Natural Choice Nurseries, Charfield

A converted, locally listed farmhouse and a preschool yurt give Natural Choice Nurseries, Charfield a character of its own. Babies have upstairs play spaces and a separate room for sleep; older children have spaces for art, imaginative play and reading, with a garden divided into areas for different ages. The appeal is practical as well as architectural: children can move between different kinds of activity rather than spend their day in one shared playroom.

At its 6 August 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised a curriculum that developed children's independence progressively. That independence had concrete expression, from babies practising feeding themselves to preschool children serving lunch.

The nursery accepts children from 3 to 60 months and opens on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm.

Rooms and Ages

Upstairs, babies and toddlers use separate playrooms, alongside a shared space for creative activities and eating and a quiet sleeping room. Separating sleep from play gives rest its own space. Hand-painted pictures decorate the rooms, adding visual interest to the farmhouse setting.

Downstairs, older children have a creative room for making art, a quiet reading room for reading and structured learning, a space for dressing up and imaginative play, and a separate dining room where they can prepare snacks with a view of the garden. Those different spaces give energetic play, quieter activity and practical tasks their own places in the day.

Charfield's Yurt adds another preschool environment, used for children approaching school age. Built from sustainably sourced beech, it contains areas for construction and arts and crafts, with its own bathroom facilities and somewhere for coats and bags. Opening its doors or sides connects the classroom with the garden. Its value lies in that easy connection between indoor activity and outdoor exploration, rather than simply being an unusual building.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and practical experiences help children develop language, movement, relationships and understanding. Here, the August 2025 examples show learning threaded through ordinary tasks as well as organised activities.

Babies practised feeding themselves with suitable equipment. Toddlers worked on pouring drinks and helping themselves to fruit, while preschool children served their meal and tidied afterwards. Each stage added responsibility to something familiar. For parents, this makes independence tangible: learning includes doing things for oneself, rather than relying on adults to complete every task.

Language also developed through interaction. In August 2025, adults demonstrated speech for older babies, introduced colour words and counting with toddlers, and brought recipes into pretend cooking to extend children's vocabulary. Older children chose board games through a vote, giving them practice in expressing a preference and considering other children's choices.

Creative exploration included shaping dough with cutters, experimenting with paint and combining flour, water and sand outdoors. These activities put hands to work while leaving room for children to try their own ideas. Adult involvement mattered, too: staff demonstrated techniques and joined children's play rather than merely supplying materials.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden has separate play areas for different age groups and a paved section. Together with the yurt's access to outdoor space, this gives the nursery several ways to use its grounds.

In August 2025, the youngest children explored an indoor climbing frame with steps and a ramp, a ball pit and bubbles. Toddlers experimented with balancing foam bricks and planks; preschool children rode balance bikes on the garden slope, practising helmet use and controlling their speed. Physical challenge varied with the children's stage of development. Toddler staff had also arranged picnic benches for snacks and activities at tables outside.

Relationships and Communication

At the August 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that key persons helped children understand emotions, worked with parents through changes at home and identified developmental gaps so additional help could be sought promptly. This is the strongest care evidence: support was connected to individual children and their family circumstances.

In August 2025, adults helped children who needed support with expectations and safety boundaries through sensitive, timely responses. Parents were involved in discussions about how home and nursery could work together. For a family managing a difficult change, that collaboration matters as much as the activities on offer.

Key persons assessed children's abilities and identified what they should learn next. Staff also used small-group activities to address developmental gaps. These are concrete mechanisms for responding to a child's needs, rather than a general promise that every child will receive the same experience.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The August 2025 inspection included discussion with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator about supporting children and staff. Older children also explored dental health through a story and discussion. Care and learning overlapped: understanding health, emotions and everyday expectations formed part of the nursery day.

Moving towards school received practical attention in August 2025, when staff communicated with the schools children would attend. The purpose was to help children with the change of setting. There was also an important limitation: information exchange with other childcare settings was incomplete, leaving scope for a more consistent approach for children attending more than one provider.

The separate sleeping room upstairs remains a useful physical feature for younger children. It places rest alongside their play and dining spaces while giving it a room of its own.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hillside, Charfield Hill, Charfield, Wotton-under-Edge, GL12 8LH. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and bank holiday closures. These hours give families a substantial weekday window for childcare.

Charfield has its own enquiry route and a tour-booking route. Parents can use these to begin arranging childcare at this branch.

Getting There

A car park for parents forms part of the farmhouse site. That provides an on-site place to park when bringing or collecting children.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2025, the nursery provided government-funded places. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their intended attendance and any additional charges before committing to a booking.

• Care across different settings. In August 2025, staff exchanged information with some other childcare providers but did not consistently do so with all of them. If your child will attend another setting too, ask how information will be shared and used in planning.
• Adult-led learning. The August 2025 improvement priorities included better preparation and adjustment of activities so children remained involved and learned more consistently. During a tour, ask for an example of how an activity is adapted when a child loses interest or needs a different challenge.
• The farmhouse and yurt arrangement. Younger children use upstairs spaces, while older children have downstairs rooms and the preschool yurt. A visit can help you judge how the spaces and movement between them would suit your child.

Natural Choice Nurseries, Charfield suits families who value practical independence, varied play spaces and a close relationship between preschool activity and the garden. Its farmhouse rooms and yurt make that offer concrete, while the August 2025 examples show children taking increasing responsibility for eating, playing and managing everyday tasks.

The Good judgement sits alongside two meaningful improvement priorities: stronger coordination with other childcare settings and more consistent adaptation of adult-led activities. For parents, the decision turns on how those priorities are being addressed and how the nursery's layout fits their child's stage and temperament.