Little Laura's Nursery

Woodland walks are part of everyday life at Little Laura's Nursery, with outdoor exploration shaping much of its character. The former school building in West Lavington has two sizeable classrooms and outdoor space for play in changing weather. Children can investigate, experiment and choose activities rather than spend the day following a tightly directed timetable.

At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, recognising children's independence, enthusiasm for learning and close relationships with staff. Children applied woodland discoveries to investigations and helped younger friends develop skills.

The nursery has capacity for 28 children and accepts children from 12 months to five years. Term-time and all-year contracts sit alongside a choice of session start and finish times, giving families more than one way to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: children build their communication, physical and social skills through play and everyday experiences. Here, free exploration occupies substantial parts of the day, with children choosing between indoor and outdoor activities. Circle time, stories and songs give that play a shared rhythm.

The morning includes breakfast, a snack and lunch, while preschool children have their own circle time before lunch. Afternoons return to exploration, with a rolling snack rather than every child stopping at once. Weekly activities include baking, Spanish, ballet and Kindermusik. The daily structure also leaves considerable space for children to pursue their own interests.

In August 2022, activities were adapted to children's different stages. An insect investigation gave older children opportunities to consult factual books and identify what they observed, while babies explored toy insects and heard simple vocabulary. The same subject could therefore involve both groups at different levels, rather than requiring younger children to follow an older child's task.

Language and number also grew out of ordinary play in August 2022. Children used scientific vocabulary while discussing insects and flowers, counted their peers during circle time, and compared shapes and sizes independently. These examples give substance to the emphasis on exploration: play was also a means of practising ideas and using new words.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds hands-on woodland learning alongside the early years foundation stage. Its activities introduce care for living things and respect for nature. Daily walks into surrounding woodland involve children of different ages, so outdoor learning extends beyond the older children's organised sessions.

The Forest School arrangements describe a group of twelve children aged three and over going to the woods from 9.30am to noon, with the sessions included in nursery fees. Parents receive their child's attendance day so they can prepare suitable clothing.

Waterproof clothing and summer hats are supplied, helping make outdoor play workable across the seasons. Families still bring wellies, warm layers and spare clothes. For children who enjoy investigating outside, the practical arrangements matter as much as the woodland itself.

In August 2022, community experiences included singing and talking with older adults at a local group. Children also drew on earlier woodland learning when looking for insects beneath a log. Both examples show learning extending beyond an adult-led activity: children used what they knew in another setting or in their own play.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts with an induction conversation four to six weeks before a child begins. Staff discuss routines, communication, development, current interests and important relationships. This gives the key person information about the child before the first nursery session, rather than leaving families to explain everything at the point of separation.

Usually, two or three settling sessions follow, with more added where needed. The first lasts approximately an hour and includes the parent, allowing the child to explore while getting to know their key person. Later sessions introduce separation gradually, and staff telephone parents if their child becomes distressed.

Photographs in an online learning journal, courtesy calls and conversations about the child's day support families during settling. Ongoing communication includes daily handovers and termly parent afternoons. These provide different opportunities to exchange information: immediate practical updates at handover and more time for discussion during the term.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including collaboration with speech therapists and small groups targeting speech and language.

The team includes Early Years Teachers, and staff have undertaken training concerning autism and speech and language. In August 2022, the special educational needs coordinator worked with visiting professionals to agree strategies and targets. This connected specialist advice with activities inside the nursery.

A nursery chef prepares cooked lunches; families supply fruit for snacks and a packed tea for children staying later. Parents also bring nappies, while the nursery provides wipes and sun cream, with sun cream applied at home before the nursery day.

Preparation for school involved practical exchanges in August 2022: incoming teachers spent time with children at nursery, staff shared information at transition events, and parents attended a school-readiness meeting. That work supported the change of setting through familiar adults and information sharing, rather than presenting school readiness as an academic checklist.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is West Lavington School, Church Road, West Lavington, Midhurst, GU29 0EH. Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Families can choose a term-time contract covering 39 weeks or an all-year contract covering 50 weeks.

Session starts are offered at 8am, 9am or 1pm, with finishes at 1pm, 3pm, 4pm or 5.30pm. The minimum booking is two sessions each week. Children on term-time contracts can also book holiday sessions subject to availability, using the holiday booking form sent to families.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Registration and payment add a child to the waiting list; an offer is followed by administration forms, a deposit and arrangements for settling and the start date. Joining the list is therefore a separate step from accepting an offered place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Free entitlement is offered from the term after a child's third birthday, subject to the nursery's terms and conditions. Paid childcare also forms part of the attendance arrangements. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, with the pricing and terms providing the booking conditions.

The registration charge is non-refundable, with siblings registered free of charge. A deposit is required within a week of receiving the administration forms. It is non-refundable if the child's name is withdrawn before the first term begins or the child leaves during the term before starting school. Fee changes are introduced with at least one month's notice, which gives families time to adjust their childcare budget.

For food and consumables, the parent-supplied elements are fruit, packed tea and nappies. Cooked lunch, wipes and sun cream are provided by the nursery. Forest School carries no additional charge and is included in nursery fees.

• Outdoor clothing. Daily woodland walks and play in different weather make wellies, spare clothes and warm layers useful parts of the nursery bag, even though waterproofs and summer hats are supplied.
• Contract and booking commitment. The choice between 39-week and 50-week attendance sits alongside a two-session weekly minimum. Consider both the school-holiday requirement and the regular weekly commitment before registering.
• Funded-place costs. Free entitlement starts from the term after the third birthday. At a visit, ask how funded hours fit your chosen attendance pattern and which food or consumable charges apply to those hours.
• Registration sequence. Paying the non-refundable registration charge joins the waiting list, with siblings exempt from that charge. Families should distinguish that commitment from the later place offer and deposit.

Little Laura's suits families who want outdoor exploration to occupy a substantial part of nursery life, with daily woodland walks and Forest School alongside indoor play. Its attendance choices accommodate term-time families, those needing all-year care, and parents choosing shorter sessions or later finishes.

The August 2022 Outstanding judgement gives the strongest quality reference, supported by detailed examples of independence, language learning and relationships. The practical balance is clear: considerable freedom to explore, an individually paced settling process and a booking commitment that families need to weigh against their weekly and holiday routines.