The Cottage Nursery

A quiet sleep room for babies, weekly Forest School for the oldest children and gardens arranged for different ages give The Cottage Nursery a clear progression from early care to school preparation. Its connection with the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom also gives it a recognisable place in Watchfield life: it welcomes families attending the college alongside residents from the surrounding area.

At its 7 May 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes. The practical detail beneath that judgement matters: children helped one another, included others in play and learnt to listen when someone else was speaking. Those observations belong to May 2024, but they offer a useful picture of the relationships children experienced then.

Based at Alexander Hall on Faringdon Road, the nursery accepts children from three months to before their fifth birthday. Cubs, Tigers, Panthers and Lions organise the progression through nursery, while term-time places can be supplemented with separately booked holiday childcare.

Rooms and Ages

Cubs takes babies aged three to 18 months, combining sensory exploration and resources that can be used in different ways with care organised around individual routines. Tigers covers 18 months to two and a half years, encouraging toddlers to tackle small problems and practise independence through self-feeding and toilet training. Panthers, for children aged two to three, brings together construction, imaginative play, musical instruments and a cosy story corner, with support for friendships and managing feelings. Lions is the final-year room, where children choose their play and practitioners build activities around their ideas to develop independence before school.

The overlapping Tigers and Panthers ages make developmental readiness relevant to room moves. Tigers begins once a child is moving confidently; Lions is defined by the final year before school rather than a fixed starting age. Room transitions take account of children's changing needs and readiness.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care, bringing play, communication, movement and personal development into the day. Here, the practical additions include outdoor learning, organised sport and activities that connect healthy habits with everyday experiences.

In May 2024, babies reached for raised sensory resources, while older children painted with water and made marks in sand or flour. Repeated stories and songs encouraged participation; airport play with suitcases and imagined flights prompted conversation.

In May 2024, adults sometimes helped too quickly, limiting children's opportunities to solve problems. More time to attempt solutions independently was an improvement priority.

Children grow vegetables, buy cooking ingredients at the local shop and explore shopping through pretend play, connecting healthy habits with everyday choices.

Outdoor and Community Life

Lions has weekly Forest School sessions exploring nature and the environment. Weekly TA Sports Stars classes for Panthers and Lions develop coordination, large physical movements, listening and attention through active sport.

Outdoor access extends beyond those sessions. Panthers and Lions have gardens opening directly from their rooms, available throughout the day, and the nursery's physical activity policy provides outdoor opportunities at least twice daily for all children. Climbing frames and balance bikes add specific ways to practise balance and movement.

Regular local outings extend children's exploration of nature and community beyond the age-group gardens.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person maintains developmental records and shares learning and wellbeing information with parents. A buddy knows the child too, providing a familiar adult during the key person's absence.

Parents share bottle-feeding routines, comfort items, sleep patterns and settling approaches before starting. This information supports the individual routines used in Cubs.

In May 2024, a lending library, book swaps and borrowed activity bags supported home learning. Exchanges about children's learning with other childcare settings needed strengthening, a relevant concern for families using more than one provider.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and found that the SENCo worked with families and professionals on tailored learning plans, using additional funding effectively to support children with SEND. Current safeguarding arrangements include designated lead roles and information boards at reception and the preschool entrance, giving parents identifiable routes for raising concerns.

Babies have individual cots in a quiet sleep room; older children use their own sleep mats. Naps are offered as needed, and quiet room areas give children space to rest during the day.

Bedtime Bear goes home with children in turn, accompanied by a toothbrush and bedtime brushing guidance. Dentist play, books and conversations about teeth reinforce oral-health routines.

Food is prepared on site by the nursery chef, with menus updated each term and adaptations for dietary requirements. The nursery has a nut-free policy, and its allergy procedures include individual action plans where treatment is needed, separately prepared alternatives when required, and red plates and placemats identifying dietary needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Alexander Hall, Faringdon Road, Watchfield, SN6 8TS. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 50 weeks of the year. Places are term time only, with holiday childcare booked as an extra; closures include bank holidays and a shutdown week in both August and the Christmas period.

The morning session runs from 9am to noon, and the all-day session from 9am to 3.30pm. Earlier care begins at 8am, with later collection options at 4.30pm and 6pm. The attendance policy recommends at least two sessions on separate days each week, giving children repeated contact with their room and practitioners.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 hour working parent funding from 9 months, 3-4 years universal funding (15 hours), and 2-year funding for families receiving additional support (15 hours). Funding is delivered during term time: the working-parent funding window is 9am to 3pm, while a fully funded universal place runs from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday. Eligibility remains conditional, and codes must be validated before the relevant term starts.

Attendance outside funded hours is charged privately. Snacks are included in the fee, as is tea for children staying after 4.30pm; lunch is charged separately, with a voluntary lunch charge for fully funded places taking no extra hours. Parents supply a suitable water bottle each day, while the nursery supplies sunscreen under its sun-safety policy.

Booking fees are non-refundable when longer hours are booked, while the fee is refunded for children receiving funding from their start who take only fully funded hours. The cancellation and deferral charges described for paid bookings do not apply to bookings consisting solely of fully funded hours. For a paid booking cancelled before starting, three calendar months' written notice avoids the stated cancellation charge; deferring a paid start requires a retainer.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The fees and funding page sets out the charge structure, including payment terms and charges for late collection. Term-time absence through illness or holidays remains payable.

• Time to think. In May 2024, adults sometimes intervened before children could solve problems themselves. During a visit, ask how practitioners now balance helpful support with time for children to try their own solutions.
• Care across settings. Stronger communication with other childcare providers was requested in May 2024. If your child attends elsewhere too, discuss how learning information will be exchanged.
• Term-time planning. Holiday childcare is an optional extra, and funding operates within specific daytime windows. Match the morning or all-day session, additional hours and holiday bookings to your family's actual schedule before committing.
• Allergy arrangements. The nut-free policy sits alongside individual treatment plans and marked meal equipment. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and discuss their child's symptoms, medication and meal arrangements before starting.

The Cottage Nursery suits families seeking morning sessions or all-day attendance with earlier and later care, especially those who want a term-time base with holiday childcare booked separately. Its Defence Academy connection, baby sleep provision, weekly Forest School and TA Sports Stars classes give families concrete reasons to consider it.

The May 2024 judgement provides a positive foundation, but the requests for more independent problem-solving and stronger communication across settings deserve attention. The clearest fit is for parents who value individual routines in the youngest room and increasing independence, physical activity and outdoor exploration as children grow.