The Gosling Nursery School

Growing lentils and inventing stories gave learning a practical character in June 2021, when Ofsted rated The Gosling Nursery School Good. Children explored how plants grow, listened to friends’ ideas and practised doing things for themselves. These are useful examples of what learning looked like for the children there.

Based at The Burys in Godalming, the nursery has capacity for 30 children aged 30 to 60 months. Its opening hours are 9.10am to 2.55pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

In June 2021, the early years foundation stage took shape through storytelling, growing plants and practising everyday skills. Children created their own stories and considered what might happen next in books, giving them opportunities to develop language and explain their ideas.

Planting lentils and tending potatoes and tomatoes made the natural world something children could investigate directly. In June 2021, they talked about the water and warmth plants needed. The garden also provided a reason to practise fastening coats: independence had a practical purpose.

Group activities had a limitation at that visit. Some younger children struggled to sustain their attention in larger gatherings, reducing their participation in the learning. The organisation of these times was an area for improvement.

During story sessions in June 2021, staff invited children who could already read to contribute parts of the story. Children also discussed favourite characters when inventing tales of their own. These activities gave children different ways to contribute: reading, imagining and speaking to the group. The question for families is how those opportunities reach children who find a larger gathering harder to follow.

Staff development also connected with activities in June 2021. Training on schema learning styles helped practitioners understand children's ways of learning and adapt activities accordingly. Supervision and coaching supported the team's continuing development. This gives a concrete example of how staff learning could influence what children were offered, alongside the storytelling and plant-growing experiences.

At the June 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support substantial, with additional funding helping provide individual care that supported children’s progress. Those findings describe the provision at that visit.

In June 2021, recruitment checks addressed staff suitability, while regular safeguarding training covered recognising potential harm and reporting concerns. Staff understood how to pursue concerns after raising them. Monitoring security during collection and drop-off, alongside attention to environmental risks, formed part of the safeguarding arrangements assessed then. For parents, the relevant detail is the combination of staff procedures and oversight of the premises.

In June 2021, staff recognised when younger children needed comfort and offered reassurance while they settled. Practitioners knew their key children and tracked their development to plan learning. Children practised handwashing before meals and learned why drinking water mattered in warm weather, connecting care routines with growing independence.

In June 2021, children also played together cooperatively and took turns hearing one another's stories. Those exchanges brought listening and social participation into shared play. Comfort for children who needed help settling sat alongside these opportunities to join friends, making emotional support and participation connected parts of the nursery day at that visit.

Daily conversations with parents shared achievements in June 2021. However, fuller discussion of children’s development needed strengthening, so families could better connect learning at home with nursery experiences.

The address is Waverley Borough Council, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HR. Term-time opening means attendance follows the school-year rhythm, with closure during school holidays; the afternoon closing time matters for families arranging care around work.

In June 2021, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. This is a dated account of its funding provision.

• Group participation. In June 2021, younger children sometimes lost concentration in larger gatherings. How are group activities organised now to keep them involved?
• Progress conversations. More detailed communication about development was an improvement priority in June 2021. Ask how these conversations now help families support learning at home.
• Term-time planning. Opening hours end at 2.55pm, and the nursery closes during school holidays. Consider how that timetable fits the care your family needs.

The Gosling Nursery School suits families seeking term-time care within a day ending in the afternoon. Its June 2021 Good judgement provides a positive dated assessment, supported by concrete examples of storytelling, growing plants and developing independence. The two improvement priorities deserve attention: children’s engagement in group activities and the depth of progress discussions with parents.