Bourton-On-The-Water Day Nursery

An upstairs baby unit, an allotment and preschool playrooms with direct outdoor access give Bourton-On-The-Water Day Nursery a clear character: care changes with the child's stage, while independence runs through the day. Babies have routines adapted around them; older children choose activities, help themselves at mealtimes and grow food. These are practical steps towards doing more for themselves.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with personalised SEND support helping children make good progress. The judgement came with important qualifications: teaching interactions needed greater consistency, younger children needed clearer behaviour expectations, and parents needed more help to continue learning at home. Those points matter alongside the strengths.

The nursery cares for children from 3 months to 5 years at Willow Court in Bourton-on-the-Water. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings serve different family routines, with attendance across the year rather than term time alone.

Rooms and Ages

Under 2’s occupy an upstairs unit with separate spaces for messy exploration and play, a book corner, a home corner and sensory wall tiles in the hallway. A kitchen for preparing bottles and a bathroom for changing nappies keep everyday baby care within that unit. The arrangement gives mobile babies things to investigate while leaving softer places for stories and quieter play.

Tiggers generally welcomes children around their second birthday, with the move adjusted to the individual child; play extends between the main playroom, front room, hall and garden, while turn-taking and serving food build everyday independence. This stage is about practising skills repeatedly. Using cutlery, joining singing and circle times, and taking part in role play give toddlers different ways to communicate and cooperate.

Biggies/Pre-school caters for children aged 3 to 5, combining two large playrooms with access to the hall and outdoor space, and an emphasis on choosing activities and developing speaking and listening. Comfortable mats give children places to sit and play. Adults plan activities, but children also collect materials and organise ideas of their own, then help put things away afterwards.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, play, conversation, physical activity and growing independence turn that framework into everyday experiences.

In Biggies, letters and sounds develops listening and speaking alongside early phonics through activities involving rhythm, rhyme and different kinds of sound. Its purpose is clear: children practise hearing and using language before learning to read. Stories after lunch and singing during circle times offer further opportunities to listen and contribute.

In November 2024, children investigated toy animals trapped in ice and experimented with a floating penguin and other materials. Adults used questions to encourage children to test ideas and think about what happened. During morning yoga, children chose which poses to use. However, some adults interrupted their conversations with children to complete housekeeping, and feedback to staff did not consistently help them improve those interactions. The activities had substance; adult follow-through was less even.

Outdoor and Community Life

A small allotment connects outdoor play with food: Tiggers can water seeds and collect produce that contributes to lunch. Biggies take countryside walks and often visit the library, park or village ducks, while babies also make trips to the park and village. These outings broaden the day beyond the nursery's rooms.

In November 2024, daily outdoor play included puddles, water and chalk, alongside bug hotels and opportunities to investigate minibeasts and care for snails. Babies had opportunities for tummy time. Those examples show outdoor activity serving several purposes, from movement and mark-making to noticing living things and handling them carefully.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, giving families a familiar contact who follows development and plans suitable activities. A back-up key person is also assigned. Settling arrangements gather information about favourite things, routines and interests, and the nominated adult can change if a child forms a closer bond with somebody else.

Parents can stay for the first settling session, with subsequent introductions tailored to the child. Family photographs, updates and shorter days where possible are among the ways the nursery supports the adjustment. Children do not join outings until they have settled completely. That keeps the first stage centred on relationships before extending the child's experiences further afield.

Famly, the online learning journal, records learning and gives baby-room families information about sleep and nappy changes. This makes everyday care visible as well as recording development. In November 2024, parents received daily care feedback and developmental updates, but the information did not sufficiently explain how to build on learning at home. A record of what happened and a useful next step are different things.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with families and other professionals on SEND support, using visual prompts and a timetable to help children understand routines and communicate their needs. The current SEND arrangements give the SENCo and key person defined responsibilities for assessing needs, agreeing support with parents and reviewing its effect.

Support plans are reviewed every 6-8 weeks, or as needed. Parents contribute throughout assessment, planning and review, and the nursery can seek specialist advice or equipment. Transition arrangements include liaison with other settings and schools. This is a concrete process for adapting provision to the child, rather than a general promise that every need will be met in the same way.

Baby sleep follows individual routines rather than a fixed room timetable, with staff monitoring sleeping children and using the same cot where possible. Tiggers can nap or spend time with quiet stories and tabletop activities after lunch; their bedding is kept separately and washed weekly. Toilet training usually starts with families and is supported at nursery, including encouragement and spare clothing for accidents; staff may also let parents know when a child shows interest.

The staff structure includes a manager who acts as a designated safeguarding lead, a deputy manager/SENCo and a training and development lead. A separate Under 2’s room leader provides room-level responsibility. These roles give families identifiable routes for care, additional support and concerns.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1 Willow Court, Bourton On The Water Industrial Park, Cheltenham, GL54 2HQ, just off the A429 between Cirencester and Stow on the Wold. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm, Morning from 8am to 1pm and Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm; an Early Start from 7.30am to 8am can be arranged in advance for an additional charge. Earlier collection is permitted within a booked session, but the whole session remains payable.

Attendance is across the year, excluding bank holidays, and term-time-only places are not offered. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have a 4pm closure. Sessions cannot be swapped, and holiday or sickness absence remains chargeable. Reducing sessions or leaving requires a month's written notice, with fees payable instead if notice is not given.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children from the term after they reach nine months, including the 30 hours entitlement, and funding is stretched across the year. Families are responsible for maintaining eligibility codes and renewing them every three months. Funded sessions may be allocated according to the nursery's booking arrangements, so funding does not establish a particular attendance pattern.

Food carries a separate charge for funded sessions, and funded children also have a voluntary sundries charge. Parents supply nappies, wipes, nappy cream and sun cream; baby formula or breast milk also comes from home. A chef and kitchen assistant prepare food, with babies moving onto solids offered breakfast, snacks, cooked lunch and tea, including puréed food where needed. The nursery's allergy arrangements require families to provide dietary information so appropriate food can be arranged.

Monday Music group is a separately charged weekly activity. A holding fee reserves a place and is credited against the first invoice. Payments are monthly in advance, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Consistency in the room. In November 2024, some teaching conversations were interrupted and younger children received uneven behaviour guidance. On a visit, ask how coaching and shared expectations now shape staff practice, and how families receive useful ideas for learning at home.
• Attendance throughout the year. Funding is stretched and term-time-only bookings are not offered. Families needing care only during school terms should weigh that model alongside charges during holidays and sickness, the notice period and the rule against swapping sessions.
• Baby care upstairs. Under 2’s have their own upstairs spaces and individual sleep routines. Use a visit to discuss the practical handling of your baby's sleep, feeding and transitions outdoors; families managing allergies should confirm current food arrangements before starting.
• Monday Music group. This weekly activity has a separate charge. What does the session involve, and how does it fit your child's booked nursery day?

Bourton-On-The-Water Day Nursery suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance across the year. Its strongest practical features are the separation of baby care, opportunities for older children to choose and organise activities, and an outdoor life that includes growing food and local outings.

The Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, but consistency deserves attention. The November 2024 priorities were specific: better coaching, clearer behaviour guidance and more useful learning information for parents. The room arrangements and care routines make a persuasive offer; understanding how those priorities have been addressed is the key visit conversation.