Fennies Walton, Tennis Close

A garden stage, a den and a mud kitchen give Fennies Walton, Tennis Close a clear character: there is space for make-believe as well as movement. Every room connects directly to the garden, making outdoor play part of the room layout rather than a separate destination. Inside, an art studio and cooking studio extend the choice of spaces.

The nursery at 1 Tennis Close, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 1FN accepts children aged 3–60 months and has 103 places in total. At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children needing additional help received targeted support through staff working with the special educational needs coordinator and other professionals.

That judgement has two practical qualifications: activities did not always match individual learning needs, and younger babies needed more opportunities to climb. Standard days and a separately charged Early Start serve different working routines.

Rooms and Ages

Explorers covers 3–18 months, Discoverers covers 18–24 months, and Inventors is for children aged 3+ years. Discoverers has a bright room for exploration, while Inventors provides activities intended to develop skills. These are stages within a larger nursery, rather than measures of how many children share a room.

The baby space uses furniture and soft dividers to make separate activity areas, allowing staff to work with smaller groups within the room. That layout matters more than the impression of a large open space: it gives practitioners a way to separate activities while keeping them within the same room.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play and exploration, including children's communication, physical development and growing independence. Alongside that shared early-years framework, the nursery emphasises STEM, Art and PE, with activities shaped around children's abilities and interests. The art studio and cooking studio provide specific spaces to support practical experiences.

In November 2022, learning took several concrete forms. A Spanish teacher introduced simple vocabulary through play, while story sacks gave children props for making up stories. When children became interested in a spider's web, staff supplied materials so they could create one themselves. The useful thread was responsiveness: an interest could become something to discuss, make and investigate.

Activities were not consistently pitched well, however. In November 2022, some tasks proved too difficult for babies, who soon disengaged. The improvement required was closer evaluation of how staff put plans into practice, so that activities addressed each child's learning needs. An ambitious activity is useful only if the child can take part.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden includes the Fennies Stage for imaginative performance, alongside the den and mud kitchen. Direct garden access from every room gives children a route between indoor activities and outdoor exploration. A separate baby garden adds another outdoor space for the youngest children.

In November 2022, older children practised steering bicycles and used broad brushes and rollers for painting, combining larger movements with work on hand strength. Younger babies had fewer chances to practise climbing. That distinction is important: outdoor access alone does not explain how physical activity is adapted for each age.

Relationships and Communication

Personalised settling sessions use a gradual introduction plan developed with parents. This makes the beginning of nursery a planned transition, with routines built around the child rather than a single abrupt start. Each baby has a key person, giving families a particular practitioner linked to their child's care.

In November 2022, key people offered comfort when children were distressed or unfamiliar with nursery. Staff also talked with parents about learning and development. These were practical relationships, involving both emotional reassurance for children and advice that parents could use at home.

Current staff development includes induction, paediatric first aid training, individual coaching and training linked to staff roles. These are arrangements for preparing and supporting the team; the dated inspection judgement remains the basis for assessing their effectiveness.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Personalised support plans are developed with parents, carers and external professionals for children with special educational needs and disabilities. This gives support a concrete mechanism: the child's needs can be discussed across home, nursery and professional services, then translated into an individual plan.

In November 2022, staff used photographs and simple signs to support speech and language. Older children also practised calming their breathing with a breath box, using lemons and bubbles as prompts. These examples show how communication and emotional regulation were made tangible for children, rather than treated only as instructions to listen or calm down.

Food is prepared by an on-site chef, with breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks and drinks included in standard fees. Nappies, wipes, suncream and personal-care consumables are included too; funded attendance has a separate supplement arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

The standard day runs from 7.45am to 6pm. Early Start adds care from 7am to 7.45am for a separate charge, so the earlier start is an addition to the ordinary day. Care operates Monday to Friday across the year, with closures for bank holidays and the Christmas period.

Invoices are issued before the following month, and payment is due before its first day. Annual fee increases are calculated in July and applied to September invoices. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their chosen attendance and any Early Start sessions.

Getting There

The address is 1 Tennis Close, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 1FN. An on-site car park serves collection and drop-off, and a buggy shed gives families somewhere to leave a pushchair.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including the 15 and 30 hours free childcare for working families. Private childcare is also offered. Funding reduces the childcare element of the bill, while food and consumables have voluntary supplements that are included within the quoted funded fees.

Families wishing to decline those supplements and supply their own items arrange a meeting with the nursery manager about the relevant policies. The distinction matters when comparing quotations: meals and personal-care items are included in standard fees, but charged separately within the funded arrangement.

A deposit is deducted from the first month's fees. The registration charge is non-refundable, with an exemption for children attending a funded-only placement. Joining the waiting list is free, and enquiries can be made by telephone or through the visit form.

• Baby movement. In November 2022, younger babies needed more climbing opportunities. On a visit, ask to see how the baby room and baby garden now support that movement.
• Activities at the right level. The November 2022 improvement point concerned matching planned activities to individual learning needs. Ask how practitioners adjust a task when a baby loses interest or finds it too difficult.
• Funding supplements. Food and consumables attract voluntary supplements for funded attendance, with a route to supplying your own items. Discuss how that option would work alongside your child's meals and care routines before agreeing the quotation.

Fennies Walton suits families looking for a standard nursery day or an earlier start, with garden access and separate creative spaces carrying much of its appeal. The settling plan and individual support plans give care a practical structure. Its Good judgement dates to November 2022, and the two improvement points make baby movement and suitably pitched activities useful priorities for a visit.