Explorers Day Nursery

Growing food gives Explorers Day Nursery in Wells a clear thread running from garden to table. Children are encouraged to pick fruit and vegetables for meals, while the open-plan layout lets different age groups share familiar surroundings and see their siblings. Everyday participation matters here, from exploring play areas to helping serve food.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective, with children settled and relationships with staff well established. That is a dated assessment. The practical attractions today are the separate baby play area, shared spaces and food routines that give children jobs to do rather than simply things to watch.

Explorers has capacity for 54 children, with an overall age range from birth to five. Its named learning groups cover birth to four, so the whole-setting age range and the group descriptions serve different purposes. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance patterns give families several ways to organise care.

Rooms and Ages

Crawlers and Climbers covers ages zero to two, with a separate baby play area within the wider open-plan setting. Adventurers is the two-to-three group and has its own learning area. Pioneers covers ages three to four, also with a learning area of its own.

These are age groups within a free-flow arrangement, rather than an account of three self-contained rooms. Children can explore the different areas during their session, and siblings can see one another despite belonging to different groups. For families with more than one child attending, that shared daily contact is a useful part of the model.

Familiarity also has a practical role when children move between groups: they already know the surroundings and encounter practitioners beyond their own age group. The layout makes continuity part of the nursery day, rather than reserving it for a move-up visit.

Learning and Activities

The nursery follows the early years foundation stage, the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means the day must support children's development as well as look after them; play, communication and growing independence belong together.

In October 2022, accessible resources allowed children to choose activities, and staff used children's interests and parents' knowledge to plan what came next. Children also contributed ideas for future topics. This gave planning a connection to the children taking part, rather than making it solely an adult timetable.

The same October 2022 assessment identified a limitation: Ofsted found that staff needed to model skills and extend learning more actively, and that routines sometimes left children waiting instead of engaged. An example was the requirement to wait until everyone had finished eating before returning to play. Choice of activity is useful, but the adult response to that activity matters too.

Outdoor and Community Life

In October 2022, garden activities included sowing, tending and gathering crops, alongside recycling and tidying. A bike track gave older children opportunities to practise movement and road safety. Physical play therefore had both a practical setting and a purpose beyond burning off energy.

The food routine continues the garden connection: children are encouraged to gather produce daily for meals. Explorers also received a Silver award in the Pre-School category of Wells in Bloom for its garden. That award is a past achievement, while growing and picking food is part of the nursery's food arrangements.

In October 2022, staff gathered information from parents so that care could reflect routines at home. Moves to the preschool area depended on readiness rather than a birthday alone. For a child who needs more time with a familiar routine, that distinction is meaningful.

Communication had a concrete effect on planning during October 2022: parental feedback prompted activities about recognising emotions. Families were contributing information that shaped the day, rather than merely receiving updates after it. The special educational needs coordinator also passed information to primary schools for children needing additional support, connecting nursery knowledge with the next stage of education.

Food arrangements accommodate different stages. Babies receive milk supplied by their parents and eat to their home routine, with freshly puréed food introduced at weaning; the menu changes weekly around seasonal ingredients, and the nursery's policy covers vegetarian, vegan, religious, medical and allergy requirements.

Older children help prepare the table, distribute drinks and serve meals. This turns a routine care task into an opportunity to participate and practise independence. Allergy-affected families should discuss the practical application of the food policy during a visit.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 56 Bath Road, Wells, Somerset, BA5 3LQ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday, with a 5.30pm finish on Friday, across 50 weeks of the year. There is a Christmas/New Year closure, and closure periods are not billed.

The session terms dated March 2020 give two morning options: 7.30am to noon with breakfast, or 7.30am to 1.30pm with breakfast and lunch. Afternoon options run from 2pm to 6pm with tea, or noon to 6pm with lunch and tea. The all-day pattern runs from 7.30am to 6pm and includes breakfast, lunch and tea; Friday's earlier closing time needs to be considered alongside these patterns.

For an application, families can use the form in the prospectus or contact the nursery to discuss their requirements. The telephone number is 01749 676 215. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

The Early Years Entitlement for three and four year olds is offered for eligible children through Somerset County Council, for a set allocation of hours. Eligibility remains a condition of that offer; the entitlement is separate from choosing additional paid attendance.

Meals are included in the named paid sessions as described above. Parents supply babies' milk. The session and fees information provides the attendance structure, while a written quotation gives families a basis for planning their own arrangement.

• Adult involvement and waiting time. In October 2022, extending learning through staff interaction and reducing idle time between activities were improvement points. During a visit, ask how practitioners develop children's chosen activities and organise the end of meals.
• Friday and session choices. Friday closes at 5.30pm, while the March 2020 afternoon and all-day patterns end at 6pm. Clarify how your intended booking works on Friday before arranging collection.
• Food and funded attendance. Paid sessions include specified meals, and parents supply babies' milk. Families using entitlement hours should ask which meals and consumables their quotation covers, alongside how any dietary or allergy requirements are handled.

Explorers suits families considering morning sessions, afternoon attendance or an all-day pattern, especially those who value sibling contact and participation in ordinary daily tasks. Picking garden produce, helping at the table and exploring shared spaces give that proposition substance.

The Good judgement from October 2022 comes with specific teaching and routine improvements to weigh. A visit should concentrate on how adults extend play and keep transitions purposeful. Those questions matter more than the attractive group names: they connect the nursery's practical appeal with the quality of a child's day.