Hawksfield Nursery

Daily van outings and learning shaped around children's interests give Hawksfield Nursery its character. This purpose-built setting at St Breock, near Wadebridge, takes children from 3 months to 5 years. Its approach reaches beyond the nursery: small groups explore local beaches, woodland, moorland and towns, with experiences chosen around what interests them.

At its 21 March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Hawksfield Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical strengths are concrete: child-led teaching, an open-plan kitchen preparing fresh food, and vehicles used daily for outings. These give families a clear picture of how learning and care are organised.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing play, communication and growing independence into the nursery day. Hawksfield's In The Moment approach adds a specific way of teaching: practitioners watch and listen, then respond to a child's interest with questions or new teaching rather than following pre-planned activities.

Open-ended resources let children decide how to use materials in their play. Practitioners ask questions that invite explanation rather than a single-word answer, and revisit experiences with children afterwards. The value for families is a learning approach that starts with what their child is doing and thinking. The learning approach explains how these interactions become opportunities to extend play.

In March 2024, outings to gardens with ponds helped children explore how frogs develop, with that learning continued back at nursery. Children also compared festivals from around the world during local celebrations such as St Piran's Day. These examples connect first-hand experience with further discussion, rather than treating a trip or celebration as an isolated activity.

Group learning needed more attention at that time. Adults sometimes concentrated on confident children, leaving others with fewer opportunities to develop their understanding. This matters for families whose child tends to watch before joining in: a child-led approach still needs adults to notice quieter participation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Out in the Van takes small groups beyond the nursery to explore places linked to their interests and needs. Hawksfield has an 8-seater van and a 12-seater vehicle, used daily. That is a substantial practical resource for making trips part of ordinary nursery life, although daily vehicle use does not mean every child goes out each day.

In March 2024, outdoor play included den building and climbing into a tree house, giving older children opportunities to judge physical challenges. Babies practised pulling themselves upright. The examples show different stages of physical development being supported, rather than one activity standing in for everyone's needs.

Relationships and Communication

In The Moment also shapes how learning is recorded. Practitioners document interactions between adults and children and between children themselves, adding photographs to Tapestry, a system used to record progress. Reflecting with children on what they have explored contributes to those records, linking observation with the child's own account of an experience.

In March 2024, staff shared daily information about care and learning with parents, including ways to continue learning at home. Babies sought comfort from adults before returning to play. These are useful examples of communication and relationships working alongside the educational programme.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, supported by staff identifying additional needs and coordinating with parents, other settings and external agencies. The important mechanism is that cooperation: support was organised across the people involved in a child's care and learning.

In March 2024, everyday routines also supported independence and language. Younger babies practised handwashing, while staff used nappy changes for songs and speech. Preschool children became familiar with book bags and dressing in school uniforms, giving school preparation a practical dimension.

Yummy Bites centres on an open-plan kitchen where meals and snacks are freshly made each day; children are encouraged to serve themselves. Food is therefore also an opportunity to practise doing things independently.

Sessions and Attendance

Hawksfield Nursery is at Hawksfield, St Breock, Wadebridge, PL27 7LR, off the A39. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and two weeks in summer.

The minimum booking is two separate sessions on different days each week. This is a consequential commitment for families considering occasional care: attendance must span different days. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01208 221542.

Funding and Paid Extras

Day-care fees include breakfast, snacks, a freshly cooked two-course hot lunch, afternoon tea and drinks where appropriate. Parents choosing alternative food during weaning supply it themselves, and doing so does not reduce the fee.

Parents also supply named sun cream for summer and any specific formula milk required instead of the nursery's usual supply. Spare labelled clothing, a summer hat and winter waterproofs and wellington boots form part of the home-supplied kit. These arrangements make packing responsibilities worth considering alongside the cost of care.

In March 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page explains the inclusive food arrangements and minimum booking rule.

• Participation in group learning. In March 2024, confident children sometimes received more adult interaction than others. Ask how practitioners now adapt group activities for children who participate quietly or need additional support.
• The lunchtime changeover. In March 2024, the move into lunch sometimes left children insufficiently occupied. Ask how that part of the day is organised now, especially for a child who finds changes of activity difficult.
• A commitment across different days. The minimum is two separate sessions on different days each week. Families seeking occasional attendance need to weigh that rule against their intended routine.

Hawksfield suits families who value child-led play, regular exploration beyond the setting and practical opportunities for independence. In The Moment provides a clear teaching method, while Out in the Van gives children's interests somewhere to go beyond the nursery walls. The Good judgement from March 2024 supports the overall picture, with group participation and lunchtime organisation the points that deserve attention. Its opening window may appeal to families working across the day, provided the minimum booking across different days fits their routine.