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Merrydale Day Nursery and Pre-School

Merrydale Day Nursery and Pre-School is a day nursery in Wokingham for children aged 1 to 4, with 68 registered places. Ofsted report card, 14 January 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Broad Oak House, Coppid Beech Hill, Wokingham, RG40 1PD

Key facts

Type
Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
1 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
68 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
27 August 1991 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 14 January 2026

Who runs it

Merrydale Day Nursery and Pre-School is run by Kingsclere Nurseries Limited (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Expected 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 14 January 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Although there have been recent changes in staffing, leaders' actions are beginning to bring greater stability, which is helping to support more consistent experiences for children's learning and care. Most children separate confidently from their parents and/or carers. They are greeted by caring staff who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs.

Throughout the day, children show positive levels of engagement as they choose from resources that are accessible to them, such as construction bricks, sensory materials and mark-making tools, which help them develop confidence, curiosity and early physical skills. Babies benefit from warm interactions. Staff are quick to recognise and respond to their needs, offering reassurance and supporting them through familiar routines that help them feel safe and secure. Older children demonstrate developing social skills as they play collaboratively, listen to one another and share ideas during activities. They enjoy spending time outdoors, where lovely conversations with staff can be heard as children explore, observe changes in the weather and investigate natural materials.

Staff model positive behaviour and language effectively, enabling children to express their emotions and communicate their needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with barriers to learning are supported well, with thoughtful adaptations ensuring they can participate fully. Across the nursery, children flourish because they feel valued, develop trusting relationships, and enjoy meaningful experiences that help them build the skills and confidence needed for their future learning.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders foster an inclusive culture where children's individual needs are identified, discussed and monitored. Staff are alert to children who may need additional help and take appropriate steps to gather information, hold discussions with parents and begin early support.

Leaders are passionate about taking any action where possible to reduce barriers that children face in relation to their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as those known or previously known to social care, are included in daily activities through thoughtful adaptations, such as targeted one-to-one support, sensory experiences and visual prompts that help them take part. Leaders use the graduated approach to review children's progress effectively and make suitable adjustments, drawing on advice from external professionals when needed. While the approaches in place are appropriate, they continue to evolve, and staff are still establishing a consistent understanding of how best to implement them to ensure children benefit from the intended learning. This results in some variation in practice across rooms.

Leaders recognise that they need to strengthen the use of assessment information to plan more precise, ambitious outcomes, enriching the curriculum further so that all children benefit from consistently high-quality teaching. As current arrangements embed, leaders are beginning to build greater consistency to strengthen how they include and support children with differing backgrounds and experiences.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders provide clear guidance and coaching to help staff deliver a curriculum that prioritises communication, physical development and personal, social and emotional growth. Staff are developing their practice with leaders' support. However, despite this support, staff do not always consider ways to consistently enrich children's mathematical understanding.

Overall, staff know what they want children to learn and use children's interests to shape activities. For example, babies benefit from sensory exploration and early communication activities, with staff modelling simple language and supporting early social skills. In the toddler room, staff encourage conversations as children explore sand, ice and natural materials, supporting curiosity and early vocabulary. Across the setting, staff use daily routines to promote independence, such as helping children wash their hands, manage their belongings and join group activities confidently. Staff support older children to begin to understand healthy routines, such as effective handwashing, through practical activities that help them see how 'germs' can spread. Children with emerging needs benefit from targeted support, including one-to-one interactions, sensory experiences and tailored and targeted interventions.

Staff make regular observations to understand children's progress and adapt activities to support their development. However, at times, leaders recognise that some activities lack clear purpose or organisation to maximise learning opportunities. For instance, some resources are out of children's reach or are not used to extend thinking. Staff understand the curriculum and leaders recognise the need to strengthen the consistency and depth of interactions so that all children benefit from high-quality teaching throughout the day.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their different starting points and engage in a range of experiences. Babies learn early physical and social skills through sensory exploration and close interactions with staff. Toddlers build coordination as they dig in sand, make marks with chunky crayons and explore natural materials. Older pre-school children speak confidently with staff and peers. They share their ideas, retell simple stories and take turns in conversations during group activities.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning are supported to participate. Most children show growing confidence as they play with friends, take turns and manage their feelings with appropriate guidance. By managing routines, belongings and expressing ideas, children develop independence that prepares them well for their next stage in learning, including school.

While children achieve throughout the many areas of learning, opportunities to deepen their mathematical knowledge are not consistently threaded through play and everyday routines. For example, some activities and mathematical resources are not always accessible or organised in ways that encourage children to explore concepts such as quantity, measure or pattern independently. This means the quality of learning and achievement is not consistently embedded across all curriculum areas.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive environment where expectations for behaviour are clear, consistent and understood by children and staff. Throughout the day, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They move confidently between activities, follow familiar routines and respond well to staff guidance. Staff are building warm, trusting relationships with children, and these are becoming increasingly embedded as newer staff settle into their roles.

Overall, staff know children well and offer sensitive reassurance, such as when supporting toddlers who are still settling or when helping individual children regulate their emotions. Children learn to collaborate with others, taking turns during group activities such as parachute games and negotiating roles during imaginative play. Staff model respectful interactions, enabling children to show empathy, comfort their peers and solve any challenges they may face with support.

Leaders place appropriate emphasis on attendance and punctuality by maintaining regular communication with parents and monitoring patterns closely, particularly for children with additional needs or vulnerabilities. Staff take careful account of children's ages, stages of development and individual circumstances when supporting routines. For example, younger children are encouraged to find their own belongings, while older pre-school children learn to manage their coats, line up after outdoor play and express their ideas confidently during group discussions. These approaches help all children build independence and readiness for the expectations of their next stage in learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Experienced staff know children well and ensure that their individual needs are met. Newer staff are building positive relationships and growing in confidence when tailoring support to each child. Staff take time to get to know children and their families, enabling them to recognise or respond to changes in behaviour, emotions or routines. Babies and young children develop attachments with their key persons, who provide consistent comfort, reassurance and encouragement. These friendly, welcoming and nurturing relationships help children feel settled, safe and confident.

Staff support children to understand and manage their physical needs effectively, such as washing their hands and learning about 'germs'. Safer eating practices are embedded well. For example, staff sit facing children during meals, supervise closely and provide age-appropriate support to ensure children eat safely. Children with allergies or dietary needs have clearly marked place mats, ensuring staff remain alert and responsive to their needs. Sleep arrangements are well managed, with regular checks, safe positioning and routines aligned with parents' preferences.

Children are encouraged to develop independence at a level appropriate to their age. For example, older children know the routines and are confident to tidy away their waste food and plates after lunch. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to learning benefit from thoughtful adaptations and the continuity of trusted staff, including one-to-one support where required. Staff help children recognise and express their emotions through sensitive interactions, modelling language and offering calm or sensory activities to support regulation. As a result, children are secure, supported well and able to grow in confidence.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Recent changes in leadership have brought greater stability to the setting, with the new management taking clear and purposeful action to strengthen practice and rebuild the team. Leaders are passionate, enthusiastic and have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. Decisions are consistently made with children's best interests in mind, especially for those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or those previously known to children's social care. Leaders ensure that appropriate adaptations and targeted support are in place to particularly identify and ensure any children with barriers to learning can participate fully.

Leaders are proactive in strengthening the consistency of curriculum delivery, ensuring all children remain absorbed in meaningful activities throughout the day. They recognise the value of supporting staff to enrich children's mathematical learning, helping this become a more embedded feature of everyday teaching.

Staff wellbeing and workload are considered carefully. Leaders promote an open culture, offer regular supervision and create opportunities for staff to share concerns or access support. Professional development is prioritised, with training focused on curriculum, SEND and safeguarding to ensure staff build confidence and consistency in their roles. Leaders have reviewed and strengthened recruitment, induction and monitoring systems, ensuring safer and more robust processes are embedded. They maintain effective communication with parents and external agencies, using partnerships to help shape improvements and secure positive outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should support staff's delivery of the curriculum to consider ways in which all children are consistently absorbed in meaningful activities and benefit fully from the intended learning.
  • Leaders should support staff to ensure teaching and interactions are highly effective, especially around activities to support children's enjoyment of mathematics.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 14 January 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 14 January 2026: Full inspection, report card: Expected standard in 6
  • 29 May 2025: Actions after a concern (report)
  • 14 October 2021: Full inspection, Good (report)
  • 4 January 2017: Full inspection, Good (report)
  • 6 November 2013: Full inspection, Good (report)
  • 29 October 2012: Inspection (report)
  • 26 May 2011: Inspection (report)
  • 7 December 2007: Inspection (report)
  • 3 February 2004: Inspection (report)

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

Schools nearby

Merrydale Day Nursery and Pre-School on the Ofsted website