The Old Rectory Nursery

Chickens, strawberry growing and Montessori materials give The Old Rectory Nursery in Frankton a recognisable character: children can explore living things outdoors and choose practical activities indoors. Its wooded grounds, vegetable garden and tennis court bring several different settings for play into one nursery. The emphasis is on doing things for oneself.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised strong relationships between children and staff alongside effective support for children's development. That judgement belongs to a dated visit. The current nursery has 20 places in total and accepts children aged 6 to 60 months, with mixed-age learning rather than an age-separated approach.

For parents, the central choice is whether that combination of shared learning, independent activity and garden experiences fits their child. In December 2022, two areas needed further development, especially for younger children: providing alternatives when an activity does not engage them, and extending their sensory exploration.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In December 2022, this meant connecting letters with initial sounds, counting jugs of water during an experiment and practising personal-care and hygiene habits: early literacy, number learning and everyday independence. Alongside it, the Montessori Method emphasises children's choices and practical independence. Here, activities sit within children's reach on open shelving, while furniture and tools are sized for them to use. The arrangement makes selecting and handling materials part of the learning itself.

Materials introduce skills through successive stages. After an introduction, children can continue using them before tackling the next step, giving an activity time to hold their attention rather than requiring an immediate change. Hands-on resources engage different senses, and staff observations help determine which activity to introduce next. The Montessori approach therefore has concrete expression in both the classroom layout and the way materials are used.

Children of different ages learn together. That gives siblings a shared setting and allows younger children to encounter activities used by older ones. It also makes the choice of alternatives important: an activity that captures a preschool child's attention may not engage a much younger child.

In December 2022, children used cards bearing their names to connect initial sounds with letters during a group activity. Older children investigated whether objects would float, then chose to draw them. These examples connected language, experimentation and mark-making through things children could handle and discuss.

Outdoor and Community Life

The grounds extend learning beyond the classroom. Children can collect eggs, feed chickens, pick strawberries and grow vegetables; wooded areas add another environment to explore, while the tennis court provides space for outdoor play. These are practical encounters with food production and animal care, giving children tasks with visible results.

In December 2022, outdoor activity took place daily. During one experiment, older children tried to release a toy bear from ice, moving from unsuccessful hammering to warm water and counting the jugs they poured. An ordinary cold-weather object became a reason to test an idea, use number language and watch a change happen.

The buddy programme, operating in December 2022, paired children with residents of a residential home through personalised gift boxes and replies. Parents helped with boxes containing children's pictures, information and presents. This gave care for others a specific recipient, rather than leaving kindness as an abstract instruction.

In December 2022, settling happened gradually, with parents and staff agreeing an approach around the individual child. Parents shared what their child already knew and could do, and staff maintained contact with families. That starting point connected home experience with the nursery's choice of activities.

Attention to feelings was visible in everyday interactions at that time. Staff noticed changes in children's moods, offered individual attention and encouraged them to explain how they felt. Conversations allowed children time to form their responses. Independence also extended into personal care, including hygiene habits, so practical learning was not confined to classroom materials.

Food was freshly cooked each day in December 2022, with different dietary needs addressed. Preparation for school also featured in the visit's assessment of children's development, alongside everyday opportunities to manage personal needs and participate in group conversations.

For younger children, the inspection's improvement points deserve equal weight. In December 2022, a search for animal picture cards engaged older children but left younger ones uninterested, with no alternative prepared. Sensory activities for younger children also needed further development. The issue was how shared activities accommodated different developmental stages, rather than whether outdoor exploration or hands-on play occurred.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at The Old Rectory, Main Street, Frankton, near Princethorpe, Warwickshire, CV23 9PB. Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holidays excluded. For families arranging regular care, the closing time is a practical boundary to weigh against work commitments.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 07903 314782 or by email at info@therectorynursery.co.uk. These provide a direct route for beginning the joining process.

Funding and Paid Extras

In December 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, keeping the cost of attendance separate from any funded entitlement.

• Younger children in shared activities. The December 2022 improvement points concerned alternatives for different developmental stages and further sensory exploration. At a visit, ask how an activity is adapted when a younger child loses interest.
• The care quotation. Funded early education formed part of the December 2022 offer. Ask for one written outline covering current funded arrangements, bookable attendance patterns, meals and non-food consumables.
• The afternoon boundary. Opening hours end at 5.30pm on weekdays. Families whose working day finishes later will need to consider whether that fits their collection arrangements.

The Old Rectory Nursery suits families drawn to mixed-age Montessori learning and practical outdoor experiences, with children choosing accessible materials indoors and taking part in growing and animal care outside. Its scale is 20 places overall, rather than a statement about the size of any daily group.

The December 2022 Good judgement provides a useful assessment, while the improvement points give parents a precise issue to explore: how younger children's interests are supported within shared activities. For a child who enjoys handling materials, repeating a task and seeing how things grow, the nursery's approach offers a clear match.