Home From Home Children's Day Care, Woking

Garden experiments and growing independence give this Woking nursery its character: in July 2021, children worked out how to move water, collected resources for themselves and prepared their own fruit snacks. At its 28 July 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for behaviour and attitudes and personal development.

Home From Home Children's Day Care, Woking has capacity for 28 children aged 6 to 60 months. That whole-setting figure is useful context for families seeking a smaller nursery, but it is not the size of an individual group.

In July 2021, the garden supplied plenty of practical challenges. Younger children experimented with guttering, persisting as they worked out how to move objects that were stuck, while others moved sand and water between different parts of the outdoor space. The mud kitchen gave those materials another purpose through pretend cooking. Children could follow an idea, encounter a problem and try another solution.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means developing skills through play alongside support for physical development and personal needs. In July 2021, planned activities were accompanied by regular assessments and individual next steps.

Language learning also connected with children's homes that July. Staff introduced familiar words from the languages children spoke, bringing those languages into shared activities. Potato mashers and pipettes supplied opportunities to practise hand control, while growing and picking fruit and vegetables connected garden activity with conversations about food.

At the July 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective; staff understood how to recognise concerns, respond promptly and take them beyond the manager when necessary.

Everyday independence was evident in July 2021 through children cutting fruit and taking responsibility for handwashing. Older children included younger children in construction play, making cooperation part of the day rather than a separate exercise.

Communication with families that July included feedback about learning and ideas for activities at home. This gave parents something practical to build on between nursery days, connecting activities at the setting with children's experiences at home.

The address is The Salvation Army, Sythwood, Woking, GU21 3BE. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In July 2021, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position, rather than a promise about a family's entitlement today.

• Stretching children's learning. In July 2021, some children completed a memory activity too easily, and staff development needed a sharper emphasis on extending learning. On a visit, ask how practitioners now adapt activities when a child needs more challenge.
• The youngest children. The current age range begins at 6 months, while the children attending in July 2021 were aged one to four. For a baby, ask how settling and the daily care arrangements work for that younger age.

This suits families who value practical outdoor play and opportunities for children to do things for themselves. The July 2021 examples give substance to that appeal, especially the garden investigations and shared play across ages. The decision should also take account of the dated teaching-development concern and how the nursery now extends children's learning.