Forest Footsteps Childcare

Woodland access and a mixed-age preschool hall give Forest Footsteps Childcare its character. Based at the 2nd Ramalley Scout Headquarters in Chandler's Ford, it combines a permanent outdoor area with access to Ramalley Copse. Babies share the setting with older children, rather than moving through separate age-group rooms. For siblings, that arrangement offers the possibility of spending their nursery day together.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, finding that learning generally stretched children’s interests but that quieter children sometimes needed more help to participate. The distinction matters: engaging activities were a strength, while making them equally purposeful for every child remained an improvement priority.

There are 30 places in total. Flexible hours, shift patterns and term-time contracts form part of the attendance offer, alongside operation across the year.

Rooms and Ages

The preschool hall brings different ages together. Older children can take an interest in younger children’s needs, and siblings can attend together. This is a different daily arrangement from a nursery organised around separate baby, toddler and preschool rooms: families choosing it should be comfortable with children sharing their main environment across ages.

For children under two, quiet areas can be created for sleep, rest or time apart from the older group. These are adaptable spaces within the mixed-age model. Their practical value is the opportunity to step back from busier play when a younger child needs a quieter part of the day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care. In everyday terms, learning experiences should help children build communication, physical and social skills alongside their developing understanding of the world. It is the statutory foundation for the provision, rather than an extra programme.

In June 2025, children’s interest in butterflies became the starting point for linked learning experiences. Staff used that enthusiasm to explore the life cycle and extend the subject into other activities. The example gives a useful picture of how a spontaneous fascination could become something children returned to, rather than a single isolated activity.

Language work also varied with children’s development in June 2025. Younger children heard repeated, clearly articulated words, while older children practised exchanging ideas in conversation. The emphasis was on making communication accessible at different stages, rather than expecting the same response from everyone.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds child-led exploration in natural surroundings, with repeated opportunities to investigate and try challenges. At Chandler's Ford, the permanent outdoor area and access to Ramalley Copse give that approach a concrete setting. Woodland learning is part of the nursery’s identity, rather than simply a name attached to an indoor activity.

In June 2025, children took part in woodland sessions and community outings. They also practised handling real tools, with reminders about carrying sticks low to avoid hurting others. Those experiences brought practical safety decisions into play: children were learning how to manage the things they were actually using.

Relationships mattered in the June 2025 daily routine. Staff learnt children’s individual signals and responded to their requests for comfort, help and conversation. Behaviour was approached calmly, with consistent reminders that helped children understand expectations while playing together.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support strong, with individual education plans, referrals and cooperation between staff, families and outside professionals. These are useful mechanisms for parents to understand: personalised goals gave practitioners a shared basis for supporting a child, while referrals connected families with further help.

Communication with families also formed part of practice in June 2025. Parents received information about their child’s experiences and development through several methods. The funded-place charge structure includes Tapestry, an online learning journal covering developmental records and daily diary entries. That makes communication part of the cost discussion as well as the care discussion.

The mixed-age hall has a direct bearing on rest and wellbeing. Quiet areas for younger children can provide a pause from the older group, while shared play allows children of different ages to spend time together. Both aspects deserve attention when deciding whether this environment matches a baby’s routine.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 2nd Ramalley Scout Headquarters, Ramalley Lane, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 1JG. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and 8am to 2pm on Friday. The shorter Friday needs to fit the family’s working week.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks, with its Christmas closure running from Christmas Eve until the New Year. Families can arrange flexible hours, term-time-only contracts or attendance around shift patterns. These options serve different routines, so the contract matters as much as the opening window.

Branch enquiries can be made through the contact form by selecting Chandler's Ford. Tour booking is also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Funding is accepted, including two-year-old funding, Universal 15 hours funding for three- and four-year-olds, and 30 hours funding for three- and four-year-olds. Private childcare is also charged by the hour. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation for the intended contract.

For funded places, snacks attract separate contributions, and non-food consumables are charged separately too. The consumables cover items such as wipes, nappies, bedding and sun cream; charges differ with session arrangements and whether a child is toilet trained. Funded hours therefore need to be considered alongside the costs of the daily items used during them.

Separate funded-place contributions also cover Tapestry and activities, including Forest School and outdoor learning. A further contribution is expressly voluntary. The fees and contributions page sets out these categories, making it useful when reviewing a written quotation rather than treating funded hours as the whole financial arrangement.

• Shared space for babies. Under-twos use the mixed-age hall, with quiet areas created when needed. On a visit, ask how rest and older children’s play are managed alongside each other.
• Quieter children’s participation. In June 2025, some quieter children were not consistently drawn into purposeful learning. Ask how staff now adapt activities for a child who watches before joining in.
• Safety beyond the woodland. In June 2025, online safety was an improvement priority because learning did not address children’s use of devices at home. Ask how that topic is now introduced.
• Contract and funded-place costs. Flexible hours and term-time contracts sit alongside separately charged funded-place extras, while Friday closes at 2pm. Ask for a written schedule showing the funded-hours pattern, food arrangements and contributions for your proposed attendance.

Forest Footsteps suits families who value woodland exploration and a shared environment across ages. Ramalley Copse and Forest School give that preference substance, while the June 2025 findings support a positive overall picture with clear work to do around quieter children and online safety.

Its attendance offer also serves more than one routine: term-time contracts may suit families following the academic calendar, while flexible hours and shift patterns offer another approach across the year. The mixed-age hall, shorter Friday and funded-place contributions are the practical details most likely to decide the fit.