The Old School Nursery, Shapwick

A village school building, separate spaces for babies to sleep and play, and a nature meadow on neighbouring farmland give The Old School Nursery, Shapwick its character. This is countryside childcare with practical detail behind it: younger children have gardens of their own, while preschool children take part in Forest School, an outdoor learning programme involving exploration, practical tasks and seasonal experiences.

The nursery occupies the old village school in Shapwick and has capacity for 59 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. Its three rooms follow that progression: Birds & Bees, Caterpillars and Butterflies. The physical separation matters, especially for babies whose feeding, sleeping and play routines need different spaces rather than one room doing everything.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with improvements needed in connecting written numbers with quantities and using everyday routines to involve children more consistently. That dated judgement supplies a useful balance to the appeal of the gardens and countryside setting. Full-day and half-day attendance patterns are offered.

Rooms and Ages

Birds & Bees takes children from three months to two years, combining individual home routines with nursery life across two playrooms, a dining and messy-play space, a separate sleep room and gardens. A milk kitchen provides another practical separation.

Caterpillars, for children aged two to three, emphasises exploration, independence and imaginative play, with a detailed home corner, indoor and outdoor experiences and regular outings into the community. Recreating familiar experiences gives children a way to explore their growing sense of themselves. This stage is organised around their interests rather than simply preparing them to move into the next room.

Butterflies serves ages three to five, using imaginative and child-led exploration alongside opportunities to develop communication, social interaction, literacy and numeracy before school. The EYFS provides the framework for these areas of learning and care: in daily life, that means opportunities to talk, play with others, explore ideas and begin working with letters and numbers. It is the educational foundation here, with outdoor experiences adding another setting in which children can learn.

Learning and Activities

In April 2022, music featured in children's learning through staff-led actions, rhythm and songs that children helped invent. Other observed experiences were equally hands-on: babies explored water with their feet and hands, toddlers helped construct pretend objects, and older children experimented with wooden blocks. The examples span different stages of development rather than presenting one activity as suitable for everyone.

Counting songs also featured in April 2022, although linking quantities to their written numbers needed more consistent attention.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School gives preschool children weekly or twice-weekly days in a nature meadow within the neighbouring farm's grounds. Activities include working with tools, cooking and fire experiences, sensory exploration and play in different weather. Children also explore seasonal change and the role of plants and insects, making the meadow a place for practical investigation as well as energetic outdoor play.

These nursery Forest School sessions pause during school holidays. Nature Explorers Holiday Club is a separate outdoor holiday programme for children aged four to nine, with den building, crafts and outdoor games. The distinction matters when planning a preschool child's year: the nursery's outdoor programme and the holiday club have different schedules and audiences.

Birds & Bees Garden includes sandpits, water play, a mud kitchen and a covered area; Hezzie's Garden is the larger outdoor play area used by Caterpillars and Butterflies. Beyond the grounds, children explore village surroundings, fields, woodland and a nearby play park. Pushchairs support outings for the youngest rooms, so countryside experiences are not confined to children who can manage a longer walk.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with two complimentary sessions, each lasting an hour. The first is used to discuss the child's routines and preferences; during the second, the parent leaves the child with staff. This gives families a defined introduction to separation, with time to explain the details that can make care feel familiar. In Birds & Bees, a key worker spends time with each child daily and oversees their experience.

Famly is the online learning journal used to share observations, photographs and videos. Parents can respond to entries and contribute their own, allowing experiences at home to become part of the conversation. Telephone updates are also used during the start of attendance. The communication is not confined to an account of learning activities.

At the end of a half or full day, handovers cover the child's activities, food, sleep and nappy changes. That practical information helps parents understand how nursery time fits with the rest of the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff responding to children's communication, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Current support includes a SENCO role with experience across different special educational needs. That is a concrete support mechanism, rather than a promise that every child's needs will be met in the same way.

In April 2022, care interactions were unhurried, with babies seeking cuddles and settling with staff. Physical experiences included opportunities to crawl, pull up to standing and explore a swinging hammock, while older children tackled a rope ladder. Those are dated examples of how movement and relationships were woven into the day. The same visit identified inconsistent support for participation and social interaction during some outdoor play and snack routines.

For younger children today, the separate sleep room and the use of routines from home give families practical points to discuss during settling. Food is freshly prepared on the premises and included in the nursery's weekly, daily and half-day rates; nappies and formula are included too.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-day and half-day patterns are offered, with weekly rates also available. Opening hours are 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; these are the nursery's opening window rather than separate session boundaries. It operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Families considering attendance across different seasons can therefore distinguish the nursery calendar from the preschool Forest School calendar.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. The address is West Street, Shapwick, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 9LB, and the telephone number is 01258 857922. This is the village setting between Wimborne and Blandford, based in the old village school building.

Funding and Paid Extras

In April 2022, the nursery received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated funding position, separate from the current paid attendance patterns. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation, with the attendance pattern and charge structure set out together.

For paid weekly, daily and half-day attendance, food, nappies and formula are included in the rates.

• Preschool outdoor calendar. Forest School runs weekly or twice weekly but pauses during school holidays. Consider how that rhythm fits your child's attendance across the year.
• Learning through everyday routines. The April 2022 improvement points concerned written numbers and quantities, alongside participation during routines. During a visit, ask how staff now build these skills into counting, snack time and outdoor play.
• A structured start. Two complimentary hour-long settling sessions are offered, with separation during the second. A nursery visit normally lasts about an hour; use it to discuss how that introduction would accommodate your child's home routines.
• Funding arrangements. Paid rates include food, nappies and formula. Ask which funded entitlements the nursery currently offers, how the hours are delivered and how meals and consumables are treated within that arrangement.

The Old School Nursery suits families seeking either full-day or half-day attendance who value countryside experiences and clearly separated spaces for younger children. Birds & Bees has substantial practical detail behind its baby care, while the preschool Forest School programme gives older children a recurring opportunity to investigate the natural world.

The April 2022 Good judgement comes with specific development points, so the gardens should be considered alongside questions about everyday teaching and participation. The strongest reasons to consider this nursery are concrete: a separate sleep space, a planned settling sequence, useful daily communication and outdoor experiences that extend beyond the nursery garden.