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Footprints Preschool New Haw

Footprints Preschool New Haw is a pre-school in Addlestone for children aged 1 to 4, with 53 registered places. Ofsted report card, 30 April 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met.

All Saints Church, Weybourne Way, New Haw, Addlestone, KT15 3DH

Key facts

Type
Pre-school (Sessional day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
1 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
53 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
1 February 2024 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 30 April 2026

Who runs it

Footprints Preschool New Haw is run by Footprints Pre-School Addlestone Limited (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Strong standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
  • Achievement: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 30 April 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 arrive with enthusiasm at this welcoming and stimulating setting. They happily wave goodbye to their parents and carers before excitedly greeting their friends and staff with huge smiles. Overall, children settle with ease and feel emotionally secure in staff's care. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), supported closely by leaders, are helped to find individualised ways to acclimatise successfully to the setting. This is maintained across routines, such as when children with SEND continue to engage with high-interest resources while others prepare for transitions, such as tidying up and lining up at the door to go outdoors.

Children develop their decision-making skills well as they select from a wide range of activities, many of which stimulate children's growing interests. Older children demonstrate impressive social skills, politely asking to join in their friends' play. They often collaborate effectively, for example holding containers steady while friends fill them with water. This shows children's kindness and cooperation as they complete tasks. From an early age children also develop a genuine love for books. They sit close to staff, listen avidly, and point to illustrations to draw attention to key parts of the story. Many children independently prioritise choosing to look at their favourite books by themselves and with friends. It is clear they truly enjoy this as they smile, giggle and chat away happily.

Children's emotional and physical wellbeing is given priority. They are supported to understand and manage risks as they explore, helping them to keep themselves safe. For instance, they learn to wait their turn before using large climbing equipment in the garden, recognising that others need to complete the activity safely first. Even the very youngest children are encouraged to wait, such as when taking turns to climb up the slide, sitting at the top and going down once staff have checked that it is safe to do so.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Strong standard

Highly competent leaders foster a welcoming and inclusive environment where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing other barriers to learning, thrive and make steady progress towards closing gaps in their development. Staff know children well and promptly recognise when children may benefit from additional support. This reflects the positive impact of leaders' role modelling and targeted training to ensure staff meet these children's individual needs effectively.

Staff work extremely closely with leaders, parents and carers, as well as external professionals to ensure consistency in children's care and learning. For example, transition times are thoughtfully organised for children with SEND. This enables these children to engage independently with chosen resources while others complete routines, such as moving from the garden to indoors for snack.

Knowledgeable leaders maintain a clear and accurate overview of the effectiveness of targeted plans for children with SEND, which are regularly reviewed in collaboration with external professionals and parents. Leaders and staff implement well-considered strategies to support children when they feel emotionally overwhelmed, such as providing a cosy tent equipped with calming resources. These types of approaches are shared with parents, who replicate similar strategies at home. This contributes positively to children's developing self-regulation. In addition, leaders carefully review information about children's individual needs, monitor their progress and make informed decisions about the use of additional funding, including providing enriching experiences and resources that broaden their opportunities.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have established a clear and ambitious vision for a broad curriculum. Overall, this is communicated effectively to most staff, resulting in generally consistent and high expectations. In particular, staff prioritise children's physical development, communication and language and personal, social and emotional development. As a result, children typically develop the fundamental skills they need for future learning.

There are many opportunities for children of all ages to play outdoors in the fresh air, where they engage in a range of experiences across the curriculum. For example, children's physical development is promoted well. Babies explore balls, rolling and attempting to kick them in the nets. Toddlers develop coordination as they climb, balance and descend wooden structures. Preschool children construct models and confidently jump from low heights into hoops on the ground. Staff also support children's language development, for instance through enthusiastic book sharing, discussing illustrations and storylines to extend vocabulary. Older children show an interest in early writing, such as attempting to write their names on a chalk board, with staff providing guidance by emphasising initial sounds.

While staff plan a variety of engaging activities that capture children's interests, the quality of interactions to support progression is more consistent in the toddler room and for children who face barriers to learning. Some staff do not as yet have a secure understanding of how to implement the curriculum in a carefully sequenced way to maximise every child's progress. For example, although a pizza making activity is intended to promote mathematical learning, opportunities for meaningful teaching is not fully considered. The focus remains on sharing ingredients and completing the task, as opposed to developing children's mathematical knowledge and skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, make progress from their starting points. Overall, they develop the key skills they need for future learning, as most staff build effectively on what children already know and can do. Although, children's mathematical understanding remains at a relatively basic level, compared to what they are capable of.

Children's natural curiosity, eagerness to explore and engagement grow over time. Babies investigate a range of textures, smiling at staff who model language alongside their play. They explore additional objects with focus, clearly enjoying warm and responsive interactions with staff. Toddlers confidently name foods at mealtimes, sorting them into categories, such as fruits and vegetables. Preschool children communicate respectfully with one another, valuing each other's ideas as they collaborate to build a castle. They use less familiar words, such as 'drawbridge' and work together to create a simple mechanism, demonstrating an understanding of its purpose.

In particular, toddlers develop increasing confidence in expressing themselves. However, some younger and older children receive less consistent support for their language development. For example, during large group activities, some staff tend to respond primarily to more confident children who readily answer questions, rather than actively supporting less confident children to contribute and develop their communication skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are warm, calm and responsive, acting as positive role models. Children behave well and learn to show kindness and respect as they play cooperatively. For example, older children politely ask to join their friend's play, and these requests are welcomed, allowing play to continue smoothly. Overall, staff use appropriate strategies to support children's understanding of their expectations. They typically explain why certain behaviours are not acceptable and help children recognise the impact of their actions on others. Effective systems are in place for those children who require additional support to manage their behaviour, such as the use of sand timers and fidget toys to promote turn taking and self-regulation.

Routines are established and generally children move between them smoothly. For instance, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported by leaders during transitions when others move onto the next activity. However, there are occasions when children's independent play is unnecessarily interrupted, and they spend too long waiting in queues to wash their hands before mealtimes. They are then required to sit at tables while others finish, with little interaction from staff. During these periods, many children sit passively, observing rather than engaging in purposeful learning.

On the whole, children are keen and enthusiastic learners, who take pride in their achievements. They eagerly share their creations with staff, who offer frequent praise and encouragement. This reinforces positive behaviour, such as sharing and taking turns, often without the need for further adult support. Leaders also recognise the importance of regular attendance and punctuality in supporting children's ongoing learning and in preparing them for their eventual move to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

From the outset, staff gather detailed information from parents and carers about children's care routines, likes and dislikes. They use these details to meet the individual needs of children of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use a range of suitable strategies to help new babies settle in, such as distracting them by engaging them with toys linked to their interests and giving reassuring hugs through close interactions. In this way, children establish warm and trusting relationships with their key persons. Where approaches turn out to be less effective, strategies are reviewed and adapted promptly with leaders' support.

Leaders understand the needs of the local community and seek to address some of its needs through the setting. For instance, there is a clear focus on promoting healthy lifestyles. Children learn that eating fruit and vegetables helps them to stay fit and healthy. Leaders also organise cookery sessions to make healthier food options. Children are independent in their self-care from an early age, such as routinely washing their hands before meals. However, the organisation of this routine is sometimes overly time consuming, reducing opportunities for children to engage in meaningful, independent play and interactions with friends.

Staff support children to recognise and express their feelings and emotions appropriately. For example, toddlers talk about foods they like and dislike during mealtimes. Staff use books to help children explore concepts of care and affection. Leaders work closely with the chef to provide nutritious, balanced meals, ensuring that individual dietary needs and preferences are fully taken into account.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and generally recognise where further improvements can be made to benefit children. For example, leaders and staff have worked collaboratively to reorganise the large indoor space to better accommodate children of all ages and help meet their individual needs. This has helped to reduce noise levels, enabling children to listen and focus more attentively and engage more effectively in their learning.

In general, leaders identify key areas for development, such as providing staff with feedback to strengthen their teaching skills, particularly in relation to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, this is not yet implemented with enough rigour to ensure that guidance is consistently reflected through training and ongoing support. As a result, effective strategies are not yet applied consistently across the setting. Despite this, leaders are mindful of staff's wellbeing and actively promote a healthy work-life balance, which contributes positively to high staff morale.

Parents and carers speak highly about the care and education their children receive. They value leaders' secure understanding of how to identify and support children with SEND. Parents are signposted to external services to support their children, such as to plan a smooth transition to school. They comment positively on the detailed and regular communication they receive from staff about their children's experiences. Leaders are quick to identify when children and their families may need further support and work effectively with external professionals to secure this. They understand the positive impact this has on children's wellbeing, welfare and future learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should embed a progressive curriculum that all staff fully understand and implement effectively to support what individual children need to learn next, particularly in mathematics.
  • Leaders should strengthen systems for support, coaching and training for all staff to swiftly address any inconsistencies in practice.
  • Leaders should review and adapt organisation of routines to reduce children's waiting times and allow them more time to engage in purposeful play.
  • Leaders should closely monitor the effectiveness of how well less confident children are included in large group activities.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 30 April 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 30 April 2026: Full inspection, report card: Strong standard in 1, Expected standard in 5

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

  • Teddies On A Rainbow - Day nursery, New Haw KT15 3AP, ages 2 to 4, 25 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted, 15 June 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Home From Home Nursery & Pre-School - Day nursery, Addlestone KT15 3PB, 38 places, 0.7 miles
  • Cherrybrook Nursery - Day nursery, Addlestone KT15 3HQ, ages 0 to 4, 109 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted, 29 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Ultimate Coaching Holiday Camps at Byfleet Primary School - Pre-school, West Byfleet KT14 7AT, 0.8 miles
  • Kings Pre School - Pre-school, West Byfleet KT14 7AT, ages 2 to 4, 30 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 15 March 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Footprints Preschool New Haw on the Ofsted website