Home Farm Childrens Nursery

Ducklings, Bunnies, Goslings and Lambs give Home Farm Childrens Nursery a clear progression through the early years, while access to Homewood School’s library and larger grounds extends the setting beyond its own play spaces. This Tenterden nursery has capacity for 36 children, accepting babies from six months through to children under five.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement: the useful detail beneath it includes children choosing their own activities, babies seeking reassurance from familiar adults and practical tasks that encouraged independence.

Full days and two half-day options give families different ways to organise attendance. The nursery’s character comes from its named rooms, natural materials and opportunities to use the surrounding school grounds.

Rooms and Ages

Ducklings takes babies aged six to 14 months; Bunnies follows from 14 months to two years. Goslings serves two- to three-year-olds, while Lambs is the room for children aged three to four. These age bands make the progression easy to understand, with a separate named room for each stage.

Natural materials and muted colours shape the indoor environment, alongside indoor play spaces and an outdoor garden. Access to the library at Homewood School adds another physical resource for children’s experiences with books.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and relationships sit alongside opportunities to practise communication, movement and independence.

In January 2023, toddler activities included spreading butter on bread to exercise hand muscles, learning letter names and investigating slime. These examples show how practical experiences served different stages of development, rather than expecting younger and older children to tackle an identical task.

During that January 2023 visit, songs and stories supported language development. Older children used name cards to register themselves and took responsibility for their coats. Familiar routines gave them opportunities to recognise their names and do things for themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor garden is supplemented by access to Homewood School’s more extensive grounds. Organised walks, sports day and use of the school library add different settings for movement and exploration; access to the larger grounds is an occasional opportunity rather than a promise about every day.

In January 2023, children also explored festivals including Chinese New Year and used their home languages. This brought their family backgrounds into nursery life. Outdoor learning was an area requiring further development at that time, so the presence of a garden should be considered separately from the educational experiences planned within it.

Relationships and Communication

In January 2023, babies moved confidently around their room and returned to staff when they needed reassurance. Flexible settling arrangements helped children become familiar with the setting, while established relationships with their key person supported separation from parents.

Parents received daily feedback and could follow their child’s development through an online learning journal in January 2023. Those channels gave families a view of nursery life, although ideas for continuing learning at home were not shared routinely. The distinction matters: updates about progress and practical suggestions for home are different forms of support.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staff structure includes a SENDCO and designated safeguarding lead roles. These identify responsibilities within the team, rather than providing a general assurance about an individual child’s support.

In January 2023, children practised toothbrushing and learnt about oral health. Staff also helped them take turns, share resources and understand how their actions affected others. Care therefore included everyday habits as well as reassurance: looking after teeth, responding to boundaries and learning to consider another child.

Sessions and Attendance

The full-day session runs from 8am to 6pm. Families can also book half days from 8am to 1pm or from 1pm to 6pm, giving a choice between a complete day and a shorter morning or afternoon arrangement.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email, and visits can be booked through the contact route.

Getting There

The address is Homewood School, Ashford Road, Tenterden, TN30 6LT. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Outdoor learning. Developing the outdoor curriculum was an improvement priority in January 2023. At a visit, ask how planned garden activities now complement the indoor learning and use of the larger school grounds.
• Learning at home. In January 2023, daily feedback and the online journal kept parents informed, but staff did not routinely provide ideas to extend learning at home. Ask for an example of how current updates help families build on an activity.
• Written costs. Request a current written quotation covering your intended session pattern, funded hours where applicable, meals and non-food consumables. This gives you a basis for comparing the whole attendance arrangement.

Home Farm suits families choosing between full-day attendance and morning or afternoon half days, with named rooms spanning baby care through preschool. The garden, natural materials and access to Homewood School’s library and grounds give those arrangements a recognisable setting.

The January 2023 Good judgement provides a useful starting point. Outdoor learning and practical guidance for learning at home are the two areas to explore when assessing how the nursery’s day now works for your child.