Giant Steps Nursery, Laverstock

Barns, animals, tracks and fields give Giant Steps Nursery, Laverstock its character. Based at River Bourne Community Farm in Salisbury, it brings children into contact with the working surroundings of a community farm rather than keeping outdoor learning within a nursery garden. Animal visits and countryside outings supply concrete things to notice, discuss and explore.

At the 9 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while asking for more consistent delivery of the intended curriculum and stronger conversations that help every child practise new vocabulary. Those are useful qualifications to the overall judgement: the farm setting supplies memorable experiences, but the teaching within them matters too.

The nursery accepts children from birth to five years and has 41 places in total. Full-day and half-day attendance are among its booking options.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, farm visits add first-hand experiences to that foundation, giving children real animals and surroundings to explore alongside their developing language and practical skills.

In July 2024, children visited a newborn alpaca and learnt about the milk its mother provided. Younger children worked at putting on their own outdoor clothing before heading onto the farm in small groups. The experience joined animal learning with everyday independence: getting ready was part of the activity, rather than something adults simply did for them.

Facility the Fairy, a puppet used in brief activities about the sounds within words, featured in July 2024. These sessions gave children a playful way into listening closely to speech. Mathematical songs also featured, although older children's counting activities did not consistently include the accurate counting of objects intended by the curriculum. The distinction is practical: joining in a song and counting actual objects are different tasks.

Vocabulary teaching was similarly uneven in July 2024. Some adults encouraged children to experiment with words through changes in volume and whispered speech; these opportunities were not consistent across staff interactions. For parents, the important question is how an engaging experience becomes a conversation in which their own child participates.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children explore the farm's barns, visit its animals and use its fields and tracks for outdoor learning. This is a setting for families who value learning connected to the countryside, with outdoor experiences extending beyond play equipment.

In July 2024, the nursery occupied four rooms within two portable cabins on the farm grounds. Children used bikes outdoors, with sand timers helping them agree when to exchange turns. Farm outings also had clear behavioural boundaries. These details show how the physical setting and ordinary social learning worked together: exploring, sharing and following instructions all had immediate uses.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, babies' care responsive, relationships with families constructive and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities helpful in addressing gaps in learning. That judgement concerns the practice seen at that visit, including communication with parents and action following assessments.

The Colour Monster, a book used to explore feelings, featured in July 2024. Older children practised identifying emotions and talking about them, and brought worries to adults. This gave emotional learning a concrete starting point: a story and words for feelings, rather than an expectation that children should simply manage them unaided.

Practical care also appeared in small actions during that visit. Adults attended to children's warmth during rainy play, while children increasingly took responsibility for washing their hands before lunch. Parents received ideas for supporting learning and independence at home. The connection between nursery and home therefore included things families could do, alongside discussion of children's development.

Physical access is supported by a wooden ramp and accessible facilities for children and adults. All areas of the building are accessible, making the layout a relevant part of the decision for families with mobility needs. Physical access and an individual child's support arrangements are separate considerations, however; the latter deserves a specific conversation.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is River Bourne Community Farm, Cow Lane, Salisbury, SP1 2SR. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across fifty-one weeks of the year. Closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas, so families need to account for those breaks in their childcare planning.

Full-time attendance, full days, half days and an hourly rate form the booking range. This gives families several ways to shape attendance, rather than a single day-long pattern. General enquiries can be made through the contact form or by calling the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded hours can be used at any time, with no restriction on when they are taken. This is useful for families trying to fit funded childcare around their chosen attendance pattern, although the entitlement itself and the nursery's participation are separate matters.

Snacks and tea carry a separate, optional daily food charge, including alongside funded hours. There are no other chargeable extras in the Laverstock fee structure. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to consider their attendance pattern and food choice together.

• Teaching beyond the farm experience. In July 2024, curriculum delivery and opportunities to use new vocabulary needed greater consistency. During a visit, ask how staff now build accurate counting and extended conversation into activities.
• Outdoor routines. Barns, animals, tracks and fields are central to the offer. Ask how outings work for your child's age and how outdoor clothing and rainy-day routines are managed.
• Attendance and food choices. Full-day, half-day and hourly charging give different booking possibilities, while snacks and tea carry an optional charge. Request a written quotation that sets out your chosen pattern, funded entitlement, food arrangements and what to bring from home.
• Access and individual support. A ramp and accessible facilities support physical access. Families needing additional support should discuss their child's particular care arrangements and how communication with parents will work.

Giant Steps Nursery, Laverstock suits families seeking farm-based early learning with either full-day or half-day attendance, as well as those considering hourly childcare. Its barns, animals and countryside access give the nursery a clear reason to choose it beyond its opening hours.

The July 2024 Good judgement sits alongside specific teaching improvements, especially consistent vocabulary work and translating curriculum intentions into activities. The strongest decision combines both sides: whether the farm setting fits your child, and how staff use those experiences to develop learning and provide individual care.