Puddle Ducks Nursery Salehurst

Farm animals and a field to explore give Puddle Ducks Nursery Salehurst a clear countryside identity. Based at Parsonage Farm in Robertsbridge, this small setting combines outdoor discovery with a day shaped around children's interests. The farm is more than a backdrop: animal encounters bring opportunities to talk about living things, hygiene and sensible behaviour outdoors.

At its April 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged behaviour and routines and children's welfare and wellbeing to be at Strong standard, with achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance at Expected standard, and safeguarding standards met. Those are separate judgements, rather than an overall grade. The strongest inspection position concerns how children are cared for and how the day works.

There are 20 places in total, for children aged 0 to 60 months. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different ways to use the nursery, with funded childcare spread across the year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, covering language, physical development, relationships and early skills such as literacy and mathematics. Puddle Ducks adds a nature-led approach: staff observe children's interests, use them to plan activities and combine adult-guided group experiences with play children choose themselves. That gives the day direction while allowing a child's question or discovery to change what happens next.

Healthy Active Little Ones (HALO) is a local programme promoting health, movement, communication and independence. Here, its practical ingredients include growing produce, preparing simple snacks, balance-bike activities and games that model words and conversation. Belly breathing and resources about feelings sit alongside the physical activities. The emphasis reaches beyond exercise into everyday habits, such as washing hands, pouring drinks and learning to dress.

In April 2026, stories also became starting points for play. The Very Hungry Caterpillar supported counting, while The Tiger Who Came to Tea led to a make-believe tea party. Matching socks brought mathematics into an ordinary task.

Outdoor and Community Life

Free movement between indoor play and the garden begins from 9am. Children can also take a break when they need one, using calm spaces inside or outdoors. A quiet period around 1pm offers another opportunity to rest; it does not replace responding to tiredness earlier or later in the day.

A January 2026 update marked the use of an additional outdoor area beside the nursery, with a shelter and activities on the farm. During April 2026, babies explored charcoal marks in the field while older children planted strawberries. Children also searched beneath logs for insects, and a request to see the cows prompted a walk. The same surroundings supplied experiences for different stages of development.

Outdoor preparation matters here. Families supply suitable waterproof clothing, wellies and spare clothes, with outdoor booties recommended for babies who are not walking.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with shorter visits that gradually build towards the agreed attendance pattern. A parent can stay initially, followed by time apart and then a solo session; the plan can be adjusted to the child. The terms provide for some free settling sessions and allow a more gradual start where needed. Building familiarity with a key person comes before expecting a child to manage the full routine.

Tapestry is the secure online platform used to share observations and photographs of children's learning. Newsletters, conversations, email and telephone contact provide other routes for communication, and parents can arrange flexible meetings, including evening appointments. This offers ways to discuss something in depth as well as receive everyday updates.

In April 2026, key persons planned care routines with families and adapted them to individual needs. Staff used puppets and books to discuss feelings, then helped upset children settle before returning to an activity. Babies also spent time alongside older children, with activities adjusted so they could join in. The examples give a concrete picture of relationships across ages rather than treating babies' care as a separate part of the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Development Matters statements help staff track development. The registration form gathers information about additional needs, medical conditions, home routines, interests and comfort items, giving families a structured way to explain their child before attendance begins. In April 2026, staff used assessments to identify support needs, put plans in place and seek advice from other professionals.

Rest follows the child's needs, and the April 2026 account described close supervision while babies and children slept. Toileting has a more specific starting arrangement: potty training begins at home, with nursery support following at least four days of practice and some success there. Families receive daily feedback, and difficulties can lead to a joint plan or a pause. Parents approaching this stage need to fit nursery attendance around that home-first approach.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Parsonage Stable, Parsonage Farm, Church Lane, Robertsbridge, TN32 5PJ. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Bookable patterns are a full day from 8am to 6pm, a morning from 8am to 1pm and an afternoon from 1pm to 6pm; the fee structure also includes a half-day category.

The nursery operates across 51 weeks, with a Christmas closure and bank-holiday closures. Its 2026 Christmas break is scheduled for 21 to 25 December. This is year-round provision rather than a term-time-only offer, so the closure calendar matters when matching childcare to work commitments.

Families can use the online parent registration form, which gathers preferred days and sessions alongside care information. Show-arounds can be booked, and settling arrangements follow as part of starting nursery. Leaving requires one full month's notice. Monthly invoices are issued in advance, with payment due on the first day of the preceding month, so budgeting begins ahead of the attendance month itself.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered on a stretched basis across 51 weeks. The 30-hour entitlement is offered as 22.5 weekly hours, while the 15-hour entitlement is offered as 11.25 weekly hours. Eligibility applies; additional private sessions can also be purchased. Families should use the nursery's current written quotation for prices and the exact mix of funded and paid attendance.

Breakfast, snacks, milk and drinks are included in session fees; lunch and tea can come from home or through the separately charged Zebedees meal service, introduced in January 2026 with menus designed by a nutritionist. The packed-food policy requires nut-free meals, and known allergies have individual care plans with regular reviews.

Choosing the meal service means signing up for lunch and tea across the sessions attended, rather than selecting individual days. Food costs are added to the monthly invoice, including on funded attendance; after the first month, cancelling the order requires a month's notice. Absence charges are removed for holidays with 30 days' notice, while other absences remain chargeable.

Parents supply nappies, wipes, any preferred nappy cream and formula. Sun cream is provided unless families choose to send an alternative, but provision alone should not be confused with a stated fee inclusion. These packing responsibilities sit alongside clothing and comfort items, so preparing a nursery bag is part of the attendance routine.

• Teaching and parent involvement. At the April 2026 inspection, Ofsted identified the need for more consistently effective teaching interactions and closer parental involvement in learning and development. Ask how staff development and opportunities for parents to contribute to assessment have progressed since then.
• Meals and allergies. The Zebedees service is a separate choice with an attendance-wide commitment and cancellation terms. Allergy-affected families should confirm current meal preparation, packed-food rules and the arrangements in their child's care plan before deciding between catering and food from home.
• Settling and toileting. A gradual start can take longer to reach the agreed schedule, while potty training starts at home before nursery support. During a visit, discuss how those arrangements would work for your child's current routines and your planned start date.

Puddle Ducks suits families who want countryside experiences to be part of ordinary nursery life, with the choice of morning, afternoon or full-day attendance. HALO gives its health and independence work practical substance, while Tapestry provides a route for sharing learning with home. The April 2026 judgements give greater strength to care and routines than to teaching and leadership. Families weighing it up should give that distinction attention alongside the outdoor offer, gradual settling arrangements and separate meal-service commitment.