The Secret Garden Day Nursery

Outdoor play gives The Secret Garden Day Nursery its character. Natural play and sensory exploration lead the offer at this Dunsville setting, which cares for children from birth to five. For families who value movement, imagination and learning beyond indoor activities, that emphasis is the strongest reason to look closely.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 4 May 2023 inspection. The detail behind that judgement matters: children explored physical challenges suited to their development, staff extended learning through everyday play, and there was a specific improvement point about independence at lunch. This is a nursery to assess through the child's whole day, including the ordinary tasks between activities.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides children's learning and care through play and development appropriate to their stage. Here, the current emphasis is on natural play, outdoor exploration and sensory experiences. That gives families a clear picture of the approach: the outdoor area is part of learning, rather than simply a place for a break.

In May 2023, physical activities became more challenging as children developed. Babies crawled through a tunnel and tackled cushioned steps; toddlers practised balancing on an obstacle course. Preschool children cycled along a path and explored a wooded space. These examples show how movement could be adapted for different stages, with opportunities to practise balance and control rather than expecting everyone to do the same task.

Numbers also entered play in concrete ways in May 2023. Staff counted alongside babies playing tambourines, toddlers explored quantities using sand and containers, and preschool children arranged beads into repeating patterns. Mathematical ideas had something children could handle, hear or make. They were not confined to an abstract explanation.

Stories provided a starting point for conversation. In May 2023, Meet the Parents prompted children to talk about experiences with their families, including shopping and swimming. Taking turns to contribute connected a shared book with their own lives. Sensory exploration was similarly responsive: a question about the smell of chocolate led to painting with cocoa powder and discussing its texture.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area supports imaginative discovery and sensory play. That is a useful match for children who enjoy exploring through movement and touch. The May 2023 examples of cycling and woodland exploration give substance to this emphasis, while remaining a picture of the nursery day at that time.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and assessed children's progress, including that of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, positively, with staff using assessments to plan subsequent learning. These are dated findings rather than a promise about an individual child's experience.

Relationships were built through close knowledge of children in May 2023. Staff understood differences in their emotional needs, and children learned manners from adults' behaviour. Small-group work gave practitioners opportunities to respond to children's conversation and play. For parents, the useful detail is the connection between knowing a child and adapting what happens next.

Communication extended learning beyond nursery in May 2023. Parents received updates about what their children were learning and ideas to try at home. Additional funding bought resources and books connected with children's interests, and its impact was reviewed. This linked support with practical materials rather than leaving it as a general intention.

Staff development also had a regular structure in May 2023: supervision meetings, colleagues observing one another and mentoring for apprentices. At that time, staff had paediatric first-aid training and carried out daily safety checks. These describe the arrangements at that visit, rather than current staffing numbers.

A nursery cook makes meals and snacks, with produce sourced locally where possible. Dietary requirements are catered for, including dairy-free alternatives, giving families a concrete food arrangement to discuss alongside their child's needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 82 High Street, Dunsville, Doncaster, DN7 4BX. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holidays closed. That opening window helps parents assess whether the nursery fits the working day.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01302 883 291 or by email at info@secretgardendaynursery.com. These are also the routes for arranging a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged two, three and four, including 30 hours childcare for three- and four-year-olds. Provider participation and a family's entitlement are separate questions, so this should not be read as a guarantee of eligibility or a particular attendance arrangement. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Independence at lunch. In May 2023, adults sometimes served food or poured drinks for children who could manage those tasks themselves. Ask how children now practise these everyday skills: the improvement point concerns confidence and responsibility as well as mealtime routines.
• Outdoor learning in practice. Natural and sensory play are central to the offer. On a visit, discuss how the outdoor area is used by children at your child's stage, using the cycling, balancing and exploration examples as a starting point.
• The attendance and funding package. For the nursery's year-round opening window and its funded offer, what booking pattern would suit your family, how would entitlement hours be delivered, and what would you pay or provide for food and consumables? Request a written quotation covering that arrangement.

The Secret Garden suits families seeking care from birth to five with an emphasis on natural play, physical exploration and sensory learning. Its May 2023 Good judgement gives a dated quality reference, while the examples of play make the educational approach easier to understand. The decision should also include the small things: how children practise independence at lunch and how the attendance package fits family life.