that November. Babies explored pictures alongside staff, while older children discussed stories and anticipated what might happen next. The emphasis was on understanding and talking about a story, as well as listening to it.

House-building combined cooperation with problem-solving. In November 2024, children repaired a foam-brick structure and added details connected to their earlier learning about addresses. An imaginative task became a chance to apply knowledge.

In November 2024, staff explained their actions to children and responded gently to their worries. One small example captures this approach: babies were shown paint on their faces in a mirror before staff helped clean it away. Care routines included communication with the child.

Independence also featured that November. Children helped tidy resources and received individual assistance while serving their own hot food. Parents received updates about learning and were offered books to read with their children at home, extending a familiar nursery activity into family life.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that learning targets for some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) lacked sufficient precision, limiting the effectiveness of support and the speed of progress. More exact assessment-led planning was the required improvement.

The address is Cabot Lane Day Nursery, Unit 2, Albany Park, Cabot Lane, Poole, BH17 7BX. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; the nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas.

In November 2024, the setting offered government-funded places. This is an inspection-time statement about participation in funded childcare.

• Support with precise goals. The November 2024 improvement concerned the detail of learning targets, especially for children with SEND. Families needing additional support should ask how individual targets are chosen and reviewed.
• Planning attendance. The weekday opening window runs from 8am to 6pm, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. At a visit, ask which booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements fit your family's routine.

This nursery suits families who value conversation, books and practical exploration, with weekday opening hours that can accommodate working routines. The November 2024 examples give substance to that appeal: children experimented, built together and practised independence. Families seeking SEND support have a clear decision point in how precisely the nursery now plans and reviews each child's learning.