Toad Hall Nursery Walton-on-Thames

A communication cabin gives this Felcott Road nursery a recognisable centrepiece: in March 2024, children used it for stories and songs with staff, as part of work to support speech and language. It is a concrete example of learning organised around children's needs, rather than an activity name alone.

At its 20 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The important reservation concerned participation in group activities: quieter children sometimes waited too long for staff to draw them in. That matters for families whose child is less likely to volunteer or demand attention.

Toad Hall Nursery Walton-on-Thames accepts children from 3 to 60 months. Its inspection account brings together attentive baby care, language woven into play and older children practising everyday independence. These are useful things to look for alongside the headline grade.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this connects play with learning to communicate, cooperate and tackle tasks independently; the March 2024 examples show how those aims took shape in ordinary activities.

During that month, staff used play dough to introduce vocabulary for the movements children were making. Words were attached to actions children could feel and repeat. The communication cabin added a place for shared songs and stories, giving speech support a physical setting as well as a place in activity planning.

Older children worked together on constructing a house in March 2024. When their building ran into difficulties, adults prompted them to consider solutions. That combined cooperation with problem-solving: the children had a shared task, and staff helped them think through what to try next.

Play also supplied an opening for mathematical conversation. In March 2024, children talked about how far their jumping frogs had moved and discussed their successes with friends. The useful detail is the connection between an enjoyable game and language about distance, rather than mathematics treated as an isolated exercise.

Children's opinions had a place too. Older children were asked for their views about nursery life in March 2024, while leaders also gathered feedback from families and staff. This gave children a practical opportunity to express preferences about the setting they attended.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2024, staff responded attentively when new babies became upset, offering comfort and emotional support while relationships developed. For a baby starting childcare, that responsive contact is an important part of becoming familiar with adults beyond the family.

Behaviour was taught through everyday interactions that month. Adults encouraged gentle handling and sharing among babies, while older children practised waiting for resources and passing them to friends. Praise recognised considerate behaviour, helping children understand what was expected through examples they could act on.

Parent communication in March 2024 included information about children's development and suggestions for learning at home. Contact details were kept current, and accident and injury procedures helped staff respond consistently. Those practical arrangements connect nursery care with what families need to know afterwards.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the SENDCo worked effectively with families, outside agencies and the local authority, and that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received consistent learning support and warm interactions. The value lies in the coordination between adults, alongside the relationships children experience directly.

School preparation also had an everyday form in March 2024: children served lunch, poured drinks and passed bowls and jugs along. These tasks gave them practice in managing routines themselves. Independence was something to do, not simply something to discuss.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is on Felcott Road, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 5NS. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with operation across the year and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. That opening window is useful for comparing the nursery day with working hours.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01932 252858 or by email at felcottroad@toadhall-nursery.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2024, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Participation for quieter children. The March 2024 improvement point concerned including everyone in group activities. During a visit, ask how practitioners now draw in children who hang back.
• Language support in practice. The communication cabin supported stories and songs in March 2024. Ask how that work connects with your child's communication needs and activities elsewhere in the nursery.
• Attendance and funding together. The nursery opens across the year, while its March 2024 funding offer covered early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Ask which booking patterns and current funded arrangements fit your intended attendance.

This nursery suits families seeking care across the year, with a weekday opening window running into the early evening. Its March 2024 examples make the educational approach tangible: conversation during play, shared construction and children taking responsibility at lunch. The question for a quieter child is equally concrete: how readily will adults help them participate? That is the most useful point to explore alongside the Good judgement.