Muddy Boots

Woodland, a field and the shore give Muddy Boots its character. Based in a purpose-built cabin in the grounds of Chircombe House, this Northam setting uses its surroundings for practical learning: children grow vegetables, explore the beach and follow their interests with staff alongside them. Nature supplies both the materials and the questions.

Muddy Boots has 24 places in total and offers preschool, holiday and before-and-after-school care across an age range of 2 to 8 years. At its June 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding, found safeguarding effective and highlighted the progress of children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of today's staffing or routines.

Term-time preschool days run from 9am to 3pm, alongside holiday and wraparound care.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning and care. Here, its everyday expression includes conversation, singing, stories, exploring natural materials and learning through children's own play. Children practise describing their discoveries.

Alongside that framework, Muddy Boots uses in the moment planning. Staff watch and listen to children's play, then respond with teaching or resources as an interest develops. Tuff tray activities can introduce something new to investigate, while circle times bring children together for songs, stories and shared ideas. Adults help children develop their interests.

Forest School adds practical experiences with natural materials and outdoor challenges. Children have opportunities to climb trees, cook and try activities associated with forestry and carpentry; open-ended resources allow them to investigate and make decisions. The nursery aims to build independence, curiosity and resilience through this approach.

In June 2021, children used sticks washed up on the beach to make roads and talked about where the sticks might have come from. Staff introduced vocabulary during these conversations and used questions to extend children's thinking. Regular singing and music sessions also formed part of the day. These examples connect the setting's outdoor identity with language and imaginative play.

Outdoor and Community Life

The woodland cabin sits within the grounds of Chircombe House, with the field and shore also used for learning. A polytunnel gives children opportunities to plant vegetables and care for growing plants.

Muddy Boots Beach is reached through a private gateway in the grounds. Activities include looking for shells, building sandcastles and finding crabs beneath stones, with children learning to handle them gently. Traffic crossing the bridge over the River Torridge provides another prompt: counting vehicles and imagining their destinations turns a feature of the surroundings into conversation and number work.

Outdoor play continues in rain and cold when conditions are safe and children are suitably dressed. If weather becomes dangerous, staff return to the cabin; weather warnings are considered alongside advice from Devon County Council and the nursery's risk assessment.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry is the online journal used to record each child's learning. Keyworkers add observations and significant moments half termly, explaining how staff have supported learning. Parents can comment and contribute observations or photographs from home, giving staff material to discuss with children and making communication work in both directions.

When a child leaves, families can download their journal as a PDF to keep.

At the June 2021 inspection, Ofsted found strong attachments between children and their key persons, effective support for emotional wellbeing and careful tracking of learning, with challenging next steps tailored to individual children. In June 2021, staff also worked with other agencies and supported children preparing to move on to school.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENDco role forms part of the team. Muddy Boots has regular contact with Nursery Plus, Devon Inclusion Team and Speech and Language Therapists, alongside Occupational Health and Physiotherapy. These connections support work with external specialists.

The cabin contains child-sized toilets, handwashing facilities, a disabled toilet and a nappy-changing area. Parents supply nappies and wipes, and toilet training is supported with advice from parents and carers. All staff are paediatric first aid trained.

Parents provide a healthy packed lunch, while cooking activities on most days contribute to afternoon snacks and can use seasonal produce from the garden and polytunnel. Breakfast and a snack tea are provided for the before-and-after-school clubs, with breakfast and the later club's light tea included in their respective fees.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Buck House, Chircombe Lane, Northam, Bideford, EX39 2RQ. Preschool funded day care runs from 9am to 3pm during term time, and the minimum attendance expectation is two days a week. This is a meaningful commitment for families planning a child's weekly routine.

Holiday club serves children aged 2 to 8 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during school holidays, excluding Christmas. Its booking choices are 9am to 3pm or 8am to 5.30pm, and nursery families receive priority booking. The different day lengths give families a choice within a holiday schedule that operates on specified weekdays.

Wraparound care is for children attending St Marys school. Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 9am; aftercare offers a pickup-to-4.30pm period beginning at 3.15pm and a further period from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. Activities can use the field, woodland or amphitheatre, with tree climbing, slackline practice and the mud kitchen among the options. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place at St Marys school.

Joining enquiries can be made by email to admin@muddybootsdevon.co.uk or by telephone on 01237 420736. September is the only scheduled intake, with any mid-term openings offered to the next child on the waiting list. The waiting list follows a first-come, first-served approach, taking account of requested days and the mix of children's ages.

Getting There

Vehicle access is via Chanters Road, and there are eight parking spaces. Access to the cabin involves steps and a short woodland path, which families should factor into their practical arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Muddy Boots accepts the 15/30 hours funding for eligible children aged 2, 3 and 4 between 9am and 3pm; the entitlement is calculated for term time, and surplus hours may be stretched into holiday club where possible. Private preschool care and paid wraparound and holiday care are also offered.

For funded children, an enhanced provision contribution is voluntary and supports consumables during the 9am-to-3pm session. Parents still supply nappies and wipes and provide packed lunches; the voluntary contribution and items brought from home are separate parts of the arrangement. A separate daily charge applies when funded hours are used in holiday club.

The funding and fees information sets out these different arrangements. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Outdoor clothing and conditions. Waterproof footwear, warm layers and spare clothing are part of the suggested kit, and outdoor play continues in safe wet or cold weather. At an arranged visit, discuss how the clothing routine would work for your child.
• Steps to the cabin. Eight parking spaces are provided, but the route to the cabin includes steps and a woodland path. A visit is a useful opportunity to assess that route against your family's access needs.
• Attendance and intake. The expectation is at least two days each week, with September the only scheduled intake and any mid-term openings offered to the next child on the waiting list. The first-come waiting list takes account of requested days and children's ages. Consider how that pattern fits your weekly commitments.
• Food and funded extras. Packed lunches come from home, nappies and wipes are parent-supplied, and the funded preschool consumables contribution is voluntary. For a child with food allergies, what arrangements would apply to cooking activities and shared snacks?

Muddy Boots suits families who want outdoor exploration to be a substantial part of their child's preschool day, with a cabin, polytunnel and beach access giving that approach concrete form. Term-time preschool days, shorter or extended holiday-club days and wraparound care for St Marys school families serve different attendance needs.

The June 2021 Outstanding judgement provides a strong historical assessment. Today's decision rests equally on the practical fit: outdoor kit, steps to the cabin, a two-day attendance expectation and holiday care on specified weekdays. For families comfortable with those arrangements, the combination of child-led play, growing, cooking and shore activities gives this nursery a clear identity.