Old MacDonald's Day Nursery Latimer

Woodland walks and a floor-to-ceiling soft play area give Old MacDonald's Day Nursery Latimer two quite different ways to keep children moving. Open farmland surrounds the nursery, while the Adventure Play Room brings soft play and ball-pool play indoors. For families who value physical play, that combination gives the setting a clear character.

At its 3 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. It has capacity for 96 children, accepting ages from 3 months to 5 years, at Woodside House in Latimer, near Chesham. That whole-setting capacity should not be read as the size of an individual child's group.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered, with no minimum number of sessions. The flexibility is useful for parents whose childcare needs do not follow a full working week.

Rooms and Ages

Children spend time in groups organised by age, with visits between groups arranged for siblings or friends. That gives children a way to maintain familiar relationships while spending the main part of their day with their own age group.

The separate Adventure Play Room contains a ball pool and soft play reaching from floor to ceiling, adding a substantial indoor space for active play. It features in the daily routine alongside quieter activities, rather than standing apart from the nursery day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this means that play, communication and everyday care all contribute to learning; the framework is the baseline, while Latimer's particular activities give the day its shape.

Children have opportunities to choose their play, alongside planned art, messy activities, stories and singing. The routine is a guide rather than a fixed sequence: children's needs and ages can alter it. A period for sleep or quieter activity follows lunch, giving a different pace to the middle of the day.

Challenge Sport & Education provides sport sessions, while Dinky Dancers brings music and dance classes during the year. These additions broaden the ways children can move and participate. Their frequency is described across the year, rather than as a weekly timetable.

In May 2022, younger children explored objects concealed in a box with their key person, while older children examined small creatures outdoors. Children also planted seeds together, explaining what plants needed and deciding how to care for them. These examples show how conversation, cooperation and hands-on exploration worked together at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

The routine includes woodland walks in both the morning and afternoon. Surrounding farmland and woodland support Forest schooling, an approach involving learning outdoors through practical exploration. This gives the outdoor offer more substance than time in a garden alone.

In May 2022, children used fabric and pegs to construct dens during outdoor learning. They practised fastening materials themselves and kept trying when the task was difficult. The activity combined physical effort with a purpose children could understand.

Relationships and Communication

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children had close relationships with their key person, that support involved nursing, occupational therapy and speech and language professionals, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. These are dated judgements, rather than a description of every aspect of care today.

In May 2022, familiar adults provided comfort after sleep and supported older children's developing independence with toileting. Everyday care was also used for conversation with younger children. For a parent choosing care for a baby, those small interactions matter as much as the activity timetable.

The enrolment process includes information about allergies, disabilities and ongoing health conditions. Parents also identify emergency contacts and give permissions covering matters such as photographs and outings. This makes sharing a child's circumstances part of joining, rather than leaving it to an informal conversation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In May 2022, receiving teachers were encouraged to visit the nursery and learn about strategies used to support children moving on, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. The practical value was continuity: adults at the next setting could learn how support had worked before the move.

Food is prepared by the nursery's cook, with a hot lunch, dessert, snacks and high tea among the meals served according to attendance. Meat comes from a local butcher, and Grocer on the Green supplies fruit and vegetables.

There were also important weaknesses in May 2022. Noise and interruptions sometimes disrupted learning, and staff did not consistently use the available rooms to relieve this. Staff interactions varied in quality across the nursery; improving the use of space and sharing effective practice were the two priorities for improvement.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except public bank holidays. Morning and afternoon sessions, full days and a full week are offered, with no minimum session requirement.

The enrolment options include full days from 7.30am to either 6.30pm or 7pm; mornings from either 8am or 8.30am to 1pm; and afternoons from either 1pm or 1.30pm to 6pm. The later full-day option needs clarification against the stated closing time before a family relies on it.

Initial enquiries use the Latimer enquiry form. The enrolment form follows an offer and acceptance of a place, and parents sign the agreement during settling-in sessions. This separates an initial enquiry from committing to attendance.

Getting There

The address is Woodside House, Latimer, Chesham, HP5 1UQ; the nursery's contact address also identifies Church Lane. Parking is provided on the premises, which is useful for families bringing children by car.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is supported through the enrolment form's provision for up to 15- or 30-hours free childcare. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Later collection. A 7pm full-day option sits alongside opening hours ending at 6.30pm. Confirm which finish applies to your booking before organising work or collection around the later time.
• Noise and adult interaction. In May 2022, interruptions affected some children's learning and staff interaction was uneven. During a visit, ask how rooms are used when activity becomes noisy and how practice is shared between staff.
• Funding and everyday costs. The enrolment form accommodates up to 15- or 30-hours free childcare. Ask how those hours fit your chosen sessions and what the written quotation covers for meals and non-food consumables.

Latimer suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, especially those who value woodland activity and substantial indoor physical play. The lack of a minimum session requirement adds practical flexibility. The Good judgement from May 2022 provides a dated quality benchmark, while the findings about noise and variable staff interaction give families concrete points to explore when choosing care.