Hambledon Nursery School

In September 2025, guinea pigs, fairy tales and a fairy garden gave Hambledon Nursery School a recognisable character: everyday experiences became opportunities to explore, talk and take responsibility. At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. It has capacity for 45 children on Hambledon Road in Godalming.

Children attending in September 2025 were aged two to four. The strongest impression from that time is of children taking an active part in their learning, choosing activities and staying absorbed in them.

In September 2025, stories reached beyond listening. The Enormous Turnip was accompanied by cut turnips for children to investigate, connecting the story with smell and touch. Favourite characters also prompted painting and mark making, giving children a reason to practise controlling their movements.

The early years foundation stage sets expectations for children's learning, development and care. Here, September 2025 activities connected those expectations with children's interests: paper menus and clipboards brought writing into pretend play, while staff planned what each child should learn next. Play had a clear educational purpose.

Outside that September, children dug in the fairy garden, painted on a large scale and balanced across logs. A water activity became an exploration of foam through the addition of bubble mixture. Caring for guinea pigs brought another kind of responsibility: children gathered grass and discussed what the animals ate. These experiences combined physical practice with conversation and investigation.

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children made exceptional progress and that staff supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through specific training, meetings with parents and professionals, and adaptations to activities and resources.

Relationships mattered in September 2025. Children formed close bonds with staff and settled quickly; practitioners knew children beyond their own key-person groups. Observation and assessment informed the next steps in learning, rather than leaving activities disconnected from individual needs.

Independence also had practical expression that September. Young children cleared their cups and plates while adults supervised and offered pointers. Staff helped children recognise their feelings and manage emotions, linking everyday routines with growing responsibility.

Hambledon Nursery School's address is Hambledon Road, Godalming, GU8 4DR. In September 2025, opening hours were 9am to 3pm on weekdays, during term time. That timetable matters for families arranging work around nursery attendance.

The nursery provided funded early education for eligible children in September 2025. Eligibility remains an important condition of that offer.

• Attendance around work. The September 2025 timetable ran during term time, from 9am to 3pm on weekdays. Does the current attendance arrangement fit your working hours and holiday needs?
• An active nursery day. September 2025 experiences included animal care, digging and balancing on logs. Families drawn to practical exploration have concrete examples of how children spent their time.

Hambledon merits consideration for families who value stories, outdoor investigation and children's growing independence. Its September 2025 practice combined purposeful play with close attention to individual development. For parents seeking term-time care, the timetable at that date is a useful starting point, while the animal care and imaginative activities give the educational experience its character.