Local Authority Shared Conversation February 2026
Celebrating Our Shared Conversation Visit – February 2026
We recently welcomed Hampshire’s Early Years Advisory Team for our Shared Conversation visit. We’re delighted to share the wonderful feedback we received — it reflects the hard work, care, and passion that our whole team puts into creating a nurturing, inspiring environment for your children.
What the Advisory Team Loved About Muddy Puddles
A rich, child‑centred learning environment
The team were impressed by how thoughtfully our indoor and outdoor spaces are set up to support children’s learning and independence. They highlighted that:
- Children have free access to creative, open‑ended resources, allowing them to explore, mix, build, and express themselves confidently.
- The report notes that children “have free access to open‑ended creative resources, enabling them to mix paint, combine materials, and display their own work.”
- Our visual supports — such as colour‑coded books, photo name cards, and choice boards — help children understand routines and make independent choices.
- Opportunities to “bump into books” are woven throughout the setting, supporting early literacy in a natural, playful way.
A skilled, caring, and consistent staff team
We are incredibly proud that the visit recognised the strength of our team:
- Staff provide high‑quality interactions, extending children’s learning through purposeful conversation and play.
- The report describes staff as “skilled” and “consistently engaged,” noting their “genuine enjoyment in working with, and learning about the children.”
- Our training in communication and language is clearly reflected in the calm, responsive practice seen across the setting.
- Our SENCo shares her expertise to ensure children with additional needs receive targeted, thoughtful support.
Strong leadership and reflective practice
The advisory team highlighted the positive impact of our leadership and ongoing development:
- We have a well‑established curriculum tailored to the needs of our children, covering prime areas, mathematics, creativity, and the characteristics of effective learning.
- Staff use termly assessments and two‑year progress checks to ensure children are making progress, and we share these with families to keep you involved.
- The manager’s use of in‑the‑moment mentoring and coaching helps maintain consistent, high‑quality practice across the team.
- The report notes that this approach “promotes consistent practice” and supports staff wellbeing.
What We’re Continuing to Develop
We are always striving to improve, and the visit helped us identify two key areas we’re already working on:
1. Enhancing our outdoor learning environment
We plan to:
- Increase loose parts and open‑ended play opportunities.
- Introduce smaller sheds to make resources more accessible.
- Streamline daily setup and risk assessments.
These changes will help children explore, create, and problem‑solve even more independently.
2. Embedding our new responsive routine
We’ve introduced a routine with:
- Shorter, more focused adult‑led moments.
- More freedom for children to join activities when they’re ready.
- A stronger emphasis on emotional regulation and child‑led learning.
We’ll review this over the next half term to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our children.
Thank You for Being Part of Our Muddy Puddles Family
The advisory team recognised our setting as inclusive, family‑focused, and welcoming, noting that parents feel confident sharing information and seeking advice. This is something we value deeply.
We remain committed to:
- Building strong relationships with families
- Ensuring every child feels safe, valued, and excited to learn.
- Providing a nurturing environment where all children can flourish.
OFSTED Report 2024
Inspection of Muddy Puddles Pre-School
St Peters Church Hall, Ashley Common Road, Ashley, Hampshire BH25 5AR
Inspection date: 11th October 2024
Overall effectiveness GOOD
The quality of education GOOD
Behaviour and attitudes GOOD
Personal development GOOD
Leadership and management GOOD
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection GOOD
What is it like to attend this early years setting?
The provision is good
Staff give children a warm welcome as they happily come into the setting. Children settle quickly in the well-planned environment. Staff offer a wide range of learning opportunities to meet the needs and interests of the children. For example, older children are supported to play board games of their choice with their friends, while younger children enjoy playing in the home corner.
Staff allow children to take the lead in their learning, and they introduce different resources to the children while they play. For instance, children enjoy painting with paint brushes and staff introduce cotton buds. The children talk about the different marks and textures they are making on the paper. Children enjoy being creative as they mix and create different colours of paint. They have a sense of pride as they talk to staff about what they have created and display their pictures. This helps to develop children's confidence and self-esteem.
Staff behave as positive role models. They teach children about being kind to others and thinking of their friends. For example, the older children help the younger children as they move around the large garden. Children consistently show that they understand how to share and take turns. For instance, children use timers to wait patiently for their go on the tree swing. They know when their time is finished and encourage their friends to have their turn.
What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?
The provider is passionate about their role and puts a strong emphasis on staff well-being. Staff express that they feel valued and well supported. They have regular supervision and access to ongoing professional development. The provider uses additional funding that children are entitled to effectively. For example, staff have attended specific training to support children's individual needs. The managers and staff continually reflect as a team to develop and enhance the setting. For instance, they have developed an area in the garden where children learn about planting. The provider, however, has failed to notify Ofsted of a change to the individuals who are associated with the setting. Following discussion, they now understand their responsibility to do this, and the event did not impact on the safety of the children or the running of the setting.
Staff have a clear curriculum in place and, overall, plan a broad range of exciting activities that generally engage children well and follow children's interests. For example, children enjoy exploring outside for worms and staff use this as an opportunity to extend children's language and introduce new words, such as 'habitat'. However, at times the curriculum does not fully support younger children's learning. For instance, some activities are too challenging or not accessible for the youngest children. This does not consistently support their development needs.
Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and English as an additional language is good. Staff have implemented a range of strategies to support learning, such as speech and language activities that are shared with parents. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals, making timely referrals for children who need them. This helps children with SEND receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.
Staff support children to behave well most of the time. Children are supported to confidently follow the routines of the day. For example, they independently wash their hands and collect their snack box, then find their place mat at the table. However, staff do not always encourage children to take responsibility for the toys they play with. For instance, on occasion this results in a disorganised environment, which makes it difficult for children to choose resources and move around confidently. This does not support children to learn about looking after things or respecting their environment
Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff communicate extremely well with parents throughout their children's time at the setting. For instance, staff regularly share children's progress and agree their next steps in learning together.
Children explore a range of activities to promote a healthy lifestyle. Staff support and encourage children to take part in active games outside. For example, children excitedly engage in familiar music and movement games and staff praise them as they follow the instructions. During mealtimes, staff talk to the children about the food they eat and how this affects their bodies. Children join in with these discussions, developing a deeper understanding of good choices to help keep them healthy.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.
What does the setting need to do to improve?
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
Strengthen the curriculum for babies so that the youngest children have well planned opportunities to engage in learning to support their development
Support staff to consistently help children learn about the importance of taking responsibility for their environment.
Inspection report: Muddy Puddles Pre-School 11 October 2024
Age range of children at time of inspection
Total number of places
Number of children on roll
Name of registered person
Registered person unique reference number
Telephone number
Date of previous inspection
Information about this early years setting
Muddy Puddles Pre-School registered in 2017. The setting is located at St Peters Church Hall in Ashley Common, Hampshire. They are open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm, term time only. There are seven staff, six of whom have appropriate level 3 childcare qualifications or above. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.
Information about this inspection Inspector
Nicole Atkinson
Inspection report: Muddy Puddles Pre-School 11 October 2024
Inspection activities
The provider joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn.
The inspector spoke to children, to find out about their time at the setting.
The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took
account of their views.
The inspector spoke with the provider about the leadership and management of
the setting
Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND.
The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and
outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the provider.
Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.
The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the
suitability of staff working in the setting.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.
Inspection report: Muddy Puddles Pre-School 11 October 2024
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
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Inspection report: Muddy Puddles Pre-School 11 October 2024
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OFSTED