Little Alpacas

Woodlands, a pond area and animals make the farm setting the defining feature of Little Alpacas. Based at Charnwood Forest Alpacas in Boundary, it gives outdoor learning a concrete backdrop: horses, donkeys and chickens are part of the surroundings, rather than pictures in a book. For children drawn to animals, that is a compelling starting point.

Ofsted rated Little Alpacas Good at its September 2023 inspection. The nursery has capacity for 40 children, with a current age range of 24 to 60 months. Its strongest appeal is the combination of a farm environment and learning planned around individual interests, supported by a key person who maintains each child's learning journey.

Morning, afternoon, school-day and full-day sessions provide different ways to use the setting. The practical choice extends beyond one fixed attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework guides learning, development and care, with play adapted to children's interests and stage of development. Here, the key person helps shape that planning around the individual child. The farm supplies tangible subjects to explore alongside it: living creatures, their needs and the changes children notice outdoors.

In September 2023, children took daily farm walks and demonstrated what they knew about animals and insects. One encounter involved a donkey receiving fly spray; later, children connected that explanation with a horse trying to shake off flies. That example gives the outdoor offer substance. Children were using an earlier experience to make sense of something new.

Creative activities also featured in September 2023. Children experimented with finger painting and made different patterns using toy cars and dinosaurs, practising movements associated with later writing. Animal encounters were not the whole curriculum: hands-on indoor experiences contributed too.

Outdoor and Community Life

The 110-acre farm includes woodlands and a pond area, giving the setting more than a conventional playground backdrop. Alpacas, sheep and pigs add to the animals children can learn about. These physical surroundings are the main reason this nursery will stand out to families seeking a close connection with the natural world.

In September 2023, farm walks included explicit safety routines around vehicles and moving animals. Children held hands and remained between staff, learning that exploring a working farm also involves following instructions. Outdoor clothing belongs in the everyday kit: waterproofs, seasonal hats and wellies kept at nursery support participation through changing weather.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person takes responsibility for settling, observations and the learning journey, while keeping links with home and any other childcare setting the child attends. That gives families an identified practitioner connecting care with learning, rather than treating observations as a separate administrative exercise.

Two settling sessions are offered at a reduced rate, arranged around the child and family. Regular progress meetings provide another opportunity to discuss development, while Open evenings and Craft mornings offer different ways for parents to participate. Information about planning and forthcoming topics helps families understand what their child is exploring.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SEND coordinator works with children, families and outside professionals, with the key person also involved in discussions about individual needs. At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that support for children with SEND helped them progress and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. Those are dated judgements, alongside the current support mechanisms families can discuss.

In September 2023, staff helped children put feelings into words and work through disagreements, using encouragement and respectful exchanges. Hygiene learning included handwashing after contact with animals and an activity using toothbrushes and toothpaste to clean pictures of teeth. Care was connected to things children could understand and practise.

The same September 2023 findings identified two weaknesses: new staff needed clearer induction into their responsibilities, and conversations did not consistently stretch children's language. When a child did not answer a question, staff sometimes missed the opportunity to supply an explanation. These points matter alongside the positive account of farm-based learning.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Alpacas is at Scamhazel Farm, Ashby Road, Boundary, Swadlincote, DE11 7BA. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation except bank holidays and two weeks at Christmas.

Morning Sessions run from 9am to noon and Afternoon Sessions from noon to 3pm. School Day Sessions cover 9am to 3pm, while Full Day Sessions run from 8am to 4pm. Pre school Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am, and After school Sessions from 3pm to 4pm. These shorter additions and longer blocks give families several attendance options within the opening window.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form. Fees are invoiced monthly and payment is due by the seventh; booked sessions remain payable when a child is absent. Reducing attendance or withdrawing a child requires four weeks' notice, or payment in lieu. These terms make changes to a weekly routine a planning decision rather than an immediate adjustment.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government funding is accepted for eligible children. In September 2023, funded early education covered two-, three- and four-year-olds. A registration charge applies to non-funded children, and late collection attracts an additional charge. Obtain current prices in a written quotation; the sessions and fees page sets out the attendance choices.

Families supply packed lunches, which the nursery asks to be nut-free; morning and afternoon snacks are optional, charged separately, and may instead be brought from home. Parents also supply nappies, wipes and sun cream, so these belong in the routine packing list rather than the childcare fee.

Following vomiting or diarrhoea, children must remain at home for 48 hours after the last episode. Medication must be labelled, prescribed by a health professional and accompanied by written parental permission. Together with the absence-payment rule, the illness policy has practical consequences for working families.

• Accepted ages. The current age range is 24 to 60 months, while Little Alpacas also advertises care from three months to four years. Before booking, ask which age groups it currently accepts and how younger children's provision is organised.
• Conversation and staff induction. September 2023 findings called for stronger induction and more effective language-building exchanges. On a visit, ask how new practitioners are introduced to their responsibilities and how everyday conversations extend children's thinking.
• Farm days and food. Waterproofs and nursery wellies are part of the kit, and families prepare packed lunches. For a child with allergies, confirm current food-handling practice and how the nut-free lunch requirement is managed.

Little Alpacas suits families who want farm surroundings to be part of their child's learning, whether they choose morning or afternoon sessions, a school day or a full day. In September 2023, animal encounters helped children apply earlier learning to new observations, and the key person system gives individual planning a clear point of responsibility.

The September 2023 language and induction weaknesses deserve attention when choosing it. For a child who enjoys outdoor exploration, and a family comfortable supplying lunch and weather-ready clothing, the combination has a clear appeal.