Shepherds Spring Pre-School Nursery

Outdoor learning has a substantial role at Shepherds Spring Pre-School Nursery: The Burrows (Norwegian Woodlands) gives children in their final preschool year an outdoor route towards school, using the natural environment throughout the year. This is more than an occasional change of scenery. Children allocated to other rooms can also join specific outdoor sessions, giving families two ways to encounter this provision.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and judged safeguarding effective. The nursery accepts children from 3 months to 5 years at Spring Meadow Childrens Centre in Andover. Its strongest practical distinction is the choice between the Rabbit Room and an outdoor final-year experience, alongside provision for younger children.

Communication with home also has a concrete mechanism: an online assessment platform gives parents access to photographs of their child's activities. That offers a useful connection between the nursery day and conversations at home.

Rooms and Ages

The Butterfly Room serves the youngest children, with care centred on their individual needs and the development of close relationships with practitioners. The Hedgehog Room caters for children around 2 years 4 months to 3 years 9 months, encouraging friendships and helping children express their own personalities. The Rabbit Room concentrates on preparation for school during the final preschool year.

The Burrows (Norwegian Woodlands) follows the Rabbit Room's learning experiences outdoors, across the seasons and in different weather, using nature as the setting for learning. It is led by a practitioner trained in Norwegian Woodlands. For a child who enjoys being outside, this makes the outdoor environment part of the educational day rather than an occasional destination.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play is the route into learning, with social and sensory experiences alongside mental stimulation. The outdoor provision sits alongside that framework, changing the surroundings in which children explore and practise skills.

In March 2024, staff extended conversations through songs, stories and questions. One activity involved describing an imaginary creature hidden in a practitioner's hands, then inviting children to work out what it might be. This gave children a reason to listen carefully, remember details and put their ideas into words.

Younger children had equally concrete opportunities to explore. In March 2024, babies nested cups and threaded beads on an activity centre. These examples make the learning approach easier to understand: children could handle objects, try an action and concentrate on what happened, rather than simply listen to instructions.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2024, the outdoor space included two yurts used as classrooms, and older children spent much of their time outside. Gardening equipment and games involving language and mathematics were also used to support individual needs. The physical setting therefore accommodated learning as well as exercise.

A lunchtime example from March 2024 brought conversation, independence and outdoor social life together. Children exchanged pretend coins for a fish-and-chip lunch, placing their orders before eating together at wooden benches. It was a practical way to give ordinary routines an imaginative dimension, with children taking an active part in the exchange.

Relationships and Communication

The online assessment platform connects parents with photographs from daily activities. It gives families something specific to discuss with their child and a glimpse of experiences they may not otherwise hear about.

In March 2024, staff invited parents to contribute experiences from home and share moments that made them proud of their children. The exchange worked in both directions: home life helped inform the nursery's understanding of each child, while parents were involved in learning beyond collection-time conversations.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCo coordinates support for children with special educational needs or disabilities, with an assistant supporting that work. In March 2024, SENCOs assessed children soon after they started, worked with other agencies and reviewed action plans with key persons. At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND benefited from targeted support and achieved exceptional developmental gains relative to their initial abilities.

Staff development formed part of the arrangements in March 2024: practitioners undertook regular training, while SENCOs shared learning from their own training with colleagues. For families needing additional support, the important detail is the link between assessment, an individual plan and review, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Daily independence also included health routines in March 2024. Children practised dealing with their own noses and washing their hands, with adults modelling the same habits; older children could explain why handwashing mattered. These were skills children could carry into life at home.

Meals are made from raw ingredients with low salt and sugar, and snacks include fruit and vegetable sticks. For allergies notified in writing, the nursery's policy offers substitute meals and snacks; its outside-food restriction has an exception for weaning.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Office hours run from 8am to 4pm, making the earlier part of the day the relevant window for office contact.

The booking form starts a defined process: after receiving it, the nursery sends an External Waiting List Placement Request for further details. General enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. This gives families a clear first step while keeping a booking request separate from an offer of a place.

Getting There

The address is Spring Meadow Childrens Centre, Smannell Road, Andover, SP11 6JP, with the centre at the corner of Rimini and Smannell Road. A small layby at the front provides short-term parking for collection and drop-off.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Parents supply their preferred nappies and wet wipes for children who are not potty-trained, an everyday item to include when planning what goes in the nursery bag.

• Outdoor final year. The Burrows delivers learning outdoors throughout the year and in different weather. During a visit, ask how the daily routine and clothing arrangements would work for your child.
• Attendance and total cost. Opening hours span 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and the booking process includes an External Waiting List Placement Request. Ask for a written quotation covering your intended attendance, current funded-hours arrangements and any meal charges.
• Food allergies and weaning. The allergy policy requires written notification and restricts outside food, with an exception for weaning. Confirm the current substitution arrangements and how that exception would apply to your baby.

Shepherds Spring suits families who want play-based learning with a substantial outdoor element, especially those considering an outdoor final preschool year. The Rabbit Room offers another route into school preparation, while younger children have rooms centred on relationships and personal development.

The March 2024 Outstanding judgement carries weight, with outdoor classrooms, purposeful conversation and individual support plans documented at that inspection. The online assessment platform gives parents a current way to follow their child's daily experiences. The decision is whether those arrangements match your child's needs and your family's attendance requirements.