Good Manors Day Nursery Manor Lodge

Town-centre adventures give Manor Lodge much of its character: preschool children have watched the UKES of Wallington at Fareham Library, while outdoor play has included balancing on tyres and crates. These are concrete experiences of music, movement and the wider community, rather than learning confined to a tabletop.

Good Manors Day Nursery Manor Lodge cares for children from 3 months to 5 years in Fareham. At its January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, with Outstanding personal development; it also identified a need for staff to carry through the intended learning in activities more consistently. That balance matters: the breadth of children's experiences was a strength, but some adult interactions needed greater precision.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, linking their play with the skills they are developing. In January 2025, activities were planned around children's interests and their next steps, with different experiences for babies, toddlers and older children.

Babies explored sensory materials and practised physical skills. Toddlers worked at puzzles, adjusting pieces until they fitted, while older children experimented with water and other materials to make potions. The examples show children learning through investigation and persistence. Adults supplied encouragement, although an activity intended to develop language gave children too little opportunity to explain their ideas and answer questions.

Road Safety Week in November 2024 took an everyday subject into play. Children made traffic lights, played with cars, people and traffic lights, and learned a song about stopping, looking and listening. Books and a pretend car wash extended the theme. This gave road-safety messages several forms children could engage with, rather than relying on spoken instructions alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

In January 2025, the outdoor space included a construction area, room for running and opportunities to spot birds using binoculars. Children also built obstacle courses from tyres and crates and practised balancing. That combination brought building, observation and physical challenge into outdoor play.

Community experiences reached beyond the garden. In December 2024, some preschool children visited Fareham Library for a performance by the UKES of Wallington, joining familiar festive songs with dancing and clapping. In January 2025, town outings also included civic offices and a performing arts theatre, where children had joined salsa drumming with older care-home residents. These encounters introduced people and activities beyond children's immediate families.

Close relationships were an important part of daily life in January 2025. Children sought comfort from their key persons, and babies approached staff for cuddles. At that inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children making good developmental progress, supported by affectionate relationships with adults.

Home languages received practical attention: staff made books containing useful words in different languages. Room moves were supported, and work with local schools addressed listening, independence and toilet training. These are specific ways of connecting nursery routines with children's home lives and the next stage of their education.

Parents received information about development in January 2025 and could take part in craft afternoons or share family festival traditions. Training opportunities included first aid and sign language. Parent involvement therefore extended beyond a handover about the day's activities.

Fundraising also brought families into nursery life. During July 2025, Manor Lodge joined the group's campaign for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families caring for a seriously ill child. Rainbow-coloured clothing, face painting and an Ice Bucket Challenge formed part of the activities. Separately, a November 2024 Children in Need event invited children and staff to wear pyjamas in exchange for a donation; these were dated events, rather than a standing costume requirement.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Manor Lodge, Church Path, Fareham, PO16 7DT. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas. Families planning weekday care need to allow for those breaks in their own arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

In January 2025, the nursery provided government-funded early education for children aged nine months to four years. Funded support and the total cost of an attendance pattern are separate considerations. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Learning through conversation. In January 2025, some activities did not achieve their intended learning because adult interactions needed greater precision. On a visit, ask how practitioners now encourage children to explain their thinking during planned activities.
• Your baby's daily care. Babies were using sensory materials and seeking comfort from adults in January 2025. Ask how settling sessions, sleep routines and key-person contact would work for your child.
• The attendance quotation. Weekday opening runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. Request a written quotation for your intended attendance, separating funded hours, additional care, food and consumables.

Manor Lodge suits families seeking weekday childcare with opportunities for children to explore their town and take part in practical, playful experiences. Fareham Library music, outdoor construction and road-safety play give that proposition substance. The January 2025 judgement was positive overall, with a clear teaching improvement to pursue: making adult conversations as purposeful as the activities themselves.