The Old Dairy, Farleigh Road, Cliddesden, Basingstoke RG25 2JL
Otters Nursery School is situated in the village of Cliddesden and offers excellent facilities for young children.
Environments both inside and out are kept stimulating, challenging and interesting and the Otters' child-centred curriculum is designed to promote and inspire learning through enjoyable activities that young children love.
Situated in open countryside and with exciting gardens, the nursery offers freedom within safe boundaries for children to play, explore and experience nature.
Dedicated and caring staff ensure time at Otters Nursery is happy, fulfilling and fundamental to a child's future ‘successes’.
Offering excellent care and a wealth of opportunities, the nursery provides the basis for every child to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow.
Owner: Robert Angell
Person in charge: Sophie Tait (Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services: Hampshire County Council
Number of Staff: 5
Service Offered: Day Nursery (Privately Owned), Open all year, Full Day Care, Sessional Day Care
Total Places for Children: 42
Age Range: from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months
Opening Days: Mon-Fri
Opening Hours: 0800-1800
When Closed: Bank Holidays & Christmas
The Review Score of 8 (maximum of 10) for Otters Nursery School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.
a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 16 Reviews over all time. This Average Rating is also the rating value for Otters Nursery School in Google's Search Results - more info
b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.1 out of 5 from 1 positive Reviews in the last 12 months.
a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating of all Reviews over all time. For each review the Day Nursery / service is rated Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor or Very Poor on a number of areas eg Staff, Management etc. The Day Nursery receives points for each rating as follows: Excellent = 5. Good = 4. Satisfactory = 3. Poor = 2. Very Poor = 1. These points are added up and then divided by the total number of completed ratings to generate the average rating.
The Average Rating of 4.891 for Otters Nursery School is calculated as follows: ( (172 Excellents x 5) + (19 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 192 Ratings = 4.891
b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 12 months. If there are no Positive Reviews in the last 12 months, then 2.5 points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 2 years. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with 'Extremely Likely' or 'Likely' in answer to the question 'How likely are you to recommend this Day Nursery to friends and family?'
The 5 points available are broken down as follows:
4 points are available for the first 5 Positive Reviews, 3 points for the first Positive Review and then 0.25 Points for each of the next 4 Positive Reviews.
1 point is available for reaching a target number of Positive Reviews based on 20% of the number of registered maximum number of service users. If the target is partially reached then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery with 50 registered maximum number of service users has a target of 10 Positive Reviews, if it has 10 or more Positive Reviews it will receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews will receive 0.7 points.
If there are no Positive Reviews in the last 12 months, then 2.5 points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 2 years. The calculation is the same as above, except the points are divided by 2.
The 3.119 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Otters Nursery School is based on 1 positive Reviews in the last 12 months and is calculated as follows:
3 = 3
Target of 8.4 positive Reviews (42 registered maximum number of service users ÷ 5). 1 Reviews ÷ 8.4 Target = 0.119
When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
Otters Nursery School has a Review Score of 8 (8.010)
Review submitted from a Website Submission by Sara D (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 15 August 2017. Relates to July 2017.
My son (18months) loves going to Otters. He goes 4 days a week and is very happy there. He is in the baby room. They do lots of activities and the children always seem to be playing happily at pick up and drop off.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Emma M (Mother of Child) on Monday 20 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
My son started at Otters Nursery School when he was 15 months, he is now 26 months. I love the way that children are treated as part of an extended family. There is not a regimented feel to the nursery (although there is routine), children play freely, use imaginations, and spend time outside taking in the beautiful surroundings. Staff are warm with parents and children, and take an interest in life outside the nursery. No-one is judged, your own parenting style is embraced.
When we first started at Otters our son's usual routine was followed to help him settle. As he's grown, the staff have enjoyed seeing his progress. There is no shortage of love and cuddles on offer, and I feel happy that he is being looked after extremely well.
There are activities (creating crafts, doing cooking, messy play etc) and special events put on for parents to attend with children.
I like receiving notifications via Tapestry, which lets the nursery update photos and tells parents what the children are up to.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Hannah (Mother of Child) on Thursday 16 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
My daughter has settled really well at Otters Nursery School. She loves attending and the staff always make her feel very welcome. It's great to see what the children have been up to on the easy to use Tapestry app. My daughter often talks fondly about the staff and friends she has at Otters. I'm really pleased with our choice for pre-school for our daughter. I would highly recommend Otters!
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Michelle C (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
My daughter has been attending Otters since September and from day 1 has really enjoyed it. She is always happy to go and talks fondly of her keyworker and friends at Otters. We always receive a warm and friendly welcome when we drop her off in the morning and are informed by her keyworker each day when we collect her how her day has been. It is lovely to see what she has been involved in through Tapestry. The outside area, in particular, is fantastic and it is reassuring when I leave for work knowing my daughter is very well cared for and having lots of fun.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Olivia C (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
The staff are always helpful, kind and trustworthy. My child looks forward to going every time. They are always very hospitable and accommodating. We love Otters and will be sending our second child there too.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Sarah M (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
My daughter has been attending otters since April 2017, where we moved her from another setting. She was welcomed with open arms by the staff and loves every minute of her time there. My daughter really enjoys messy play and definitely gets encouraged with this. There is an amazing mud kitchen in the garden. They have the opportunity to explore the garden whatever the weather. Most weeks they adventure out on a country walk to visit the magic fairy tree jumping in every puddle along the way. My daughter is in her element. All their fun activities are documented along with photos using an online learning journal called tapestry. I love this nursery and wished it had been around when my son was preschool age. All the staff are incredibly happy, approachable and caring and all the kids love them.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Michelle H (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
So glad we found Otters! The staff here are absolutely wonderful. They treat each other like family and treat your children like their own. I wholeheartedly trust them all and my son loves attending. They always do super fun activities and get involved with topical days such as world book day. Their communication with us as parents is excellent. We get a daily book change, an informed log reviewing their day and the Tapestry updates are very regular. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Otters to all of my friends, we can't thank them enough for all they do for him.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Hollie (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
My son has been at Otters since 2015. Since joining he has flourished into a confident happy little boy with a lot of friends. He adores all staff at Otters and always comes home with tales of what adventures he's been up to! They regularly go for walks and come home covered in mud which is, for me, the best bit about this nursery! I am so grateful for how all staff at Otters look after him just as I would and have built strong relationships with both him and myself. I cannot recommend otters more and do frequently suggest to friends looking for nurseries! Thank you Otters!
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Laura Q (Mother of Child) on Tuesday 14 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
Welcoming, friendly always so happy and will be there to help develop and all areas whether it be at home or nursery. Couldn't have chosen a better nursery and my daughter loves it and always so excited to tell me what she's been up to. It only took her a couple of sessions to settle in which made it easier on myself.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Vicki M (Mother of Child) on Monday 13 March 2017. Relates to March 2017.
Having moved my son from a childminders where he was very happy, I was concerned that he may not enjoy nursery. Fortunately from day one he has loved it. The staff are very welcoming and the feedback via 'tapestry' is excellent. It allows me to see what my son has been doing in the day and talk to him about it in the evenings. The outside space in particular is superb. The children are very fortunate to experience the outdoors with the great facilities plus amazing walks. It has definitely been the right decision to move him to otters as I have a very content young man, eagerly waiting for the next day to come.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Natasha C (Mother of Child) on Sunday 14 February 2016. Relates to February 2016.
Since starting at Otters in June 2015, our son has gone from strength to strength. The staff are always very warm and welcoming and provide valuable advice when needed. From the moment we drop him off, to the moment we pick him up he has a huge smile on his face, which for us as parents is reassuring to know that our son is happy in a safe and caring environment. Otters provide a fabulous outdoor environment, which our energetic 2 year old thoroughly enjoys. As parents we are kept well informed of our child's progress, either on a daily basis with his key worker and by other members of staff or by regular email entrees onto the tapestry online learning Journal. Otters have provided the best start to our son's overall development.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by racheal s (Mother of Child) on Sunday 7 February 2016. Relates to January 2016.
Otters has provided a welcoming, fun and caring environment for my son to experience being away from me for the first time. Naturally anxious, the staff have been really reassuring and I feel more than happy to leave my son in their care. My son's development is closely monitored and we are kept fully updated on his progress online and in person. Otters is everything we want from a nursery. A safe and stimulating environment for our son to learn and thrive, with staff who are truly compassionate and caring.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Laura D (Mother of Child) on Monday 30 November 2015. Relates to November 2015.
My daughter has attended Otters Nursery for two months and we both couldn't be happier.
The two key workers in the baby room have been fantastic from day one and made me feel at ease leaving my daughter with them both. My daughter had not been left with anyone other than family so it was a massive change for her to be looked after by strangers but she absolutely loves it at Otters. She is always excited when she realises she is going to nursery.
The staff use a fantastic app called tapestry which allows them to update you with what activities they have been doing and photos etc.
We couldn't ask for more and highly recommend Otters.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Postal Card by V E (Mother of Child) on Monday 23 November 2015. Relates to November 2015.
Since changing nursery to Otters Nursery School i have noticed a massive positive impact on my 2 year old. She looks forward to nursery EVERY SINGLE DAY, is always cheerful when I collect her, has never had any complaints about the nursery or its staff. Very good communications with staff members.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Philip A (Father of Child) on Tuesday 3 November 2015. Relates to November 2015.
My 3 year old son has been attending Otters Nursery since January of this year. The setting is homely and inviting and the outside grounds are amazing. He looks forward to going and asks everyday "Are we going to Otters today?".
He has fantastic attachments with all the members of staff and feels happy to go to any of them for help and support if needed. The staff are always happy, friendly, polite and nothing is ever too much trouble.
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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Review submitted from a Website Submission by Kim S (Mother of Child) on Sunday 11 October 2015. Relates to September 2015.
My one year old daughter started at Otters in September and I couldn't be happier with the care she receives. The staff are very, warm, welcoming and helpful and my daughter has a great time. There is a great system called tapestry used by the nursery which enables me to login online and see observations and photos of my child at nursery which is just brilliant. I would happily recommend Otters to anyone looking for childcare for their children!
How likely would you be to recommend Otters Nursery School? Extremely Likely
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March 2018
Recipient: Otters Nursery School
Date: Thursday 01 Mar 2018
Job Title: Nursery Manager
Joined: 2015
Description:
Sophie is the manager of Otters Nursery, well qualifies and enthusiastic. Sophie embraces all that is important at Otters, child development, outdoor learning and creating an interesting learning environment for every child