The Old School Nursery

Donkeys and ponies beyond the garden wall give The Old School Nursery a recognisable countryside character. Children can grow vegetables, explore a sensory path and make potions outside; babies have their own covered garden. These are concrete reasons to consider this Honington setting for a child who enjoys learning outdoors.

At its 22 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The inspection also set improvement priorities around sharing children's learning with parents and helping older children understand personal safety, including privacy during toileting.

The nursery accepts children aged 6 to 59 months and has 31 places in total. Baby Room, Toddler Room and Pre-School organise the age stages, while attendance choices include morning, afternoon and full-day sessions alongside school-day hours for older children.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room caters for children up to two years, with an emphasis on sensory exploration and surroundings adapted as babies develop. Its separate covered outdoor area gives the youngest children space for physical activity in fresh air. The current whole-setting starting age is six months; families considering an earlier start should discuss this before joining.

Toddler Room serves children aged two to three, emphasising exploration, curiosity and creative learning. Pre-School covers the three-to-five stage, concentrating on communication, social skills, independence and solving problems. For children aged two and above, the original school room is part of the learning environment, giving this nursery a physical connection to its name.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, that translates into play, conversation and practical tasks through which children build language and learn to do things for themselves. The nursery also holds Hygge Accreditation, an approach it connects with comfort, simplicity and enjoyment of learning, alongside contact with nature and creative activity.

In August 2024, babies copied vehicle sounds while playing with a toy truck, and older children had time to think before answering staff's questions. Language practice was attached to something children were already doing, rather than confined to a separate exercise.

Practical independence also featured in August 2024: babies attempted to put on their boots, while toddlers and preschool children poured milk at snack time. Drawing became a route into storytelling, with children giving meaning to their pirate pictures. These examples help parents picture the everyday tasks behind preparation for school.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden combines growing food with sensory discovery and imaginative play. A sensory path supplies textures to investigate, while the outdoor kitchen gives children somewhere to mix their pretend creations. Donkeys and ponies over the wall add animals to that outdoor experience.

Wellies, puddle suits and clothing suited to the weather are essential here. This matters practically: outdoor exploration calls for an everyday supply of suitable clothes, rather than an outfit reserved for occasional outings.

Close relationships were visible in August 2024, when toddlers sought cuddles from staff after waking. Daily routines also gave children clear steps to follow, such as removing shoes before waiting to wash their hands. Familiar sequences helped children understand what came next.

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified weaknesses in gathering information about achievements at home and giving every parent ideas for extending learning, as well as gaps in teaching personal safety and protecting toddlers' and preschool children's toileting privacy. These findings deserve direct discussion because they concern both communication with families and children's everyday dignity.

Parents had contributed to the outdoor environment in August 2024 by building a step from which children could observe animals beyond the garden. That practical involvement did not remove the need for better two-way sharing about learning. Families should distinguish opportunities to contribute from the regular exchange of information about their own child.

Staff development includes whole-team learning and training linked to individual interests. For parents, the useful question is how that training changes everyday practice, especially in the areas raised in August 2024.

School preparation included visits from children's future teachers in August 2024. Meeting the adult who would teach them gave preschool children a familiar person to associate with the move. This was transition support rather than a claim about admission to a particular school.

An onsite chef cooks meals from fresh ingredients, and families may instead send lunches or teas that follow the nursery's healthy-eating rules. The food-from-home policy excludes popcorn and whole nuts and requires small foods such as grapes to be cut lengthways.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old School House, Main Street, Honington, Grantham, NG32 2PG. Opening hours are 8am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday, with closures on bank holidays and between Christmas Eve and New Year; fees are waived during closures.

The standard full day runs from 8am to 5.45pm, the morning session from 8am to 1pm, and the afternoon from 1.15pm to 5.45pm. Children over three can attend a school day from 9am to 3pm. Funded arrangements also include an 8am-to-3pm school day, plus full-day and afternoon schedules ending at 6pm. The differing finish times need resolving before a booking is agreed.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01400 250358. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions are offered for eligible children over nine months and for three- and four-year-olds. Under-three funding is stretched over 51 weeks, except that two-year-olds receiving FAS can also use the term-time option offered to older children. For children over three and two-year-olds receiving FAS, choices include term-time funding over 38 weeks or stretched funding.

Meals are included in standard paid sessions: lunch accompanies morning and full-day bookings, while high tea accompanies afternoon and full-day bookings. For funded sessions, meals carry an optional separate charge and families can send a packed lunch instead; families supply all meals for weaning babies.

Additional paid sessions can use funded hours left over from a child's allocation. The fees and funding page sets out these arrangements, so the quotation should match the child's age, funding route and chosen attendance pattern.

• Finish times and funding. Standard full-day and afternoon sessions end at 5.45pm, but their funded schedules end at 6pm. Ask which finish applies to the proposed booking and how any additional paid time is arranged.
• Communication and personal safety. August 2024 improvement priorities covered learning updates, home-learning suggestions, children's safety awareness and toileting privacy. Ask for concrete examples of the current arrangements during a visit.
• The youngest starting age. Baby Room's age description begins at six weeks, while the current accepted age range begins at six months. Establish the starting-age agreement before planning a return to work.
• Outdoor clothing and food from home. Wellies and puddle suits are essential, and packed food must follow healthy-eating and preparation rules. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice and any individual arrangements.

For families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day or school-day attendance, The Old School Nursery offers several genuinely different patterns. Its garden, covered baby outdoor area and original school room give the setting a clear character, while the August 2024 Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality.

The decision should also account for that assessment's improvement priorities. Parents who value outdoor play and practical independence have specific reasons to consider this nursery, provided the proposed funding schedule, finish time and current communication arrangements fit their family's needs.