The Folly Nursery & Pre-school

A garden playhouse built by preschool children, with a spirit level and tools, gives a useful picture of The Folly's approach: children have real jobs to tackle, rather than simply finished activities to complete. In February 2024, older children planned their construction together and considered the equipment and safety involved. Practical learning has substance here.

At its 15 February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and judged safeguarding effective. The Ilton setting has capacity for 39 children, with a current age range of six months to five years. Its address is Church Road, Ilton, Ilminster, TA19 9EY.

Dedicated outdoor areas connect directly to the rooms, while a shared garden gives children another space for play. Forest Fun adds projects such as bird-box making and outdoor cooking. Families can choose term-time attendance or a booking across 51 weeks, with a minimum of two days each week.

Rooms and Ages

The Under 2's room, also called Ladybirds, emphasises communication, physical development and children's early relationships, with indoor and outdoor space and a personal place for each child's belongings. That is a useful combination for babies: their day has room for movement and exploration alongside familiar possessions.

Caterpillars serves children aged two to three, combining activities chosen by children with experiences introduced by adults in the main nursery. Butterflies is the named group for ages three to four. Preschool children have their own room for activities that prepare them for school, rather than sharing every experience with the youngest children.

Each room opens onto its own outdoor area, and children also use the main garden during the day. This makes outdoor play part of the room arrangement, rather than an experience confined to a separate outing. Appropriate waterproof clothing and Wellington boots are part of the everyday kit, because children go outside in different weather conditions.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for the day: play and adult-guided experiences develop language, movement and relationships alongside early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding of the world. Activities follow children's interests and can connect several areas of learning at once. The framework is the baseline; the practical experiences give this nursery its character.

In February 2024, babies explored instruments, heard words associated with their sounds and later connected those instruments with pictures in books. Toddlers danced using scarves, combining movement with listening to instructions. These examples show how an experience can carry language and physical learning together, rather than treating them as separate exercises.

Older children also worked on bands for their wrists and ankles, measuring and cutting materials and trying another solution when an idea failed. In February 2024, learning about occupations included what architects, mechanics and opticians do. The detail matters: vocabulary grew from recognisable activities and roles, giving children something concrete to talk about.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest Fun is the nursery's outdoor programme, involving making, investigating and practical work in its grounds. Projects have included hedgehog shelters, bird boxes and felt making, alongside storytelling and cooking outdoors. Shelter construction, identifying plants and animals, and work with rope are also part of its activity description. These give children reasons to handle materials, discuss plans and notice the natural world.

Sustainability appears in everyday experiences too. Children grow plants, care for living creatures, use reusable materials in play and learn about recycling. Village walks are offered to children, with parental permission obtained when they join. Outdoor learning therefore includes both the nursery grounds and experiences beyond them, without depending on a claimed weekly timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with up to two sessions before a child starts, included in the registration charge and arranged around the child's needs. Forms covering routines and individual requirements are discussed with parents. The room leader initially monitors a new child, and a key person is usually allocated within the first couple of weeks. This gives families a clear sequence for the transition into care.

Famly, the nursery's communication and learning app, brings daily routines and developmental observations into the same place. Parents can see information about meals and sleep, message their child's room or the manager, and contribute photographs of achievements at home. Individual learning journals include observations and examples of children's work; a group wall carries information about activities.

A progress check between 24 and 36 months brings parents and the key person together to consider strengths and areas needing attention. When a child moves to school, a Transition Document carries relevant learning information forward. Parents also receive their child's learning journal as a PDF when they leave, preserving the account of their time at nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that staff used their knowledge of individual children to plan next steps, while leaders worked with parents and the special educational needs coordinator to address learning gaps and pursue additional support. Current arrangements include a SENDCo role, individual education plans developed with parents, regular reviews and liaison with other professionals. These are identifiable mechanisms for discussing a child's needs, rather than a general promise of support.

Sleep arrangements deserve attention for younger children. The policy allows familiar comfort items, uses individual bedding and records sleep through Famly. Sleeping children receive physical checks every ten minutes, with checks at least every five minutes if the other children and their staff are outside. There is always a staff member in the building with sleeping children.

The nursery will consider parents' requests to limit sleep, provided the requested period is at least an hour. That policy may matter to families managing naps at home. Toilet training is also planned with parents around a child's readiness, with a consistent approach and no reprimands for accidents.

Food is prepared in the nursery kitchen, with seasonal menus shared through Famly and meals and snacks included in paid care; funded bookings have their own food charges. The nursery's policy excludes food brought from home and describes an allergen-aware approach that aims to keep the setting nut-free, with dietary requirements supplied in writing.

Sessions and Attendance

Paid full-day care runs from 7.45am to 6pm. Funded Option A runs from 8am to 6pm, with an additional paid early start at 7.45am; funded Option B runs from 9.15am to 4.30pm, with paid extensions in blocks of 45 minutes. These are different booking choices, so the shorter funded day merits attention alongside the longer patterns.

Attendance starts at two days a week and can extend to five. Families choose either term-time bookings or attendance across 51 weeks; the nursery closes on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. The contact form can be used to enquire or request a prospectus.

The registration charge includes settling sessions, and part is credited against the first invoice if the child starts on the requested date. Withdrawal or session changes require three months' written notice for term-time bookings, or payment in lieu; bookings across 51 weeks require six weeks' notice to withdraw or reduce sessions. The difference matters if work or family arrangements may change.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted for eligible two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds. The latter entitlement can be used as up to 15 hours each week across 38 weeks, or 11 hours each week across 51 weeks. Additional private childcare is charged beyond funded entitlement. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen pattern.

For funded Option A, a separate package charge covers food, nappies, wipes, extra activities and the nursery app. Under Option B, the nursery requests a contribution for food, nappies and wipes. Those funded-hours charges are separate from the entitlement itself; the Ilton fees page sets out the two options.

• Two-day commitment. Every booking requires at least two days each week. At a visit, discuss how the chosen days and settling sessions will fit your child's existing routine.
• Outdoor programme. Forest Fun describes hands-on projects in the grounds, while the operational plan anticipates introducing Forest School sessions during 2026. Ask which programme currently runs at Ilton and how it fits the chosen attendance days.
• Sleep and diet. The sleep policy accepts requested nap limits only when they allow at least an hour, and food from home is excluded. Families with allergies should confirm current kitchen practice and discuss an individual plan before joining.
• Different notice periods. Term-time bookings carry three months' notice, compared with six weeks for bookings across 51 weeks. Weigh that commitment alongside the funded-session charges when choosing a pattern.

The Folly suits families who value practical projects, everyday outdoor access and detailed communication about a child's routines. Its February 2024 Outstanding judgement provides a strong inspection position, while room-specific outdoor areas and Famly offer concrete reasons to consider the current provision.

The attendance choices serve both families seeking paid full days and those considering the shorter funded Option B, with term-time and 51-week arrangements also available. The two-day minimum, separate funded-hours extras and longer term-time notice period are the main practical commitments to weigh. For a child who enjoys making, exploring and taking on real tasks, this Ilton nursery has a clear appeal.