Blackmoor Badgers

Water painting in the garden and towers turned into counting games give Blackmoor Badgers its character in the June 2023 account: practical play with a clear learning purpose. Based at Blackmoor Village Hall, Honey Lane, Blackmoor, Liss, GU33 6BU, it has capacity for 10 children aged 24 to 60 months.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found that children made good progress, including those receiving additional funding. That judgement belongs to the inspection date; the examples below describe life at that time.

In June 2023, learning moved between construction, drawing and outdoor activity. Children compared towers, counted building cubes and matched quantities to number cards. Mathematical ideas grew out of something they already wanted to do.

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the June 2023 activities illustrate how play supported those foundations: water painting developed broad arm movements, while drawing insects gave children practice controlling pens and recognising shapes associated with letters in their names.

Outside, the garden offered slopes and space for digging, running and climbing. In June 2023, children also carried containers of water carefully, combining movement with concentration. An uneven distribution of lunch plates became a problem for children to solve together. These were everyday tasks with something to learn from them.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised the support for children's communication, with staff adapting their language and questions to individual learning needs. Conversations accompanied play, giving children opportunities to try vocabulary rather than only listen.

In June 2023, discussions about children's lunches, preferences and differences helped them express what mattered to them. Parents received progress updates and newsletters, and staff worked with local schools on transition. This connected children's experiences at the setting with home and their next stage.

There were also weaknesses to address in June 2023. Staff sometimes intervened too late in emerging disagreements, leaving conflicts to take longer to settle. During handwashing, shared water was not consistently used as an opportunity to explain cross-contamination. The improvement priorities were clearer explanations of hygiene and more practice with turn-taking and recognising feelings.

Blackmoor Badgers operates during term time and closes for school holidays. Its village-hall address places the setting in Blackmoor, Liss.

In June 2023, session times were 9am to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9am to 2.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday. At that time, the setting received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. These are dated attendance and funding arrangements.

• Hygiene learning. In June 2023, children followed handwashing routines, but explanations of cross-contamination were inconsistent. Understanding why hygiene matters was an improvement priority.
• Handling disagreements. June 2023 practice needed earlier responses to potential conflict and more opportunities to use turn-taking skills. This matters for children learning to share play and express frustration.
• Planning attendance. Term-time operation means school holidays sit outside the attendance calendar. At a visit, how would the session choices and funded attendance fit your family's week?

Blackmoor Badgers suits families seeking term-time care in a setting with capacity for 10 children. Its June 2023 strengths lay in using ordinary play, conversation and practical problems as learning opportunities. The Good judgement gives a dated assessment of quality, balanced by specific improvement priorities around hygiene understanding and managing disagreements.