Naturally Learning Charlestown

Woodland beside the nursery and beach sessions for every age give Naturally Learning Charlestown a clear outdoor identity. Its granite building has play spaces across two floors, a courtyard garden and adjoining woods. For families drawn to learning through the natural world, the surroundings are part of the offer rather than an occasional change of scenery.

The nursery cares for children aged 0-5 and has 65 places in total. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its 14 November 2024 inspection. The setting combines a sensory baby space, an explorer space for younger children and an outdoor preschool, so the experience changes as children grow.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The address is Old Church Hall, Church Road, Charlestown, PL25 3NS.

Rooms and Ages

The baby space uses lights and essential oils as part of its sensory surroundings. Those details make it a different environment from the more physically adventurous spaces for older children, and give parents something specific to discuss when considering their baby's comfort.

For children aged 2-3, the explorer space combines opportunities for challenge with a sense of security. The Preschool serves ages 3-5 through Forest School, an outdoor approach here centred on experiencing nature, seasonal change and practical adventure skills.

The building and grounds offer contrasting settings for play: indoor spaces spread over two storeys, a courtyard and woodland immediately alongside. Outdoor learning therefore has a physical base at the nursery itself, alongside the beach sessions included in the curriculum for all children.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent terms, play supports developing language, movement, social understanding and early mathematical ideas; the outdoor approach sits alongside those responsibilities.

In November 2024, babies explored light and darkness using shiny objects and lights. Younger children investigated how much containers could hold through water play, with adults supplying words to describe the changing amounts. Older children discussed an artist's work before producing their own pictures of a night sky. These examples show different starting points rather than one activity being applied to every age.

Practical tasks also carried learning. In November 2024, children cooking porridge over a campfire predicted the quantities of water and oats they would need, then tried out their ideas. Counting and comparison had an immediate purpose: making something to eat. Adults also introduced descriptive language during play with decorated leaves, extending children's vocabulary through something they were already interested in.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School and beach sessions are central to this branch's outdoor offer. The preschool's woodland experience connects children with seasonal changes, while the beach brings another natural setting into the curriculum. Neither is simply a name attached to indoor activities.

In November 2024, younger children practised balance and coordination in the garden. Older children climbed and balanced in the woods, including checking a fallen trunk's stability before sitting on it. Adults talked through risk assessment and helped children recognise physical feelings associated with risk. The emphasis was on learning to judge a situation, as well as completing a physical challenge.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, excellent support for children with SEND and excellent progress from children's individual starting points. Those findings provide a dated assessment of care and learning, alongside the overall grade.

In November 2024, staff knew children's interests and next learning steps, and children approached them for reassurance when trying unfamiliar tasks. Adults helped children identify feelings and put them into words. Sharing and taking turns were supported through everyday interactions, giving emotional development a practical place in the nursery day.

Support for children needing extra help included collaboration with families and external services in November 2024. Staff used interventions from occupational therapy and speech and language support. This is a concrete mechanism for adapting activities to individual needs, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Transitions between age groups also had a planned structure in November 2024. Each age group had a transition lead, with play visits allowing children to explore their next environment before moving. Parents received guidance about sleep routines and behaviour at home, connecting nursery care with family life.

Meals were prepared at the nursery in November 2024, with fish, rice and cucumber salsa among the examples served. Adults sat alongside children and used mealtimes for conversation, making eating a social part of the day.

Charlestown's Old Church Hall site is open on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm. It operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. For families planning regular childcare, the Christmas closure is a practical part of the annual calendar.

The nursery's beach and woodland provision belongs alongside its indoor spaces when weighing up the setting. Its outdoor preschool is specifically for ages 3-5, while beach and forest sessions form part of the curriculum for all children. That distinction matters when considering the experience for a baby or toddler rather than assuming every age follows the preschool model.

In November 2024, the nursery received funding to provide free early education. The written quotation is the place to establish current prices and the charge structure before committing to an attendance arrangement.

• Outdoor preschool. Forest School is the preschool model for ages 3-5, and beach sessions extend across the age range. During a visit, discuss how a typical day balances these settings with the indoor spaces.
• Baby surroundings. Lights and essential oils are part of the baby space. Discuss how these fit your child's sensory preferences and settling needs.
• Funding and the quotation. The nursery received early-education funding in November 2024. What funded attendance arrangement, meals and consumables would your current written quotation cover?

Naturally Learning Charlestown suits families who want outdoor learning to shape their child's nursery experience, from beach sessions across the age range to a woodland preschool for ages 3-5. The courtyard, adjoining woods and granite building give that approach tangible settings.

Its November 2024 Outstanding judgement carries weight, while the practical examples of campfire maths, supported room transitions and work with outside specialists give parents more to assess than a grade alone. Weekday opening across the year is useful for regular childcare, with the Christmas closure requiring advance planning.