ABC Day Nursery, Hoo Farm

Farm animals, a visiting farrier and outdoor play give ABC Day Nursery, Hoo Farm a character that starts with its surroundings. Its purpose-built building sits within Hoo Farm, where children make regular visits to the animals and can watch horses being re-shod. Those encounters give children real things to investigate and talk about, beyond the nursery rooms.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that carefully sequenced learning, skilful staff interactions and sustained engagement helped children make rapid progress. That is a dated judgement, with practical examples behind it: adults extended children's vocabulary during water play, while babies explored making marks with flour.

The nursery has capacity for 60 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. Ducklings, Lambs and Farm Hands organise the day around different stages of development. Full and part-time attendance are offered across the year.

Rooms and Ages

Ducklings, for children from three months to two years, combines carpeted floor space with an area for messy play and feeding, plus a milk kitchen, changing facilities and a sleep room, keeping everyday baby care close to the play space.

Lambs, for two- to three-year-olds, has floor-play space, a quieter spot for songs and stories, and a messy area for creative work, sand and water, with toilets accessible directly from the room.

Farm Hands, for three- to five-year-olds, brings maths, writing and changing role play into a bright room with outdoor access, giving preschool children opportunities to move between indoor activities and outside play throughout the day.

These are different arrangements for different ages. For a baby, the separate sleep room is a consequential practical feature; for an older child, direct outdoor access makes movement between activities part of the room's design.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, with activities matched to children's development. Here, a maths and writing area sits alongside imaginative play: the Farm Hands role-play space can become a post office or a police station. Familiar real-world settings give children something concrete to build their play around.

In September 2023, preschool children explored sea creatures in water, and adults introduced the name of a hammerhead shark during conversation. Babies copied adults making finger marks in flour. These examples show how a child's chosen activity can become an opportunity for new language or experimentation, rather than a separate formal lesson.

A shared sensory room adds another kind of space. Rope lights and a bubble tube sit alongside soft play mats, and children from all rooms can use it. It offers a different setting from the carpeted and messy areas within each age-group room.

Outdoor and Community Life

Hoo Farm is part of the children's experience, rather than simply the address. Regular animal visits and opportunities to watch the farrier connect play with living animals and practical work. The frequency is regular, so this is an ongoing connection rather than a single annual outing.

Forest School activities, involving play and exploration outdoors, take place in the nursery's large natural outdoor area. There is no fixed equipment; imaginative activities include treasure digging and bear hunts. This makes the outdoor offer especially relevant to families who value open-ended play over a playground organised around permanent structures.

In September 2023, children gathered conkers, experimented with leaves and water, and made bark prints with paint. Wooden obstacles also gave them opportunities to practise climbing and assess how to move through the space. Nature supplied both materials for play and things to investigate.

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND progressing well, with staff developing plans alongside parents, seeking professional advice and putting support strategies into practice while awaiting external help. The value for families lies in that combination of planning and action, rather than waiting for advice before doing anything.

In September 2023, parents knew what their children were learning and which activities they had taken part in. Staff reviewed children's development and used that understanding to plan their next experiences. This connected conversations with families to the work happening in the rooms.

Everyday independence also featured in September 2023: babies practised feeding themselves and helping to put toys away, while older children served food, used cutlery and managed clothing and shoes. Those are useful preparations for the next stage of learning, rooted in ordinary routines rather than a separate school-preparation lesson.

Food comes freshly cooked from Telford & Wrekin Council's catering team, with menus shared regularly with families. Dietary requirements can be catered for; families managing allergies should discuss their child's needs and current arrangements before starting.

Sessions and Attendance

Full and part-time day care run Monday to Friday, with opening hours of 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery operates for 51 weeks of the year, closing for a week at Christmas and on public holidays. That calendar matters for parents arranging work and holiday cover: attendance extends beyond school terms, but the closures still need planning around.

Getting There

The address is Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, Hoo Farm, Telford, TF6 6DJ. Direct nursery enquiries can be made on 01952 245257, and an expression-of-interest form includes Hoo Farm as a nursery choice.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2023, the nursery received funding for early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Families should use a current written quotation from the nursery when comparing the cost of their intended attendance.

• Baby care in Ducklings. A sleep room, milk kitchen and changing area sit within the baby provision. During a visit, ask how sleep and feeding routines are adapted to your baby and how settling is organised.
• Farm and outdoor play. Regular animal visits and Forest School activities shape the offer. Ask how participation changes with children's ages and how farm visits are organised.
• Attendance and costs. Full and part-time care operate across 51 weeks, with Christmas and public-holiday closures. Ask for the exact booking pattern and a written breakdown of funded hours, meals, consumables and any additional charges.

ABC Day Nursery, Hoo Farm suits families seeking either full or part-time attendance with regular contact with animals and substantial opportunities for outdoor exploration. Its strongest practical details are tangible: a sleep room for babies, direct outdoor access for preschool children and a sensory room shared across the age groups.

The September 2023 Outstanding judgement adds weight to those facilities through examples of thoughtful teaching and support. For parents who want a farm setting to be part of their child's day, this is a compelling option to explore.