Hertford Barns

A converted barn and stable block, countryside beside the Hatfield Estate and gardens used every day give Hertford Barns a clear character. This Cole Green nursery combines an unusual physical setting with practical, hands-on learning: cooking inspired by The Gruffalo is one example of a story becoming something children can make, discuss and explore.

Ofsted rated Hertford Barns Outstanding on 30 November 2023 and found safeguarding effective. The nursery has 86 places in total for children aged 2 to 60 months. That is whole-setting capacity, rather than the number sharing an activity or room.

Learning and Activities

EYFS guides the activities here: children develop their learning through play and experiences suited to their stage of development. The garden and the converted buildings provide the physical setting; the strongest examples show how staff connect practical tasks with language, investigation and growing independence.

In November 2023, activities built hand control progressively. Babies manipulated dough, toddlers used toy hammers to release dinosaurs trapped in ice, and older children worked with wood, nails and bottle tops. The tasks differed with development, while sharing a useful purpose: practising the movements that later support writing. These were activities with something concrete to achieve.

Language ran through those experiences. In November 2023, practitioners added words to children's play, used gestures alongside speech and signed while talking. Hammering became an opportunity to explore what force meant when a nail bent. For children who spoke less, actions gave another way into the conversation.

Bumblebees have explored cooking through The Gruffalo, combining apples and strawberries for a crumble while discussing textures, food origins and kitchen safety. The same story prompted a garden hunt and animal habitats made from natural and recycled materials. This example connects a familiar book with sensory exploration and practical making.

Outdoor and Community Life

Every child has daily access to gardens suited to their age. The countryside setting matters because outdoor space forms part of the day, rather than being reserved for an occasional outing.

In November 2023, children had helped care for lambs as they grew into sheep, researching their needs with staff. Another investigation involved testing materials for a roof to protect bugs from water. When straw and leaves failed, children changed their solution and moved the bugs. Both examples gave children a problem to think about, rather than an answer to repeat.

Relationships and routines received close attention in November 2023. An extended settling process helped children become comfortable, and key people understood individual needs. Staff supported children through frustration and helped them recognise emotions, making perseverance part of everyday care.

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that support for children with special educational needs and disabilities combined detailed plans reviewed with parents, prompt involvement from other professionals and strong progress from individual starting points. The useful detail is the mechanism: families contributed to plans, and support involved professionals beyond the nursery where needed.

Independence also appeared in small routines in November 2023. Babies moved into their own beds when ready for sleep, while toddlers served food using spoons and tongs. These observations show how care tasks could become opportunities for children to make choices and practise skills.

Communication with families included an online journal, spoken feedback each day and suggestions for activities at home in November 2023. That combination connected information about development with something parents could use. At mealtimes then, staff also showed children whole vegetables used in their food and discussed how they grew, linking eating with learning about the natural world.

Sessions and Attendance

Hertford Barns is at Munns Farm, Cole Green, Hertford, SG14 2NL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with closures for public holidays and inset days.

The funded-entitlement arrangement with wraparound care spreads funding across 51 weeks. Opening weeks and funding weeks describe different things, so families should build their budget around the agreed funding arrangement. Childcare beyond the funded allocation is charged separately at the nursery's standard rates.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01707 392999, by email to hertfordbarns.nursery@childbase.com or through the nursery's callback form. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

The wraparound funding agreement covers two-year-old, universal and extended entitlements, subject to eligibility. Across its 51-week arrangement, the maximum weekly allocation is 11.17 hours for two-year-old and universal funding, or 22.35 hours for extended funding. Those are funded allocations, rather than opening hours or a promise of a particular booking.

A completed local-authority declaration and the relevant eligibility code are required by the nursery's deadline. Funded hours apply to the contracted booking and cannot be transferred to an extra session. The agreement also separates funded-only attendance from funding combined with wraparound care: the two cannot be mixed within one child's booking pattern.

• Funding across the year. The wraparound agreement spreads entitlement over 51 weeks, while the nursery opens across 52 weeks with stated closures. Compare the funded allocation and paid hours together when assessing the written quotation.
• Choosing a funding arrangement. Funded-only sessions and funded entitlement with wraparound care cannot be combined within one booking pattern. The choice affects how additional childcare fits around the entitlement.
• Settling and daily costs. On a visit, discuss how settling will reflect your child's routines and ask which meals and non-food consumables are included in your particular booking, including any funded hours.

Hertford Barns suits families drawn to daily garden time, practical exploration and a countryside setting, with weekday opening hours that extend into the early evening. The cooking example gives its character substance: a book becomes food preparation, conversation and outdoor investigation.

The November 2023 Outstanding judgement provides a strong dated assessment. For families combining funded entitlement with paid wraparound care, the central practical consideration is how the 51-week funding arrangement fits the childcare they need and the quotation they receive.