NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Chineham, Basingstoke

First Friends Nursery School

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established

A day nursery in Chineham, Basingstoke for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2016, with 52 places.

Call 01256 320290Their website

Cost

What it costs

Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.

What childcare usually costs in Hampshire

£6.50an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.20an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
08:30 to 15:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Takes them
Waiting list
They mention oneWorth ringing sooner rather than later, especially for a baby room place.
Settling in
They offer settling sessions
Outdoor space
Yes
A second number
+447908181313Listed on Google. Ofsted holds a different one.
How many children
52 placesLarge for England
How long open
10 yearsLong established
Address
The Scout Building, Chineham, Basingstoke, RG24 8PJ

Where it is

RG24 8PJ
Ofsted URN EY538214On the register since 6 October 2016
Ofsted

What the inspector found

One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.

Ofsted inspector, 5 July 2024 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children quickly settle to play on arrival. They build positive and caring relationships with staff. Children have a strong understanding about the expectations and daily routines. For example, older children line up and wait sensibly until staff have counted them, before walking calmly outside to play. Staff support younger children's recognition of their emotions and feelings consistently, such as using books and talking about their feelings. Children develop skills and knowledge to support their future learning successfully. For instance, many children gain high levels of confidence. They build their independence effectively, such as young children pouring their drinks and older children using tongs to serve their healthy snacks.

Staff have a strong knowledge and understanding of children's individual learning needs. They generally provide consistent and effective interactions to children.

Staff gain a wide range of information about children's backgrounds and individual needs when children start. This helps them include these successfully. For example, staff provide dual language books and support the use of children's home languages. Staff work very effectively with parents and other professionals to provide seamless support for children with additional needs. They regularly assess children's progress and identify their next steps in learning. Staff incorporate children's interests very well in the positive learning environment. They mainly offer very carefully planned and interesting activities, which successfully promote children's enthusiasm for their play and learning.

What Ofsted told them to improve

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

- enhance staff's awareness of children who are quieter or more content to play alone to provide more effective teaching and support to these children - enhance resources for the older children, particularly outdoors, to promote their play experiences and choices further.

  • 5 July 2024Good
  • 16 October 2018Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.

Still missing for First Friends Nursery School

  • What it costs
  • Youngest age taken
  • Meals
  • Nappies

No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.

Before you ring

What to ask them

Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.

  • What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
  • How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
  • Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
  • Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
  • Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Daisy Chain Nursery

Day nursery · Daisy Chain Nursery Basingstoke Ltd, Rear of Popley Fields Community Centre, Basingstoke, RG24 9AE

GoodBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 4.2 Google, 574 placesLong established
0.9 mi
17 min walk
01256 356084Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Chineham, Basingstoke