The Little Learners Nursery

A village hall, a secure garden and activities that connect children with older neighbours give The Little Learners Nursery a clear community character. Singing for older adults, litter picking and Christmas plays make the neighbourhood part of children's experience, rather than simply the nursery's address. Social confidence and emotional wellbeing shape its child-led approach.

The nursery welcomes children aged 1 to 5 and has 25 places in total. Its base is at the rear of the village hall in Ringwood. That whole-setting capacity should not be read as the size of an individual group.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 19 November 2021 inspection. The current attendance offer includes morning, afternoon and all-day options during term time, alongside Summer Clubs for the summer holidays.

Learning and Activities

Child-led learning starts with what interests children and gives staff a starting point for activities. The EYFS provides the framework for their learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday routines help children build skills, while their key person follows their progress. Here, the curriculum places an emphasis on helping children trust their own abilities and develop social confidence.

In November 2021, an interest in trains became an opportunity to draw a bigger track using chalk and large sheets of paper. It was a practical example of extending an existing interest rather than replacing it with an unrelated task. Small-group activities also gave children opportunities to listen and develop their vocabulary.

The daily timetable combines free play, snacks, outdoor activity and circle time. Outdoor play has a place in both the morning and afternoon, giving children joining either session a planned opportunity to be active. Messy activities, art, water and sand play also feature in the nursery's arrangements for spare clothing. Families should expect a day that calls for practical clothes.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secure garden provides outdoor space at the nursery, while the nearby play park and village green extend the places children can explore. Community activities include collecting litter and singing for older adults. These give children concrete ways to take part in local life: caring for a shared space and contributing something to other people.

Christmas plays take place in the village hall. The setting therefore uses its village setting for both everyday activity and performances, rather than keeping community involvement separate from nursery life.

In November 2021, outdoor experiences included woodland walks, negotiating muddy slopes, moving over and beneath branches, and climbing low trees. Ball games took place at a nearby sports facility. These were varied physical challenges, involving balance and movement across uneven ground as well as more familiar games. They describe the experience at that time, rather than a fixed current programme of outings.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a designated key person, giving families a clear contact for concerns and someone responsible for tracking development within the EYFS. Parents can view their child's progress when they need to. The same relationship supports settling, so the adult following a child's learning also has a role in helping them become comfortable at nursery.

In November 2021, families were offered learning packs to use at home, and a key person helped a parent consider a suitable school for their child. Staff also encouraged children to attempt everyday tasks themselves, including putting on outdoor clothing. That practical preparation connects independence with what children actually need to do during the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes a deputy with SENCO responsibility and a leader for one-year-olds. These roles identify responsibility for additional needs and the youngest children without suggesting that every child needs the same support.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, described skilled SEND support involving parents and other professionals, and judged that children made good progress from their starting points. Those are dated findings about practice, rather than guarantees about an individual child's experience.

Morning and afternoon snacks are provided with milk or water; an example combines crackers, grapes and soft cheese. Parents supply nappies and wipes when needed, and are asked to bring their child's sun cream, with nursery sun cream available as a fallback.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and a lunch session sits between them, from 11.30am to 12.30pm. Children can attend mornings, afternoons, all day or combinations of sessions. This gives families a choice between a shorter nursery session and attendance across the day.

The main nursery year covers 38 weeks and follows term time, with bank-holiday closures. Summer Clubs provide an additional summer-holiday option. Cancellation of sessions requires four weeks' notice, and fees are paid monthly in advance. Absences do not attract refunds, which matters when budgeting for a regular booking.

Getting There

The address is the rear of St Leonards and St Ives Village Hall, Braeside Road, St Leonards, Ringwood, BH24 2PH. Free parking includes disabled spaces.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. These routes also allow families to arrange a tour.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children, alongside paid sessions. The fees and funding page covers the 15-hour route for eligible two-year-olds, 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, and the conditional 30-hour route for three- and four-year-olds. Attendance follows the term-time nursery year; the general funding guidance about spreading hours across additional weeks does not establish a stretched arrangement here.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Parents provide nappies, wipes and their child's sun cream, so those supplies remain part of preparing for attendance.

• The term-time calendar. The main offer runs for 38 weeks, with Summer Clubs as an additional option. Families needing care through school holidays should discuss the summer-club pattern during a tour.
• Group activities and staff support. In November 2021, some large-group stories lost children's attention, and staff supervision needed a clearer emphasis on developing teaching. Ask how group activities and staff development are organised now.
• Food across the day. Both sessions include snack provision, and the timetable has a separate lunch period. For an all-day booking, ask what to bring for lunch and how food charges work, including on funded hours.
• The youngest children's day. Children can start at 1, and the team includes a leader for that age. During a visit, ask how the youngest children are grouped and how rest fits around the outdoor timetable.

The Little Learners Nursery suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as those wanting an all-day term-time pattern. Its secure garden, village-green activities and participation in community life give the offer a recognisable character. A designated key person provides a clear route for discussing development and settling.

The Good judgement dates from November 2021, and the improvement priorities from that visit deserve a direct conversation. For families whose childcare needs fit the term-time calendar, the combination of shorter sessions, outdoor activity and an emphasis on social confidence makes this a useful setting to consider.