Old Dairy Farm Nursery

A working farm, an edible garden and woodland make outdoor exploration central to Old Dairy Farm Nursery. Two converted farm cottages house this Petersfield setting, with separate baby gardens and animals to learn about. The physical offer is compelling. Teaching and support need closer attention.

At its 3 December 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement and behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines to be at the Expected standard, with safeguarding standards met, while children's welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance all received Needs attention judgements. That combination matters: positive relationships and children's enjoyment sit alongside substantial weaknesses in identifying developmental needs and arranging appropriate help.

The nursery has capacity for 50 children, with a current age range of 3 to 60 months. Chicks, Ducklings, Lambs and Alpacas organise the progression from baby care towards school. Attendance options include a School Day and a Full Day, alongside funded-only arrangements with different conditions.

Rooms and Ages

Chicks, for approximately 3 to 18 months, occupies the upstairs baby space and has its own garden, giving the youngest children outdoor space separate from the older groups. Ducklings, for approximately 18 months to 2.5 years, is downstairs and also has a separate garden, with resources selected for children's developmental stage. Lambs covers approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years. Alpacas takes children from approximately 3.5 years until school.

The linked baby and toddler areas have dedicated sleep rooms and two ateliers for creative exploration. Babies and toddlers explore the garden and animals; from age two, downstairs sessions introduce preschool children's company gradually.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supplies the educational framework: children develop language, physical skills, social understanding and early knowledge through play, exploration and creative thinking. It is the baseline for early years education. Alongside it, the nursery's Reggio Emilia approach lets children's interests help shape projects that develop over time, with adults supporting their investigations and exchange of ideas.

Displayed photographs and written accounts let children, families and educators revisit learning together. Clay, drawing, paint, collage, movement, music and drama give children ways to express ideas, putting the approach into practice.

Cooking, Building and construction, Languages, a Weather station and Phonics / Reading / Maths sit alongside a Sandpit and Mud Kitchen. Adapting these experiences for individual children matters given the teaching and inclusion concerns.

Outdoor and Community Life

Open fields, woodland and an edible garden bring learning about living things close. Children encounter chickens, birds and sheep, take regular woodland trips, make music, cook and help care for the garden and animals. Food, growth and animal care become direct experiences.

Forest school, an approach involving learning outdoors, takes place in nearby woods. In December 2025, older children worked together to shift large logs, while outdoor conversations explored shadows and differences between light and shade. Those examples connect physical cooperation with early investigation. They also show why suitable outdoor clothing is part of the family's practical commitment here.

Relationships and Communication

Each baby or toddler has a key worker who can follow home routines. Daily written accounts and photographs inform end-of-day updates; weekly staff reflection meetings use observations to plan activities.

Settling normally involves two or three two-hour sessions, adjustable with the manager according to the child's confidence. Dedicated sleep rooms support baby care. Practitioners hold level 3 and Level 6 childcare qualifications; applying that knowledge matters too.

Open-door communication and the key-person relationship connect home and nursery. In December 2025, staff collected and updated settling information about home routines, weaning, health and dietary changes to inform care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that assessment and early identification were insufficiently precise, referrals and interventions could be delayed, teaching adaptations and reasonable adjustments were inconsistent, staff training and reviews of support varied, external-professional involvement was uneven, early years pupil premium was not used systematically, and leaders lacked effective oversight of this work. These are material concerns for families whose child needs additional help, including children with SEND and disadvantaged children.

A nominated SENCO role exists, but the role itself does not resolve those findings. Required actions covered identifying developmental gaps, recognising children facing barriers, coordinating referrals, improving oversight of key-person work and adapting teaching; their completion deadline was 9 January 2026. Families should use that specific set of actions when discussing progress, rather than accepting a general description of inclusion.

Food is cooked fresh in the nursery kitchen, and the private package includes breakfast, cooked lunch, tea and snacks. The meal policy aims to accommodate dietary needs and allergies with alternatives resembling the menu; preschool children also practise table-setting, pouring drinks and clearing away.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 36 Winchester Road, Stroud, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3PB. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks, with closure on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's contact form or by telephone on 01730 233444.

A School Day runs from 8am to 4pm; a Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm. Additional slots cover 7.30am to 8am and 6pm to 6.30pm. For private childcare and the funded all-inclusive package, the minimum attendance became three school days per week from September 2026, so a family's weekly commitment matters as much as its preferred collection time.

Funded Childcare Only has a separate pattern: one full day using 10 funded hours or two full days using 20, with days allocated each term and no additional hours bookable. Occasional or emergency sessions can also be requested when holiday absences permit. These arrangements serve different purposes and should be weighed separately when planning care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. The funding arrangements include 15-hour and 30-hour weekly entitlements, stretched across 51 weeks to a maximum of 11 and 22 hours per week respectively; the working-parent offer includes eligible children aged nine months and above. Eligibility conditions still apply, and the funded all-inclusive package allows up to 10 funded hours in a day.

The private all-inclusive package includes meals and non-food consumables such as nappies, wipes and creams. During funded hours, food and consumables are charged separately through an opt-in service package, which also includes enhanced provision; additional private hours are charged separately. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the package structure set out on its sessions and fees page.

The funded-only package excludes private hours and extras, requires two separately charged settling sessions, charges for parent events including Bonfire night and Sports Day, and excludes access to the Famly app, used for parent communication. Its terms also say food, medication, enhanced provision and consumables require the service fee, while parents cannot supply food under the nursery's allergy policies. This package has consequences beyond the hourly calculation.

• Additional support after December 2025. The inspection required improvements to assessment, referrals, teaching adjustments and leadership oversight, with a 9 January 2026 deadline. At a visit, ask how those actions have changed support for children and how progress is reviewed with families.
• A three-day commitment. Private and funded all-inclusive attendance requires at least three school days a week from September 2026. Compare that commitment with the separately allocated funded-only pattern before deciding which arrangement fits your week.
• Funded-only care and allergies. This package restricts extras and app access, and its food conditions prevent parents supplying food. Ask how meals, allergies and necessary medication would be handled for your child under the chosen package.
• Outdoor clothing and settling. Water, mud and painting are expected parts of the day, with waterproofs, wellingtons and spare clothing required. During the offered parent-and-child tour, discuss the transition between Chicks and Ducklings and how settling sessions would accommodate your child's routine.

Old Dairy Farm Nursery suits families attracted to regular outdoor learning, animal care and creative projects, whether they need the 8am to 4pm School Day or the 8am to 6pm Full Day. Separate baby gardens and sleep rooms add practical substance to that appeal.

The December 2025 findings make support and teaching the decisive consideration. Families whose children need tailored intervention should weigh the weaknesses in assessment, adaptations and referrals carefully. The farm environment is a strong reason to consider this nursery; effective help for an individual child must carry equal weight in the decision.