Wooden House Nursery

Farmland, a large gated garden and balance ropes give Wooden House Nursery a clear countryside character. Based at The Cider Barn in Chettiscombe, Tiverton, it combines outdoor exploration with practical jobs indoors: children help with plants, snacks and clearing away. Everyday participation matters here as much as an organised activity.

At its 14 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effective, including work with speech and language therapists. Those findings give families a positive inspection position, with specific teaching improvements still worth discussing.

The nursery accepts children from 3 to 60 months and belongs to YMCA Dulverton Group. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning, development and care, with play connecting language, physical development, relationships and early mathematical understanding. Children choose materials and test ideas; adults observe their play and help extend it. This gives a practical meaning to child-led learning: children have a say in what they explore, while staff have a role in moving that exploration forward.

Resources remain accessible for children to choose, with additions made around individual or shared interests. Adult-led activities sit alongside self-chosen play. For parents, the useful distinction is between freedom to choose and activities selected to develop a particular skill; both form part of the day.

In August 2024, older children made snail pictures with paint, cotton reels and cotton wool buds, while another activity used blackberries to make edible paint. These activities linked creative work with new vocabulary, including descriptions of texture. The Colour Monster, a story used to discuss feelings, also prompted children to connect an emotion with an image in the book.

The August 2024 inspection identified two teaching priorities: giving children more thinking time through better questioning, and adjusting group activities so younger children could participate more successfully. These are useful qualifications to the positive picture. An appealing activity needs both room for a child to answer and a way for children at different stages to take part.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gated garden is used in different weather conditions, with access for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Bug watching, changes in nature, natural obstacles and balance ropes give outdoor play several purposes: close observation, movement and physical challenge. It is a substantial part of the nursery day.

Knightshayes Estate and Tiverton are within walking distance, and farmland surrounds the setting. That establishes its rural character rather than a programme of trips. The garden itself provides the concrete outdoor offer, with children encouraged to explore both inside and outside.

Relationships and Communication

Families can contribute to their child's developmental records, bringing information from home into the nursery's understanding of that child. This makes parent communication part of planning rather than simply an account of what happened that day.

In August 2024, key persons gathered information about children's interests, family backgrounds and starting points. Parents received updates through conversations and electronic communication, alongside practical advice such as help with potty training. The connection is useful: home information informs activities, while nursery observations can help parents support the same skills outside childcare.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Small tasks are built into the current day. Children help water plants, prepare snacks and tidy resources, and practise managing coats, shoes and toileting. These jobs give independence a concrete purpose: contributing to shared routines and gradually doing more for themselves.

In August 2024, babies attempted to put on their shoes, while toddlers and older children served food and drinks at snack time. Staff also worked with other professionals and local schools to plan interventions for children with additional needs. These examples show how everyday routines and individual support were put into practice at that time.

Preparation for school includes welcoming teachers to meet children at nursery and designating a member of staff to liaise with each receiving school. This gives the transition a personal connection, alongside the practical independence children practise during their nursery day.

Sessions and Attendance

Wooden House Nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, for 51 weeks annually. It closes on English Bank Holidays and from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day inclusive; those closure days are not charged. Families planning childcare around work need to allow for that holiday break.

The address is The Cider Barn, Chettiscombe, Tiverton, EX16 7PT. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01884 252161, by email at info@woodenhousenursery.org or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers 3 and 4 year-old funding, beginning from the term following a child's third birthday, subject to eligibility. Private childcare is also offered. Current prices should form part of a written quotation from the nursery.

Payments are collected monthly after the childcare has been provided, normally by Direct Debit unless another arrangement is agreed. Childcare vouchers are also accepted. Families anticipating difficulty with the payment method, or receiving a grant towards childcare, can discuss arrangements with the manager; the fees page explains the payment structure.

• Teaching across ages. The August 2024 priorities concerned questioning and younger children's participation in group activities. During a visit, ask how activities are adjusted and how staff give children time to develop an answer.
• The complete childcare package. A written quotation should distinguish the attendance pattern, funded-hours arrangement and any meal or consumable charges. Discuss these together when arranging a visit by telephone, email or the contact form.
• Outdoor routines. Garden use continues in different weather, and activities include balance ropes and natural obstacles. Ask how outdoor exploration is organised for your child's stage of development.

Wooden House Nursery suits families who value a countryside setting, regular outdoor exploration and children taking an active role in everyday tasks. The gated garden and practical independence give that description substance, while school liaison adds a useful connection as children prepare to move on.

Its Good judgement in 2024 supports consideration, with the teaching priorities giving families a clear subject for a visit conversation. The strongest fit is with parents who want play, outdoor movement and developing independence to be closely connected throughout the day.