Into The Wild Nursery

Measuring insects and digging for pretend treasure gave outdoor play a learning purpose at Into The Wild Nursery in May 2022. The Alton setting has capacity for 20 children in total. Its forest area and large garden were central to the nursery day at that time.

At its 18 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. Children attending then were aged two to four; the strongest examples combined movement, conversation and practical discovery.

In May 2022, children balanced on benches, dug in sand and mud, and chased hoops. These were opportunities to practise coordination through active play. The forest area also supported daily exploration of nature, creative activity and problem-solving.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the May 2022 examples included counting, storytelling and learning through play. A conversation about pirates led to a treasure hunt in sand, with children counting their finds. Tape measures brought numbers into investigations of insects and brick towers. Mathematics had something tangible attached to it.

During that same month, children used chalk and markers to make pictures and marks. Hammering petals and leaves onto fabric gave them practice with tools and hand movements relevant to later writing. Staff also extended vocabulary through conversations about the differences between lemons and limes.

Small-group conversation had another practical starting point in May 2022: a sound box whose contents children explored with staff. Handling and discussing objects gave children something concrete to talk about, while practitioners supplied words to extend the exchange. Language learning accompanied an activity rather than standing apart from it. Familiar stories offered a different opportunity to listen, while drawing and mark-making let children express ideas through materials they could use themselves.

Personal photographs also became play resources that month. Wooden blocks carried pictures of the children and their homes, prompting comparisons of front-door colours and what children were wearing. These familiar images brought similarities and differences into conversations children could join from their own experience. The subject was personal and recognisable.

In May 2022, staff followed children's emerging interests when planning activities, and the manager had worked with parents on what children should learn. The pirate conversation was one example of that connection between an interest and a learning opportunity. Measuring extended beyond insects to the children themselves, inviting comparisons of height as well as exploration of numbers. Everyday interests became opportunities to count, talk and investigate.

In May 2022, staff and families adapted settling arrangements together. Children formed close relationships with practitioners and friendships with one another, giving the transition from home a personal basis rather than a fixed routine.

Independence featured in changing shoes and helping themselves at meals that month. However, behaviour support was sometimes too slow, and lunchtime organisation needed greater attention to children's social development. These were practical weaknesses in otherwise positive daily experiences.

Relationships also had a visible social dimension in May 2022. Children chose activities to share with friends and confidently introduced themselves to visitors. Staff used praise in their interactions and joined small-group activities, giving children adult attention alongside opportunities to play with one another. For a parent weighing settling and social confidence, these are useful examples of how children participated in nursery life at that time.

Behind those interactions, the manager observed staff practice and held regular meetings in May 2022. Practitioners could undertake online training and contribute their own ideas. This gave staff opportunities to discuss their work and consider changes to children's experiences. The behaviour and lunchtime recommendations nevertheless show why supportive staff arrangements and consistent daily practice need to be considered together.

The address is Scout Association, Chawton Park Road, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1RQ. The nursery's 20 places are its whole-setting capacity, rather than a statement about the size of any individual group.

• Behaviour support. In May 2022, staff did not always respond promptly to unwanted behaviour. Consistency matters when children are learning to manage feelings and play alongside others.
• Lunchtime interaction. The May 2022 lunchtime routine needed refinement to develop social skills. Mealtimes should give older children opportunities to practise these alongside independence.
• Planning attendance. What attendance pattern and settling arrangements would suit your child, and what would the written quotation include for meals and consumables?

For families who value outdoor exploration linked to early learning, the May 2022 picture offers substantial appeal: counting treasure, measuring discoveries and using real tools gave play a clear purpose. Into The Wild Nursery merits consideration on that basis, balanced against the behaviour and lunchtime improvements identified at that time.