Tootsies Private Day Nursery, Farnham

A wooded link between gardens, a meadow with a bridge and preschool woodwork give Tootsies Farnham a character that extends well beyond its playrooms. Outdoor space has several different purposes here: building, cycling, growing plants and finding somewhere quieter for a story. That variety is the clearest reason to consider this Monkton Lane nursery.

At its 13 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and described learning experiences that included children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The judgement came with specific improvements: better support for language development, conversations matched more closely to children's understanding and more purposeful afternoon activities.

Tootsies accepts children aged 3 to 60 months and has 138 places in total. Its room names mark a progression towards preschool, with daily routines becoming more structured as children develop independence. Full-day attendance and separate morning and afternoon sessions serve different family schedules.

Rooms and Ages

Little Tootsies and Little Footprints combine sensory activities such as gloop, painting and music with cosy spaces for cuddles and enclosed outdoor areas surfaced for soft play. Following individual routines is part of the approach, so the move into nursery life need not begin with every child doing the same thing at the same time.

Stompers and Cruisers emphasise everyday independence, including drinking from an open cup, handling cutlery and beginning potty training where appropriate, within a predictable daily routine. These are practical steps towards doing more for oneself. They also make the room's rhythm easier for children to anticipate.

Tiptoes and Leapers introduce a more structured routine ahead of preschool, with activities including sorting colours, using scissors and imaginative play. The emphasis moves towards sustaining involvement in an activity. Preparation happens through manageable tasks rather than simply moving children into an older room.

Pre-School Wellingtons and Waders use children's interests to shape learning, introduce the Letters and Sounds system as part of preparation for school, and provide woodwork, construction and creative activities across two rooms and an outside classroom. The combination gives children different ways to investigate an idea: making something, acting it out or experimenting with materials.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and care, bringing communication, physical development and other areas of learning into children's play and everyday experiences. It is the shared foundation for nursery education. Here, the room activities give that foundation a practical form, from exploring textures to learning to handle tools and utensils.

In November 2024, older children experimented with making play dough, changing the balance of flour and water themselves rather than being steered towards a perfect result. Toddlers used sand in imaginative cake-making. These examples show the value of leaving room for trial and error: children can test an idea and discover what happens next.

There was a useful social dimension too. In November 2024, children collaborated on ramps for toy cars and waited for their turns, while everyday tasks included preparing tables and washing plates after eating. Independence was practised through participation in ordinary routines, alongside the more recognisable learning activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

A shaded courtyard offers access from rooms to outdoor learning, while a wooded area connects it with the main garden. Sand, water, a construction zone and a mud kitchen support different kinds of exploration. Children can build on a larger scale outside and use natural surroundings for imaginative play.

The main garden adds a tarmac area for wheeled toys, an all-weather pitch and climbing frames on safety surfacing. A book nook and a giant chair offer quieter alternatives. Wild Meadow, with its bridge and planting areas for flowers, vegetables and herbs, brings seasonal change into the nursery grounds rather than relying entirely on outings.

In November 2024, babies went for walks, older children travelled by bus for swimming lessons, and children visited a local care home. Those experiences extended the day beyond the nursery. The care-home visits also gave children contact with people from a different generation, while swimming added a different physical experience to garden play.

Relationships and Communication

Individual routines and close work with parents shape the current care arrangements. Toddlers also have key chat times: time with their key person to talk and build familiarity. For a child still learning to express needs, that regular relationship has a clear practical purpose.

In November 2024, staff responded to babies waking from sleep with physical comfort and calming interaction. The youngest children received help to settle into nursery life.

The nursery's terms provide for verbal and written progress updates. They also describe communication with parents when information needs to be shared with other professionals, including speech and language services. This gives families a role in the exchange of information rather than leaving nursery care and outside support in separate compartments.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The November 2024 findings identified a clear tension in language support. Staff talked and sang with children, but some exchanges were too complicated for younger children or insufficiently demanding for older children; rapid questions sometimes left too little time to respond. Younger children's prolonged dummy use also reduced opportunities to practise speech.

Afternoon planning was another improvement point in November 2024. Some babies who woke earlier after lunch had fewer activities to occupy them while others continued sleeping. For families considering a longer attendance pattern, the quality of the day after lunch matters as much as the morning programme.

Slice of Pie, the nursery's sister food company, prepares breakfast bread and meals made from scratch, with seasonal menus rotating over four weeks. The nursery's allergy arrangements involve gathering dietary information from parents and, where appropriate, completing a risk assessment and agreeing an individual diet plan.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Monkton Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 9AA. Opening hours are 7.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closures at Christmas and on bank holidays. That opening window is useful for families whose working day extends beyond conventional office hours.

Full-day attendance sits alongside morning and afternoon sessions. Morning-only children must be collected before 1.30pm, and afternoon children cannot start before 1.30pm. The nursery recommends at least two sessions each week to support friendships, but this is not compulsory.

Booked days are expected to remain consistent, and sessions cannot simply be swapped. The terms require one month's written notice to change hours after a child starts or to leave, with three months' notice for changes to planned sessions before starting. Families whose work rota changes frequently should weigh that fixed pattern carefully.

Funding and Joining

In November 2024, the nursery provided government-funded early education for children from nine months to four years. Private childcare is also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Joining involves a signed registration form, a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit whose return depends on correct leaving notice and settlement of outstanding payments. Payment of the first invoice secures the place under the terms. Enquiries can be made through the Farnham contact form or by telephone on 01252 725503.

• Language support. November 2024 improvement points covered dummy use and the level and pace of staff conversations. On a visit, ask how practitioners now adapt exchanges for younger children and extend older children's thinking.
• The afternoon day. In November 2024, babies waking earlier after lunch sometimes had less to do. Ask how activities are arranged around different sleep patterns, especially if choosing full-day attendance.
• Fixed bookings and funding. Sessions cannot be swapped, and changes require notice. Before committing, request a written Farnham quotation showing the funded attendance pattern and how meals, snacks and non-food consumables are treated.
• Dietary planning. Allergy arrangements include individual assessment where appropriate. Families managing allergies should confirm current food preparation and diet-plan practice with the nursery.

Tootsies Farnham suits families choosing full-day care or separate morning and afternoon sessions who value varied outdoor space and a gradual progression towards independence. Its gardens and named rooms give the offer substance: sensory exploration develops into practical self-care, making and preparation for school.

The November 2024 language and afternoon-planning concerns deserve direct discussion. For families comfortable with consistent booked days, the combination of outdoor exploration, individual routines and practical learning makes this a useful nursery to consider.