Poppins Nursery and After School Care

A classroom with outdoor play areas and adjacent Woodland Badger’s Walk gives Poppins Nursery and After School Care its strongest physical identity. Based at The Carroll Centre in Winchester, it combines space for play indoors with an outdoor setting that extends beyond the classroom. The nursery accepts children aged 2 to 5 and has 32 places in total; that whole-setting capacity should not be read as a daily group size.

At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged Poppins Good, found safeguarding effective and highlighted communication support that helped children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. A subsequent compliance publication also needs consideration, as explained below.

Attendance is term-time, with full-day, morning and afternoon choices, including funded and privately paid sessions.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care: children build skills and understanding through activities matched to their stage of development. At Poppins, the classroom supports its areas of learning, while a free-flow arrangement connects indoor activity with outdoor play. For a parent choosing between settings, that combination matters more than the framework's name alone: the physical layout gives children different spaces in which to play and learn.

In November 2023, staff used their assessments to decide what children needed to practise, with emphasis on talking, doing things independently and developing confidence. Books prompted discussion rather than simply listening. Questions about gloves, umbrellas and weather encouraged children to connect a story with experiences of their own.

Other examples made learning tangible. Bubble play introduced vocabulary through repetition and conversation. Building towers became an opportunity to compare height, with children measuring their structures against themselves. Pretend food in the role play area gave children reasons to talk with adults and explain their preferences. These were everyday materials used for purposeful exchanges, rather than learning confined to a formal activity.

Mathematics was the clear improvement point. In November 2023, adults sometimes missed chances to extend counting or correct mistakes accurately. Comparing sizes was part of the day, but number work needed greater consistency. Families weighing the educational offer should keep both parts of that picture in view.

Outdoor and Community Life

Woodland Badger’s Walk sits beside the nursery's outdoor play areas and forms part of its physical-development offer. It gives the outdoor setting a recognisable character beyond a classroom door. The free-flow arrangement also makes outdoor play part of the session's structure, rather than an unrelated extra.

Parents have recurring opportunities to participate. Each term brings invitations to coffee mornings, Parent-Teacher Meetings, Singalongs and family events. Coffee mornings offer informal contact, while the meetings provide a separate opportunity to discuss a child's experience; Singalongs bring families into a shared nursery activity.

A key person supports each child's settling and learning. That gives the relationship with home a clear point of contact, alongside the termly opportunities for families to take part. Settling is therefore connected to an ongoing relationship, rather than treated only as an initial introduction.

In November 2023, children sought help from adults and included them in their pretend play. Staff also exchanged information about development and next steps with other settings children attended. For children dividing their time between providers, that communication helped adults work from a shared understanding of what the child was practising.

Independence appeared in small routines. During November 2023, children practised opening their own lunch packets, serving food and waiting for a turn. Adults used snack time to discuss how eating affects the body and explained hygiene through sneezing routines. These examples connected preparation for school with manageable tasks children could attempt themselves.

A compliance outcome dated 1 December 2023 records that Ofsted served a welfare requirements notice following its 17 October 2023 visit, requiring stronger risk assessment and supervision that kept children within staff's sight and hearing on outings. The action deadline was 31 October 2023. The December 2023 compliance outcome is the latest published regulatory position, and deserves a direct discussion alongside the November inspection judgement.

Sessions and Attendance

Poppins operates Monday to Friday during term time. Families can choose a full day, a morning session or an afternoon session. This gives a genuine choice between a shorter nursery experience and a full-day pattern, while the term-time calendar remains the defining attendance constraint.

The setting is at The Carroll Centre, Somers Close, Winchester, SO22 4EJ. Families can register interest through the nursery's enrolment route or telephone 01962 840022. The centre also hosts other services, so nursery attendance should be planned around Poppins' own term-time arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through 2YO funding, 15hrs Universal and 30hrs funding, alongside privately funded sessions. These are term-time arrangements. The choice between entitlement-funded attendance and additional private sessions gives families different ways to organise care, but participation should not be read as a guarantee of an individual child's eligibility or a funded place.

Children have the option of bringing a healthy packed lunch from home. Families choosing that option provide the lunch themselves. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Term-time attendance. Full-day, morning and afternoon sessions operate within a term-time calendar. Families needing childcare during holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Counting practice. In November 2023, number work needed more consistent adult support, including accurate modelling when children made mistakes. Ask how counting now features in ordinary play and routines.
• Outings and risk assessment. The compliance outcome dated 1 December 2023 records a welfare requirements notice addressing risk assessment and supervision on outings, with actions due by 31 October 2023. Discuss the nursery's response before deciding to join.
• Settling into free-flow play. Each child has a key person, and sessions connect classroom and outdoor activity. On a visit, ask how that adult supports a new child as they become familiar with both spaces.

Poppins suits families seeking term-time childcare with a choice of full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions. Woodland Badger’s Walk, the classroom's free-flow arrangement and termly family participation give it a clear identity. The November 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with counting consistency the educational improvement point. The December 2023 compliance outcome is a separate, material consideration. Families should give the response to that notice real weight alongside the learning environment and attendance options.