Fledglings Thorne
Fledglings Thorne is a day nursery in Doncaster for children aged 0 to 7, with 45 registered places. Ofsted report card, 21 May 2026: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met.
20 Field Road, Thorne, Doncaster, DN8 4AF
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 0 to 7 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 45 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 28 March 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Who runs it
Fledglings Thorne is run by Fledglings Day Nursery Ltd (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Strong standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
- Leadership and governance: Strong standard
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 21 May 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive in this warm, welcoming and nurturing setting. They arrive confidently, separate happily from their parents and carers and quickly become engaged in play and learning alongside their peers. Children form secure and trusting relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff provide responsive support that helps children to feel safe, valued and included. The carefully planned settling-in process helps children to feel emotionally secure and develop a deep sense of belonging from the outset.
Children benefit from a curriculum that supports their development as they progress through the different rooms in the setting. From the youngest age, children are encouraged to develop independence, communication and social skills that prepare them for their next stages in learning and for school. Children confidently make choices in their play, dress themselves and serve their own food at mealtimes.
Children enjoy a rich range of experiences that support their curiosity and understanding of the world around them. From a young age, children confidently navigate balance beams and climbing equipment, developing their physical skills and coordination. Outdoors, children explore nature areas with enthusiasm and awe. They plant seeds, grow fruit and vegetables and search for insects and wildlife. Children learn about habitats, growth and the environment around them through first-hand experiences.
Communication and language are prioritised throughout the setting. Children enthusiastically join in with songs and group activities and confidently use familiar signs and gestures to support communication. Staff introduce new vocabulary during play and conversations, helping children to express their ideas and extend their thinking. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, are supported effectively to access the curriculum and build confidence.
Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to identify and swiftly address barriers to learning. They tailor support effectively to meet children's individual needs and ensure that every child can access the curriculum. Consequently, children are fully included, develop confidence and make strong progress from their starting points.
Leaders work effectively with families to promote regular attendance. They communicate the importance of children attending consistently and provide support where needed. This helps children to benefit fully from the curriculum and make continued progress in their learning and development.
Families are warmly welcomed into the setting and are valued as partners in their children's learning. Staff share information regularly and seek parents' views, helping to promote a consistent approach to children's care and development between home and the setting.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Strong standard
The setting promotes an inclusive environment where children and families are welcomed, valued and supported. Staff work closely with parents and carers from the outset to gather detailed information about children's starting points, routines and individual needs. This helps practitioners to identify additional needs early and adapt support accordingly. Leaders monitor children's progress carefully and review support regularly to ensure that strategies continue to meet children's needs.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum alongside their peers. Staff adapt activities, routines and the environment to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Parents speak highly of the support they receive from staff during periods when additional help is needed for their children. They value the guidance provided throughout assessment and referral processes. Leaders take timely action to secure support and, where appropriate, provide additional support to children while longer-term arrangements are being established. As a result, children receive help when they need it and continue to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Leaders work closely with parents, external agencies and the local authority to help shape children's support, opportunities and experiences.
Children who speak English as an additional language are supported through the consistent use of key words, signs and visual prompts. During group activities, children confidently use familiar signs to support communication and join in enthusiastically with their peers. Staff use props, visual aids and regular tailored interactions to help children understand and express themselves. Leaders review the use of early years pupil premium funding alongside parents and key persons to ensure that support remains responsive to children's individual circumstances. Consequently, disadvantaged children, those with SEND and those known to children's social care are included in all aspects of nursery life and benefit from the same opportunities as their peers.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Leaders have designed a curriculum that supports children's learning and development across all areas of learning. The curriculum builds progressively as children move through the different rooms in the setting, helping them to build on what they already know and can do. Staff support children's communication and language skills throughout daily routines and play. They introduce new vocabulary, use familiar signs and encourage children to share their ideas and experiences. Mathematical concepts are introduced through songs, rhymes and everyday experiences.
Children's personal, social and emotional development and physical skills are prioritised. Staff support children to develop independence, social skills and confidence through routines and daily experiences. Children benefit from opportunities to explore outdoors and learn about the natural world. Staff use assessment to identify what children know and can do and use this information to adapt teaching to reflect children's different starting points, needs and stages of development. Activities and experiences are adapted to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.
Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and have identified staff interactions as a priority for ongoing development. They have introduced training, coaching and monitoring processes to support practitioners in extending children's thinking and learning more effectively. These approaches are helping to strengthen practice. However, staff do not yet consistently make the most of all opportunities to deepen children's learning and thinking during activities.
Achievement: Strong standard
Children develop age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills across all areas of learning as they make rapid progress through the curriculum. Children communicate confidently through daily interactions with staff and their peers. They join in enthusiastically with songs and group activities, respond confidently to familiar questions and use language, signs and gestures to share their ideas, experiences and needs.
Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and those who may face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, make impressive progress from their starting points. For example, children who initially spoke little or no English develop fluent English through consistent support, detailed strategies and the use of key words and phrases throughout the day.
Children demonstrate growing independence and social skills that equip them well for their next stages in learning, including school. They confidently manage routines, make choices in their play and develop secure relationships with their peers and staff.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard
Staff create a calm and positive environment where children learn the importance of treating others with kindness, care and respect. Children are involved in developing the expectations and rules within the setting, helping them to understand the importance of respecting others and taking responsibility for their behaviour. Children form secure relationships with staff and confidently approach them for support, comfort and reassurance throughout the day. They proudly share their achievements and experiences with staff, demonstrating the warm and trusting relationships that have been established. Staff use positive reinforcement consistently, helping children to understand expectations and develop positive attitudes towards learning.
Children arrive confidently and engage readily in activities and interactions with their peers. They play cooperatively, share resources and take turns during games and activities. From the youngest age, children engage attentively in group experiences. For example, they listen carefully during singing sessions, enthusiastically join in with familiar songs and confidently use signs and gestures to support communication. Staff are responsive to children's individual needs and stages of development, helping all children to participate successfully in routines and activities.
Children demonstrate increasing confidence and independence throughout the day. They make choices in their play, dress themselves, serve their own food and manage familiar routines with growing independence. Staff use mealtimes and daily routines effectively to support children's manners, social skills and self-confidence. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to promote the importance of attendance and punctuality. Families receive clear and consistent communication about attendance, helping children to establish regular routines and benefit fully from the opportunities available to them.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard
Staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing throughout the setting. The carefully planned settling-in process is tailored to the needs of individual children and families, helping children to feel safe, secure and emotionally settled from the outset. Parents value the support and guidance they receive from staff and describe them as a trusted source of support during challenging periods. They appreciate the help provided when seeking additional support for their children and the consistent communication that helps to ensure children's needs are understood and met.
Children form close and trusting relationships with staff, who have a detailed understanding of their individual needs, interests and family circumstances. Children confidently seek out familiar adults for support, reassurance and encouragement throughout the day. Staff respond sensitively to children's changing needs and circumstances, helping children to feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. Children benefit from consistent care across the setting because staff know them and their families well and work together to support their wellbeing.
Leaders and staff place children's emotional wellbeing at the centre of the support they provide. They take timely action to ensure that children receive the help they need, including when longer-term support arrangements are still being established. Children are supported particularly well during periods of change. Carefully planned transition arrangements, including moves between rooms and the transition to school, help children to feel secure and approach new experiences with confidence. Familiar adults work closely with children, families and receiving settings to promote continuity of care and emotional wellbeing. Children are also supported to understand how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology and accessing online content.
Leadership and governance: Strong standard
Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They review practice regularly and take purposeful action to improve children's experiences, learning and wellbeing. Leaders have implemented a range of changes to strengthen the curriculum, inclusion and quality of provision. They have developed a curriculum that supports children to build on what they already know and can do as they move through the setting. Staff are supported to use assessment effectively to identify children's progress and adapt experiences to meet children's differing needs and stages of development.
Professional development is prioritised. Staff access regular training to develop their knowledge and skills, including training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders make effective use of staff's strengths and interests by allocating champion roles that contribute to ongoing improvement across the setting. Leaders have identified staff interactions as an area for further development and have introduced training, coaching, peer observations and monitoring processes to support improvements in practice. These actions are beginning to strengthen the quality of interactions. However, leaders recognise that further work is needed to secure greater consistency in extending children's thinking and learning during activities.
Leaders actively seek the views of staff, parents and children to help evaluate and improve the provision. They work closely with parents, carers, external agencies and the local authority to help ensure that children and families receive timely support when needed. Parents speak highly of the guidance and support they receive, particularly when seeking additional help for their children. Leaders demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and early intervention, taking timely action to secure support for children and helping to ensure that barriers to learning and wellbeing are addressed as early as possible.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- Leaders should continue to strengthen the consistency of staff's practice so that all children benefit from high-quality interactions that support and extend their learning to the highest possible level.
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 21 May 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.
The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.
Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.
Source: Ofsted reports
Funded childcare hours in England
All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.
Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.
The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.
Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)
Other nurseries nearby
- Thorne Flowerpots - Day nursery, Doncaster DN8 4BQ, ages 2 to 4, 28 places, 0.2 milesOfsted, 11 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Happy Days Community Childcare - Day nursery, Thorne DN8 5BU, ages 1 to 4, 48 places, 0.3 milesOfsted, 28 July 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Minds Day Nursery - Day nursery, Doncaster DN8 4SB, ages 0 to 4, 63 places, 1.1 milesOfsted, 22 January 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Making Friends Partnership - Day nursery, Doncaster DN8 4SB, ages 0 to 5, 60 places, 1.1 milesOfsted, 22 February 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Thorne King Edward Primary School - Primary, 0.3 miles
- Trinity Academy - Secondary, 0.4 miles
- Green Top - Primary, 0.4 miles
- Brooke Primary Academy - Primary, 0.7 miles
- Marshland Primary Academy - Primary, 1.1 miles