Whatcombe Farm Nursery

Daily Forest School visits and caring for chickens give Whatcombe Farm Nursery a clear outdoor character. The garden is accessible throughout the day, while play in the woods combines activities led by adults with ideas initiated by children. For a child who enjoys being outside, these are substantial parts of the day rather than occasional outings.

Based in Frome, the nursery has capacity for 20 children aged two to five. At its 5 August 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good overall, with Outstanding personal development. That judgement is dated: the current outdoor offer is best read alongside the specific strengths and improvement points from that visit.

Families can combine morning and afternoon sessions, with both term-time and year-round contracts.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, covering children's communication, physical development, relationships and early academic skills. Reading, writing and counting are woven into informal activities, with plans adjusted around children's interests. This makes the everyday play important: learning is not confined to a separate lesson.

Forest School adds daily outdoor play, with both adult direction and room for children to choose what to do. Access to the nursery garden gives children another outdoor setting during the day. Looking after the nursery chickens adds a recurring care task, linking play with responsibility for living things.

Cultures, festivals and traditions also feature in activities. Alongside counting and literacy, these experiences give children material for learning about the wider world. The emphasis is on making connections through play rather than treating each area of learning as a separate subject.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2021, children grew fruit and vegetables and harvested them for meals. That gave them a concrete connection between the garden and their food. Storytelling props were also used to recreate Billy Goats Gruff, giving children a way to take part in a story rather than simply listen to it.

Other experiences in August 2021 included daily woodland trips, weekly sessions combining music with movement, and online activities with local children's authors about pollution affecting the coast. These examples show the breadth of that inspection-era day: physical activity, imaginative play and environmental ideas all had a place. The daily Forest School visits remain part of the current offer.

At the August 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that the special educational needs coordinator's work with staff and other professionals supported children's progress. Staff understood how to respond to welfare concerns, and safeguarding training and risk assessments formed part of the arrangements at that time.

In August 2021, children were encouraged to express their feelings, while games helped them practise sharing and taking turns. Staff also used electronic communication to exchange information about children's development with parents. These are useful examples of how care and learning worked together during that visit, rather than a promise about every child's present experience.

There was a clear weakness too. During whole-group activities in August 2021, some children lost interest or became restless, sometimes interrupting others. Strategies to help children sustain attention existed, but staff did not use them consistently. For parents of a child who finds group activities difficult, the organisation of these sessions deserves attention alongside the outdoor strengths.

The practical care arrangements place some responsibility with families. Parents supply nappies where needed and sun cream for warmer weather. Medication is handed to staff for storage, with a signed form required. This gives families a concrete preparation task before attendance begins.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 5.30pm, at Whatcombe Farm on Jacks Lane, Frome, BA11 3NL. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01373 485 022.

Term-time mornings run from 9.15am to 12.45pm; afternoons run from 1pm to 3.30pm. Under the year-round arrangement, mornings are 8am to 12.45pm and afternoons are 1pm to 5.30pm, across 49 weeks per year. Half-day and all-day attendance can be assembled by combining sessions, and families can collect or drop off within their booked session window.

These choices serve different routines. A term-time afternoon is a shorter commitment than its year-round counterpart, while the earlier year-round morning offers a different start to the day. The nursery closes for the first week of August and for a week over Christmas, so the year-round contract still needs to fit the family's holiday arrangements.

Meals and Everyday Kit

Morning sessions include a snack and lunch; term-time afternoons include a snack, while year-round afternoons include a snack and tea. These food items are included in the session, so the meal pattern follows the attendance chosen.

Children need waterproof clothing, wellies, spare clothes and a water bottle, with a sun hat in hotter weather. Belongings must be labelled and taken home after each session. Regular outdoor play therefore comes with a regular packing routine, especially during potty training or changeable weather.

• Group activities. The August 2021 improvement points concerned children's engagement and inconsistent use of strategies to support concentration. On a visit, ask how group sessions now accommodate children who become restless or need more help to participate.
• Contract and funding. Term-time and 49-week attendance have different session windows. Ask how funded entitlement, any additional charges and the proposed contract would apply to your chosen combination.
• Outdoor kit. Daily Forest School and chicken care make outdoor clothing a working part of nursery life. Families need to supply the kit and take belongings home after every session.

Whatcombe Farm Nursery suits families seeking an outdoor emphasis for children aged two to five, whether they want shorter term-time sessions or a combination of year-round mornings and afternoons. Daily Forest School, garden access and chicken care give that emphasis practical substance.

The August 2021 judgement provides a positive, dated assessment, but the concerns about group engagement matter. The strongest fit is for families who value outdoor play and can make the session choices, holiday closures and daily kit routine work for them.