Home From Home Nursery & Pre-School, Walton-on-Thames

Feeding carrots to a pony and learning to serve their own food gave children practical experiences beyond adult-led activities in December 2024. Home From Home Nursery & Pre-School, Walton-on-Thames accepts children aged 6 to 60 months. At its 2 December 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and described ambitious learning plans for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

In December 2024, learning followed children's interests and their next developmental steps. Staff used observations of play to shape activities. The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the inspection-time examples included language, counting and practical independence through play.

Large dominoes and pom-poms made number recognition something children could handle. Adding and removing paper clips introduced calculation, while cutting ribbons gave children a task that required persistence. Safety conversations accompanied the scissors. These were small activities with clear purposes.

Books also had a physical place in the day: babies chose board books in a cosy area and practised turning pages. Outdoors, children had regular opportunities to explore the local community, including feeding the pony. Imaginary aeroplane journeys prompted conversations about travel and passengers, giving children material for storytelling.

In December 2024, children formed bonds with their key person and other staff. When children were upset, adults comforted them and allowed time before they resumed playing. Snack preparation and serving food developed independence through a sequence beginning with the youngest children.

Staff explained the consequences of children's choices and praised considerate decisions. New vocabulary accompanied sensory play, although adults sometimes answered their own questions too quickly. The distinction matters: introducing words and allowing a child to use them are separate parts of a conversation.

The nursery is based at Community Hall, Ansell Hall, 14A Oakbank Avenue, Walton On Thames, KT12 3QZ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In December 2024, funded early education was provided for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact rather than a promise about a family's current entitlement or booking.

• Time to answer. In December 2024, staff sometimes moved through questions before children could respond. Listening time is a useful point to watch during a visit.
• Care across two settings. Initial information exchanges with other early-years providers were not consistently maintained in December 2024. Families already using another setting should discuss how ongoing developmental information will be shared.
• Funding arrangements. With funded provision recorded in December 2024, what would a current funded booking include, and which additional costs would your written quotation cover?

This nursery suits families seeking weekday care across the year, with an opening window extending into the early evening. Its December 2024 picture combined practical independence, hands-on counting and community outings. The two improvement points are specific: give children more conversational space and keep communication going when their care spans different settings.