Girls & Boys Nursery Sharps Copse

Physical play and conversation give Sharps Copse its clearest character: in March 2024, children used secure outdoor spaces for balancing, climbing and games of their own, while staff brought new vocabulary into their play. These were connected parts of the day, with children's interests shaping the activities planned for them.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Girls & Boys Nursery Sharps Copse Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) received effective support and made good progress. The improvement points were specific: challenge gender stereotypes more consistently and explain the reasons behind safety instructions.

On Prospect Lane in Havant, the nursery has 90 places in total and accepts children aged 0 to 60 months. Its opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Those hours are an important practical consideration alongside the learning and care.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, its everyday meaning was evident in March 2024 through play-based experiences spanning seven areas of learning, with staff planning what each child would learn next based on the skills each child had already learned.

Conversation was woven into activities. Adults described what children were doing, exchanged ideas with them and introduced vocabulary linked to their play. That makes an ordinary activity an opportunity to practise both expressing an idea and listening to someone else's response.

Makaton was used alongside gestures and facial expressions to help children communicate when speech was not yet possible. Staff also watched children's cues. The important detail is the combination: communication did not depend solely on a child being able to answer aloud.

Mathematics also appeared in everyday play. In March 2024, younger children practised counting in sequence with adult help; older children explored position through planned activities. This gave mathematical language a practical purpose, connecting words and numbers to what children were doing.

Outdoor and Community Life

Secure outdoor areas gave children space to move and invent games in March 2024. Staff recognised those who enjoyed physical activity and included those interests in their planning. For a child whose enthusiasm shows most clearly through movement, that is a useful connection between exercise and learning.

The balance between adult planning and children's ideas mattered too. Activities had a learning purpose, but children could also pursue their own interests. The safety teaching needed more explanation, however: stopping a child from climbing on a resource did not always include explaining the danger.

In March 2024, children turned to familiar adults for comfort, play and help with problems. Staff adjusted their responses to children's personalities and support needs. This made relationships part of the working day, rather than something separate from the activities.

Taking turns and understanding feelings received consistent adult attention. Staff modelled considerate behaviour and helped children work through emotions. For families, this offers a concrete picture of how social expectations were taught: through repeated interactions with adults and friends.

Individual educational plans formed part of SEND provision in March 2024. These incorporated strategies from external professionals, and referrals connected families with additional help. The practical strength of that arrangement was its specificity: support was organised around an individual child's needs, with parents and other professionals involved.

Family communication also had a clear place in the nursery's work at that time. The manager worked to establish open relationships with parents, including families of children with SEND. That connection matters when strategies need to be shared between home, nursery and outside professionals.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Prospect Lane, Havant, PO9 5PE. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays, so the nursery day finishes before the end of a conventional working afternoon.

The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Families planning regular attendance need to account for those closures as well as the daily finishing time. There is a Sharps Copse enquiry route through the contact page.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2024, the nursery received funding for early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. This describes its participation at that time, rather than establishing an individual family's entitlement.

• Attendance fit. The 8am to 4pm opening window sets a clear boundary for childcare arrangements. Which booking patterns and funded-hours arrangements can accommodate your child's age and your working week?
• Gender expectations. In March 2024, occupation-based activities did not consistently challenge gender stereotypes. During a visit, ask how staff now use these activities to broaden children's ideas about who can do different jobs.
• Understanding safety. In March 2024, reminders about climbing and handwashing sometimes lacked an explanation. Ask how adults now help children understand the reasons for these rules, as well as follow them.

Sharps Copse suits families whose childcare needs fit a weekday opening window ending at 4pm and who value play that connects movement, conversation and individual learning plans. Its March 2024 examples give those priorities substance: outdoor games, communication support and mathematics within everyday activities.

The two improvement points deserve attention because both concern what adults teach through ordinary interactions. Families should weigh that dated learning picture alongside the practical fit of the nursery day.