Dottie Tots Nursery School, Kingsley

A field beside the nursery, lambs in neighbouring farmland and bushcraft with The Green Room School give Dottie Tots Kingsley a countryside identity with substance. Outdoor space is part of the everyday arrangement: children can move into the garden throughout the day, whatever the weather. This is a setting for families who value digging, climbing and practical experiences alongside indoor learning.

At its 6 May 2025 inspection, Ofsted graded the nursery Good, recognising an interest-led education while identifying mathematics and consistency in staff interactions as areas to improve. Those qualifications matter alongside the appealing outdoor offer. The strongest case here rests on concrete experiences, rather than a curriculum label.

Based in the Kingsley Centre in Bordon, the nursery accepts children from 3 months. Full-time attendance and booking by the hour serve different family routines; the practical detail belongs below.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means everyday play also develops communication, physical skills and relationships, rather than treating learning as a separate lesson. In May 2025, activities were shaped around children's interests and their next steps, with independence woven into ordinary tasks.

Babies practised using spoons, while older children cut fruit with safety knives. These are modest tasks with a clear purpose: children take a more active part in looking after themselves. Staff remained nearby to help them attempt things for themselves.

Weekly phonics sessions add a current, specific learning opportunity. Interactive activities develop listening and attention, alongside fine movements and hand strength for early writing. Weekly yoga introduces children to their bodies and emotions through movement and mindfulness. These additions give families something tangible to weigh alongside the everyday play programme.

In May 2025, a sunflower story led into sowing seeds and following their growth. Staff explained roots and introduced plant vocabulary, connecting a book with something children could tend and observe. Mathematics was less consistently developed: water play did not always lead to further discussion about capacity. Practical activity alone was not enough; the next step was to make the mathematical ideas within it clearer.

Outdoor and Community Life

The secure field beside the nursery provides space for climbing, digging and play. Farmland and trees surround the setting, and a relationship with a neighbouring farmer has enabled children to bottle-feed lambs. That is a concrete encounter with animal care, rather than simply a rural backdrop.

The nursery collaborates with The Green Room School, whose volunteers read with children and introduce bushcraft. Children also visit the school for forest school-inspired sessions, meaning outdoor experiences here include practical activity and encounters with farm animals and reptiles. These visits are learning experiences, not a promise of onward admission.

Within the Kingsley Centre, the nursery shares its wider surroundings with the Kingsley Organisation, which supports disabled adults, as well as a grocery shop, Post Office and café. In May 2025, community participation also included sponsored walks raising money for a local charity. The setting's community connections extend beyond its own garden.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2025, settling was tailored to individual children and supported by a key person. Staff gathered information about children's interests, abilities and needs, then used it to plan activities. For a family introducing a baby or a child who needs time to settle, the important mechanism is that personal knowledge informs the day.

Communication then included daily conversations, an online app and parents evenings. A lending library let children choose books to take home, giving parents a simple way to continue shared reading. These were practical links between nursery and home, rather than communication confined to formal progress updates.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support responsive, with staff working alongside other professionals and using additional funding for resources and activities. That is a dated judgement, not a guarantee about every child's experience today.

Current arrangements include a manager who holds the Special Educational Needs Coordinator role, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead. These roles give families identifiable responsibilities to discuss when planning support. In May 2025, babies received comforting contact, older children sought help from staff, and sand timers helped children manage sharing and turn-taking.

Kingsley's vegetarian hot meal is served at teatime. For children staying later, that places a hot meal towards the end of their nursery day; food for funded-only attendance is an optional separate purchase, with families able to bring their own instead.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full-time attendance, sessions and hourly booking are offered, so the opening window should not be mistaken for a single compulsory attendance pattern. Hourly booking gives families another arrangement to consider alongside full-time care.

The Kingsley Centre address is Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9ND. The telephone number is 023 8251 3285, and a Kingsley enquiry form and visit-booking route are available. The inspection address identifies the same centre and postcode on Forge Road.

Funding and Paid Extras

In May 2025, the nursery accepted early education funding for eligible children. For Kingsley's funded-only food provision, hot tea and snacks are purchased separately if families choose nursery food; bringing food from home is an alternative, subject to the Food and Drink Policy. This distinction matters when comparing childcare arrangements: funded care and food provision are separate choices.

• Mathematics and staff development. The May 2025 improvement points concerned extending mathematical learning and helping staff achieve more consistent interactions. At a visit, ask how coaching and everyday mathematical conversations have changed.
• Outdoor participation. Garden access in different weather, field play and visits involving animals are central to Kingsley's offer. Discuss how these experiences are adapted to your child's mobility, confidence or support needs.
• Attendance and food. Full-time and hourly booking suit different routines, while Kingsley's hot meal comes at teatime. Ask how your preferred attendance pattern fits meals and the written quotation for your child's care.

Dottie Tots Kingsley suits families seeking either full-time attendance or booking your place by the hour, especially those who want outdoor activity and practical learning to feature prominently. The secure field, weekly phonics and yoga, and collaboration with The Green Room School make that proposition concrete.

The May 2025 judgement provides a positive assessment with clear limits: mathematical learning and consistency of interactions needed further attention. Families should weigh those improvement points alongside the countryside experiences and the individual settling arrangements. The appeal is specific, and so are the questions to take to a visit.