Manor Farm Day Care

An adjoining soft play centre, garden access straight from the baby room and a rural address give Manor Farm Day Care a recognisable character. At Western Barn in Chipping Warden, the offer combines spaces for physical play with practical attention to sleep and growing independence. Those details matter more than a broad promise of happy children: they help families picture how the day is organised.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying curriculum planning and the usefulness of group activities as areas to improve. The balance is clear. There were positive relationships and engaging play, alongside teaching that needed more consistent purpose.

The nursery has 50 places in total, with rooms serving babies, toddlers and preschool children. Attendance options span full days, half days and shorter school-day patterns.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves children aged 0 to 2, combining furniture within babies’ reach, sensory exploration, an allocated cot with bedding and direct garden access, so play and rest have their own practical arrangements.

For children aged 2 to 3, the Toddler Room emphasises communication, social relationships and self-esteem, with accessible resources and familiar routines helping children make choices and begin managing everyday tasks.

The Pre-school Room serves ages 3 to 5, using children’s interests to shape activities while developing the independence needed for school, including dressing and using the toilet.

The distinction between these stages is useful. Babies have space to explore and rest; toddlers practise small tasks through a predictable routine; older children work towards managing more for themselves. The current arrangement has three rooms, so families can weigh the stage that matters to their child rather than treating the whole nursery as one undifferentiated space.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care, connecting play and communication with children’s growing skills. Alongside it, Manor Farm uses a child-led approach: staff begin with what interests a child, then demonstrate, explain, question and introduce challenges to extend that interest. Its scaffolding approach means giving support towards the next step in learning.

In October 2024, play dough offered a concrete example of children experimenting. They tested different tools and compared rolling pins, with adults helping them think through what worked. Construction play also brought new vocabulary into conversation. These are useful ways to connect words and problem-solving with something a child is already doing.

Simple signs were another part of communication in October 2024, including signs for requesting more and expressing thanks. The nursery golden values gave behaviour a shared language: children helped agree expectations, and adults used explanations and reminders rather than leaving children to guess the rules.

The teaching caveat belongs beside those examples. In October 2024, staff were sometimes uncertain about the intended learning or how to take it further, and some group activities lost children’s attention because they did not suit everyone taking part. Enjoyable activity and purposeful teaching are separate tests.

Outdoor and Physical Play

Exclusive use of the adjoining soft play centre adds ball pits, a bouncy castle and shapes for children to explore. Pastel colours are used with the aim of limiting overstimulation. This gives physical play a dedicated indoor setting as well as the baby room’s route into the garden, a practical combination for children whose days need both movement and quieter intervals.

Rest is planned into the Baby Room. Each baby has their own allocated cot and bedding, with gentle lighting and music, and staff remain present during sleep. For families of younger children, that is a concrete arrangement to weigh alongside the room’s opportunities for exploration.

In October 2024, staff knew their key children’s interests and next learning steps, spoke with parents daily about care needs and shared activity information and ideas for home. Babies received reassurance through close, gentle interaction. Older children practised feeding themselves and, later, using cutlery and clearing their plates. The practical theme was growing independence through ordinary routines.

Toilet training in the Toddler Room is a shared undertaking: parents are asked to begin at home, and staff then support the child and family through the process. That expectation is useful to understand before a child reaches this stage.

The Chipping Warden team includes a Baby Room Leader, and leadership experience includes supporting children with SEND. Safeguarding lead responsibilities and paediatric first-aid training also feature in the team’s background. These describe the team’s structure and experience; the dated safeguarding judgement remains the relevant assessment of effectiveness.

Preparation for school includes contact with local primary schools and practice in dressing and toileting independently. The emphasis is on readiness for the next stage, through everyday skills children can use for themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Western Barn, Manor Farm Business Park, Appletree Road, Chipping Warden, Banbury, OX17 1LH, just off the A361. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Full Day Care runs from 8am to 6pm. Half Day Care offers either 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm. School Day Care runs from 8am to 3pm, while Extended School Day Care finishes at 4pm after an 8am start. Additional hours can be booked after a half day. These options give families a meaningful choice between a shorter attendance window and care across the working day.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Enrolment uses a downloadable registration form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible working families with children aged 9 to 23 months: 30 hours over 38 weeks, beginning in the term after the child turns 9 months. Two-year funding is also accepted from the term after the second birthday, subject to eligibility.

For children aged 3 and 4, funding starts in the term after the third birthday: the 15-hour weekly entitlement has an annual maximum of 570 hours, while extended 30-hour weekly funding has an annual maximum of 1140 hours for eligible families. Families claiming funding complete a parental contract each term, and session times can accommodate funded hours.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are included in the prices. Nappies are included too, with no additional consumables charges or registration fee on signing up. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation; the fees page sets out the attendance and charge structure.

• Purposeful teaching. October 2024 brought improvement priorities around planning and making group activities worthwhile for each participant. On a visit, ask how staff now identify the learning intended for an activity and adapt it for different children.
• Baby sleep and garden access. The Baby Room combines allocated cots, staff presence during sleep and direct access outside. Ask how these arrangements fit your baby’s own sleep and feeding routine.
• Toilet-training partnership. Parents are expected to start toilet training at home before nursery support begins. This makes coordination between home and the Toddler Room a practical consideration.

Manor Farm Day Care suits families considering full-day care, morning or afternoon half days, or the shorter School Day Care pattern. The adjoining soft play centre, baby garden access and emphasis on everyday independence give it clear practical appeal. The October 2024 Good judgement supports that appeal, with curriculum purpose and group activities the points to probe when deciding whether the teaching matches your child’s needs.