The Nest Day Nursery

Children’s interests set the direction at The Nest Day Nursery in Hersham: In The Moment Planning means practitioners respond to what a child is exploring, using observation and conversation to extend the learning there and then. With capacity for 24 children aged one to five, this family-run setting has a small overall scale. That is a whole-nursery figure, rather than the size of an individual group.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strengths and improvement points from that visit give parents a useful starting point, especially around language, independence and younger children’s physical play. Full-day attendance is offered, with term-time attendance a conditional alternative.

Rooms and Ages

The Owlets room was described in 2020 as serving children aged one to two and a half, with a work centre low enough for them to make marks at their own height. The practical value is straightforward: drawing materials are positioned for younger children to use, rather than relying on an adult to bring everything down to them.

The same 2020 account described an art room stocked with materials for making models, including tubes, cardboard and egg boxes, alongside a haberdashery trolley containing further materials. Natural and wooden resources predominated, with some plastic construction and technology toys too. These details give a concrete picture of the materials children could explore at that time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the shared framework for learning through play, covering language, movement, relationships and early skills in reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. In The Moment Planning is the nursery’s approach within that framework, rather than a replacement for it. Practitioners watch children’s interests develop and respond with support suited to the individual child.

Accessible resources give that approach a practical base. Children can choose materials for their play, while adults help them tackle problems and communicate with other children. Woodwork and cooking are open to girls and boys alike, with staff challenging assumptions about which activities belong to whom. Independence is part of the curriculum too: children make choices, practise looking after themselves and take on challenges.

In April 2022, younger children explored water by moving it between containers, while older children practised balancing on low wooden beams. Group activities included familiar songs and stories; younger children joined action rhymes, and older children worked with early mathematical comparisons. Staff used signing alongside speech to help younger children understand words. These were different routes into participation, suited to children at different stages.

Outdoor and Community Life

An account from 2020 described regular walks to nearby woodland and a local field, with children looking at their surroundings along the way. It also described baskets within crawling reach for babies and loose materials used in imaginative play. The emphasis was on resources children could approach and investigate themselves.

In April 2022, outdoor activities included painting and handling small objects for younger children, while older children worked together on woodwork. However, the outdoor curriculum needed more opportunities for the youngest children to build strength and coordination through larger movements. That distinction matters: fine hand movements and whole-body physical play meet different needs.

Relationships and Communication

A key person completes each child’s progress tracker every three months, and parents receive updates about development. If that practitioner has a developmental concern, they discuss it with the setting’s special educational needs disability advisor. There is a defined route from observation to discussion, rather than a concern remaining with one adult.

The curriculum also draws on observations shared by parents. That makes home interests relevant to the nursery day and gives families a role in shaping the support their child receives. In April 2022, staff exchanged information with parents each day as well as through assessment updates, so communication included both immediate experiences and a longer view of development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff responded promptly to learning gaps, worked with other professionals and supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make rapid progress. This is a dated judgement; the current mechanism is the key person’s discussion with the special educational needs disability advisor when concerns arise.

A video entry system controls access, and collection by another adult requires an arrangement with parents. Families receive the health and safety policy with their registration pack. These are practical arrangements parents can understand, alongside the dated safeguarding judgement.

Meals include a light tea, lunch, breakfast and a morning snack, with seasonal menus and a vegetarian option; accommodating other dietary needs is conditional. Children aged two and above help prepare the lunch table and serve themselves, while children pour water into cups, making mealtimes opportunities to practise everyday independence.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 18 Queens Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 5LR. The full-day session runs from 8am to 6.30pm. Attendance is across the year, with weekends, bank holidays and the Christmas closure excluded.

Term-time attendance may be offered to some children, so it is a conditional arrangement rather than an alternative every family can assume. Admission enquiries can be made using the admission form or by calling 01932 247449. The form allows parents to specify their preferred weekdays and intended start date.

The Christmas closure begins after 23 December, with reopening on 2 January unless that date is a Friday, when reopening moves to the following Monday. Five days within this closure are uncharged. This is a useful planning detail for families organising care around the end of the year.

Funding and Paid Extras

In April 2022, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That establishes participation at the time of the visit, rather than a current entitlement or attendance arrangement.

Private full-day care is offered, with fees due by the fifth of the month and a registration deposit. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the admissions and fees page sets out the full-day pattern and closure terms.

• Younger children’s movement. In April 2022, the outdoor curriculum needed more opportunities for younger children’s whole-body physical development. On a visit, ask how outdoor play now supports balancing, climbing and other large movements.
• Teaching intentions. In April 2022, less-experienced practitioners needed support to connect activities more precisely with each child’s intended learning. Ask how staff combine In The Moment Planning with clear individual learning aims.
• Term-time care. Term-time attendance is conditional, while the full-day session runs from 8am to 6.30pm. Establish the attendance agreement before organising work or other childcare around it.
• Food, funding and the complete bill. Dietary accommodation is conditional, and a registration deposit applies. Request one written breakdown covering any funded hours, private hours, meals and non-food consumables, together with confirmation of arrangements for your child’s dietary needs.

The Nest suits families drawn to a small overall setting, learning shaped by children’s interests and practical independence. In The Moment Planning has a clear explanation, and the key-person progress trackers give parents a regular point of reference. The April 2022 Good judgement sits alongside specific questions about staff teaching intentions and younger children’s outdoor movement.

For attendance, the fit includes families seeking full-day care across the year and those seeking a conditional term-time arrangement. The strongest decision will connect those practical terms with the child’s needs, especially how practitioners extend their interests and support their next steps.