Countryways Nursery

Green hats with achievement badges, eggs collected from chickens and a farm full of natural materials give Countryways Nursery a recognisable character. Everyday tasks become things to investigate: animal feed needs measuring, plants change with the seasons and stones can become props for imaginative play. This is childcare with a strong outdoor emphasis.

Based at Aldershaw Farm in Sedlescombe, Countryways cares for children aged one to five. Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its October 2021 inspection. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision.

The current day centres on exploration, movement and conversation, with three named rooms: Little Class, Inbetweenies and Transition. Opening runs from Monday to Thursday, making the weekly pattern an important practical consideration for working families.

Rooms and Ages

Little Class, Inbetweenies and Transition provide the nursery's indoor room structure. Outdoors, the farm supplies much of the material for learning: soil, wood, feathers, plants and stones give children different textures and objects to investigate. The emphasis is on handling, experimenting and making choices rather than using an object for just one predetermined purpose.

Activities are described by developmental stage. For younger children, baskets of natural objects, action songs and peek-a-boo encourage sensory exploration and interaction. Children aged two to three combine sand, water and soil, move objects around and practise matching or sorting. For those aged three to four, den building, shared problem solving and deciding what to wear outside bring greater independence into play. These are activity descriptions, rather than age limits for the named rooms.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means supporting movement, communication, relationships and early understanding through play and everyday experiences. Countryways gives those areas a farm setting: counting conkers supports early maths, while stories, rhymes and conversation build language.

The black and white Mathsabilities Area is a named learning space. Practical number work also happens with real objects and shapes found around the farm, connecting early mathematical ideas with things children can handle. Literacy uses story sacks and story maps, alongside invented rhymes and stories featuring children's names. Children revisit their Learning Journey to recall earlier experiences.

Countryways Badges gives achievements a visible form. Each child has a green hat, with embroidered badges that can be sewn on as a reminder of what they have accomplished. Subjects include Bees, Oral Health and Sustainable Farming. The hat becomes a keepsake, while the badges offer a starting point for talking about learning and effort.

In October 2021, children used a ruler to explore how tall a sweetcorn plant could grow. Books also had a physical place in the day: children shared stories in a loft area, and daily reading included puppets. These examples show how children's interests and concrete resources shaped activities at that time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Animal care is part of the experience, with children helping feed chickens, gather eggs and groom the pony. Geese, goats, sheep and ducks are also among the farm's animals, alongside bees in beehives. Looking after living creatures gives children practical reasons to discuss food, growth and care.

Running, digging and climbing support active play. A rope swing introduces turn-taking, while making a shelter for a hedgehog gives children something to plan together. Seasonal observation and imaginative uses for found materials connect physical activity with conversation and cooperative play. The appeal is the combination: outdoor movement and learning share the same setting.

Specialist roles include a SENCO, an under-twos lead, a speech and language coordinator and a designated safeguarding lead. These give families identifiable areas of responsibility when discussing a child's development or care. Staff undertake weekly training opportunities and annual first-aid refresher training.

At the October 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those findings belong to that inspection date. The current staff roles describe how responsibilities are organised, rather than establishing a new judgement about effectiveness.

In October 2021, practitioners exchanged developmental assessments and home-activity ideas with parents, while also seeking information about achievements outside nursery. That two-way exchange helped connect learning at home with nursery activities. Children also practised everyday independence: toddlers used spoons, older children handled cutlery, and younger children located their coats and shoes before outdoor play.

The same visit identified two areas needing attention: activities needed clearer learning intentions and further challenge, while group storytelling needed better planning to involve every child and support communication. These are useful points to explore alongside the nursery's current emphasis on discussion, stories and child-led investigation.

Sessions and Attendance

Countryways is at Aldershaw Farm, Kent Street, Sedlescombe, TN33 0SD. It opens Monday to Thursday, from 7.30am to 5.15pm, across 49 weeks of the year. Closures include a week at Easter, the final week of August and the Christmas period. Nursery closures, staff-training closures and bank holidays are not charged.

A Yearly Planner sets out significant dates and activities, giving families a way to plan around the nursery calendar. Enquiries can be made by email or telephone. Prospective-family tours take place while the nursery is closed, so the visit arrangement matters when considering how to understand its daily routines.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for eligible children from nine months, on a term-time-only basis. Monthly invoices account for up to 30 hours of funded care and education. This funding age threshold is separate from the nursery's current accepted age range of one to five.

On days when funding applies, consumables are charged separately through a daily addition to the invoice. The condition matters: this is a charge attached to funded attendance days. Current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation, with funded care and education considered separately from additional charges.

• Four-day opening pattern. Countryways opens Monday to Thursday. Families needing Friday care should weigh that weekly pattern before choosing it.
• Outdoor emphasis. Animal care, natural materials and active farm play are central to the experience. At a visit, explore how that day works for your child's confidence around animals and enjoyment of outdoor activity.
• Learning challenge and group stories. In October 2021, planning needed greater precision and storytelling needed to involve children more fully. Ask how practitioners now choose learning goals and adapt group activities for different children.
• Funded attendance costs. Funding is term-time only, with a separate consumables charge on applicable days. Consider the written quotation alongside the closure calendar when planning the year's childcare costs.

Countryways suits families drawn to practical outdoor learning: tending animals, experimenting with natural materials and building independence through everyday tasks. Its green achievement hats and farm-based activities give children concrete experiences to talk about and remember.

The Monday-to-Thursday opening pattern and term-time funding arrangement will shape the decision as much as the learning offer. The 2021 Good judgement provides a useful reference point, while the questions about learning challenge and inclusive group storytelling deserve attention at a visit.