Tilford Meadow Nursery School

Woodland exploration gives Tilford Meadow Nursery School its character. Children have daily access to the outdoor area and woods, with Forest School introducing older children to practical activities such as whittling and fire-making under supervision. Younger children explore through Mini Explorers. Outdoor learning is part of the nursery week, rather than an occasional outing.

Based at The Tilford Institute on Tilford Road, Tilford, the nursery has 48 places in total and offers care for children aged two to four. At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That judgement provides a dated assessment of practice, alongside the current outdoor offer.

Attendance is term-time only, with shorter sessions and extended sessions serving different ages. The distinction matters: families can choose nursery mornings or a longer nursery day, while additional care involves a separate setting.

Rooms and Ages

Yellow Class, for children aged two to three, takes part in Mini Explorers: supported investigation of woodland and the local environment. This gives younger children their own route into outdoor exploration before the older children's Forest School activities.

The attendance arrangements also distinguish younger children from those aged three and above. That is useful when planning a child's start: the shorter nursery patterns apply to the youngest children, while extended sessions are offered to the older age group.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play, conversation and exploration helping children build skills. Forest School sits alongside this framework, adding opportunities to investigate outdoors, use imagination and practise handling supervised risks. Its practical content gives the approach substance: older children can use bow-saws, try whittling, make fires and toast marshmallows.

Tuesday and Thursday are Forest School days for children aged three and above. Mini Explorers forms part of the younger children's weekly routine. The two arrangements share access to woodland, but the activities are adapted to different stages rather than treating all children as ready for the same tasks.

In October 2022, indoor learning included investigating apples and pumpkins with tools, comparing their sizes and exploring seeds. Staff connected a hands-on activity with language and ideas about growth. Books also supported storytelling, with picture prompts and props helping children invent and recall stories; outdoor chalkboards provided another way to experiment with making marks.

Playball runs on Thursday afternoons, and Moo Music on Friday afternoons. These clubs add named choices to the afternoon timetable. Their timing is relevant for families choosing between an earlier collection and an extended session.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden and woodland access are concrete strengths of the setting's physical offer. Daily outdoor access means children can explore beyond the indoor nursery environment throughout their attendance, while the Forest School timetable gives older children scheduled sessions as well.

Parents can contribute by reading stories, cooking or gardening with the children. This creates practical opportunities for families to take part in nursery life, with involvement built around an activity rather than simply attending a meeting.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2022, children sought reassurance from practitioners when they needed it, and staff used conversations to extend vocabulary. Younger children, for example, explored vehicle books and toy cars while adults repeated the names clearly. Everyday play became an opportunity to practise communication.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that parents valued communication with their child's key worker, access to progress information and parents' evenings, while parents of children with special educational needs or disabilities appreciated the support and information they received. These are useful findings about the relationships operating at that time.

A closed Facebook page for families supports communication through videos and activity links. It offers another way to connect home and nursery experiences, alongside the direct relationships with staff.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Key workers have completed paediatric first aid training, and staff have attended safeguarding training. These are arrangements within the current care offer; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection assessment above.

In October 2022, staff monitored children's learning and shared information with their key worker, helping them identify gaps. Children also discussed dental visits and how to care for their teeth. Wellbeing therefore appeared in ordinary conversation as well as adult oversight.

There were two practical areas for development in October 2022. Adults sometimes explained rules inconsistently, and some older children received help with tasks they could attempt themselves. For families, these findings make the balance between support and independence a useful subject to explore.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during term time. Children aged two to three can attend from 9am to noon or 1pm; children aged three and above can attend from 9am to 1pm. Extended sessions for children aged three and above run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, with flexible collection from 2.30pm.

Early Club runs from 8.45am to 9am. For children aged three and above, wraparound care is offered through The Hen House at All Saints School: Breakfast Club runs from 7.40am to 8.40am, and after-nursery care from 3pm to either 4.30pm or 6pm. This extends the practical range, but it involves care at another setting.

Getting There

The address is The Tilford Institute, Tilford Road, Tilford, GU10 2BU. Enquiries can be made through the Tilford Meadow Nursery contact form or by telephone on 07786 515866.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during the term-time nursery pattern. The nursery accepts universal funding of 15 hours from the term after a child's third birthday, Working Parent Entitlement of 30 hours for children aged two and above, and funding for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility conditions remain important when matching an entitlement to attendance.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Families combining nursery sessions, afternoon clubs and care through The Hen House should consider the whole arrangement together.

• Support versus independence. October 2022 findings included inconsistent explanations of rules and adults sometimes doing simple tasks for older children. During a visit, ask how staff now explain expectations and encourage children to try tasks themselves.
• Care across two settings. The Hen House provides the additional breakfast and after-nursery care for children aged three and above. Ask how handovers work and how responsibilities are shared across the nursery day.
• The complete cost of attendance. Funding, afternoon clubs and additional care sit within the attendance choices. Request one written quotation clarifying meals, non-food consumables and any club or wraparound charges for the pattern you need.

Tilford Meadow suits families seeking term-time nursery mornings or extended nursery sessions, with woodland exploration built into children's experience. Forest School has concrete practical content, and Mini Explorers gives younger children an outdoor programme of their own.

The October 2022 assessment supports a positive view of the nursery, with specific questions about behaviour explanations and independence. For families needing care beyond nursery hours, the arrangement with The Hen House adds another option that deserves careful planning.