All Children Great & Small Swinton

Woodland play starts with the youngest children here. Babies encounter birdsong, leaves and changing weather, while older children use natural materials for counting, imaginative play and physical challenges. All Children Great & Small Swinton makes outdoor experience a substantial part of its character, rather than reserving it for preschool children.

At its 11 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement: its strongest examples included woodland exploration, purposeful conversations and links with the local community.

Based at Old St. Margarets Church Hall in Swinton, Mexborough, the nursery accepts children from three months to five years and has 64 places in total. Its age groups can mix during sessions, giving children opportunities to play alongside children at different stages of development. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions serve different attendance needs.

Rooms and Ages

The group's named age groups are used at Swinton: Adventurers, Explorer and Pioneers. There are three dedicated classes, with opportunities for the groups to mix; these are age-group arrangements rather than a promise that children spend every activity with their own class.

Adventurers, for children aged three to 24 months, introduces woodland surroundings through sensory experiences such as listening to birds, handling leaves and exploring the sounds made by sticks. Outdoor learning therefore begins with things a baby can hear, touch and notice.

Explorer, for two- to three-year-olds, combines communication and social learning with balancing on uneven ground and early mathematics using sticks, leaves and puddles. Counting becomes part of play, rather than a separate exercise detached from the materials children are handling.

Pioneers is the oldest group, with an emphasis on independence through managing outdoor clothing, playing with younger children and considering risks during woodland activities. Getting dressed for outdoor play gives practical purpose to developing self-care skills.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the age-group activities give that learning a practical form: children explore materials, communicate with others and practise physical skills through play.

In May 2022, staff used children's interests to shape activities. An interest in farming led to a visit from a local farmer and an opportunity to explore a tractor. Conversations about plants also encouraged children to describe what they noticed. The useful connection is between curiosity and language: children had something concrete to investigate and talk about.

Books carried an emotional purpose too. In May 2022, staff selected stories about feelings and managing emotions, giving children language for experiences beyond the immediate activity. This sits alongside the more physical woodland experiences, rather than making outdoor play the whole account of nursery life.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2022, outdoor experiences included building dens, making potions and exploring woodland. Children also used tunnels and swings, climbed trees and played outside in different weather conditions. These were opportunities to move in different ways and consider how to use equipment safely.

Community activity extended beyond the grounds. In May 2022, children attended the local library every week for sessions intended to support communication and language, and made gifts for local businesses during a kindness activity. The library connection gave families a useful link between nursery learning and a community resource they could use together.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2022, settling began with detailed information from parents about children's needs and interests. Staff knew their key children and used that information to plan activities. This made induction about the individual child, rather than simply introducing a timetable.

Communication continued through handovers and an online system. In May 2022, weekly updates explained children's learning and included ideas for extending it at home. For parents, that offered a more useful picture than a list of completed activities: it connected the nursery day with things they could do together afterwards.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In May 2022, oral-health activities included songs and opportunities to practise toothbrushing. Children also discussed healthy food through pretend meals. Everyday care became something children could understand and rehearse, rather than a set of instructions delivered by adults.

Safety was part of children's activity planning. In May 2022, they helped consider the risks involved in crossing roads and using outdoor resources. Staff meetings began with a safeguarding quiz, and staff had received training in child-protection procedures. These examples belong to that inspection period; the dated safeguarding judgement above is the appropriate reference for their effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates throughout the year. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 8am to 6pm. Breakfast Club provides the additional period from 7.30am to 8am.

The distinction matters for working patterns: a morning or afternoon booking is a separate option, while the full day covers both periods. Breakfast Club extends the start of the day beyond the full-day session's starting time.

Getting There

The address is Old St. Margarets Church Hall, Church Street, Swinton, Mexborough, S64 8QA. Enquiries can be made through the contact form by selecting Swinton, or by calling 01709 931105.

• Outdoor independence. Pioneers includes managing outdoor clothing and thinking about woodland risks. This is a good match for families who value practical self-care and learning through physical exploration.
• The inspection date. The Outstanding judgement dates to May 2022. Families should read it as an assessment of that period, alongside the current age-group and session arrangements.
• Youngest-group arrangements. Adventurers spans three to 24 months and includes woodland experiences. On a visit, ask how the group is organised for babies with different mobility and rest needs, and how many children attend together.

Swinton suits families who want outdoor learning to begin in babyhood and continue into practical independence for older children. Adventurers' sensory exploration and Pioneers' outdoor self-care give that preference concrete meaning. Its morning and afternoon sessions also make it relevant to families seeking part-day attendance, alongside those choosing full days with an earlier Breakfast Club start. The Outstanding judgement adds weight, provided parents keep its May 2022 date in view.