Lodge Farm Nursery School

A working farm, woodland dens and an outdoor classroom give Lodge Farm Nursery School a recognisable character. Based in extended farm buildings in Kington Langley, near Chippenham, it combines everyday childcare with opportunities to grow food, encounter animals and explore outdoors. The countryside is part of the children's day, rather than simply the setting around the building.

At its 24 February 2026 inspection, Ofsted assessed inclusion and behaviour, attitudes and routines at Strong standard, achievement, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance at Expected standard, and children's welfare and wellbeing at Needs attention, with safeguarding standards met. That is a mixed picture. The outdoor offer has substance, but the personal-care and mealtime-supervision concerns deserve serious consideration alongside it.

There are 96 places in total, with an accepted age range from birth to 60 months. Named rooms separate babies, toddlers and preschool children, while Full Day and School Day bookings serve different family routines.

Rooms and Ages

Ladybirds accommodates children aged 0 to 2 years, while Hedgehogs spans 18 months to 3 years. These overlapping age bands sit alongside Squirrels for children aged 2 to 3 and the preschool rooms, Acorns and Oaks, both for ages 3 to 4.

Squirrels puts resources within children's reach for independent choices, combines singing and movement with sensory and mark-making activities, and has a tiled area for painting plus outdoor access to bikes, a mud kitchen, climbing wall and slide. Acorns brings letters, numbers and music into practical play, with sand, collage and construction materials indoors and regular wellie walks to the Woodland Walk. Oaks occupies a purpose-built building beside the main nursery, with wooden and tiled flooring, an adjacent outdoor area and play activities shaped by children's interests.

For children under 2, the usual staffing ratio is one adult to three children. For children aged 2 to 3, the usual staffing ratio is one adult to four children, better than the stated legal minimum of one to five. That is a meaningful staffing difference for this age group; it does not establish how many children will share a room.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides preschool planning: children learn through play, with activities adjusted to their development and interests. In Oaks, ideas from the children can influence what happens next. Acorns introduces early literacy and numeracy through practical experiences rather than making school preparation synonymous with formal lessons.

Forest School adds outdoor activities including cooking, tool-making, woodwork and messy play in the woodland. Sessions run daily across the nursery, although individual room routines differ: Squirrels has weekly sessions, while Acorns and Oaks describe regular participation. Families should distinguish the nursery's overall programme from their child's own timetable.

The Library Bus visits monthly on a Thursday. Children take turns choosing books, and staff can order books to support a topic, giving shared reading a connection to children's own selections. During the People Who Helps Us theme, visitors from occupations such as the Fire Service, Police and veterinary work introduce the roles people play in their community.

In February 2026, children used binoculars to look for birds, compared quantities outdoors and handled pipettes during water activities. These examples connect exploration with language, mathematics and small-hand movements. The teaching priorities were also clear: children needed longer to investigate activities, more questions that invited an extended answer, and more consistent use of assessment to take learning further.

Outdoor and Community Life

The woodland contains stepping stones, logs, tunnels, climbing equipment and a bug hotel. A wooden outdoor classroom provides shelter and shade, and is used for woodwork, snacks and picnic teas. That gives outdoor activity a practical base as well as space to roam.

Three alpacas and free-range chickens bring animals into the setting. Children can grow strawberries and potatoes, gather blackberries and turn them into jam, connecting food with the plants it comes from. An annual summer Sports day gives families another way to take part in nursery life.

The farm also featured in February 2026 activities: children investigated grains grown on site, made potions and smelled lavender and worked together to move water through a water station. These are concrete experiences of materials, smells and problem-solving, rather than a generic promise of outdoor learning.

Relationships and Communication

Keyworkers maintain Ovivio, an online learning journal containing observations, photographs and videos, which parents can access through an individual account or phone app. In Squirrels, a whiteboard records daily information about eating, nappy changes and sleep; Acorns and Oaks provide daily verbal feedback. These serve different purposes: the journal follows learning over time, while daily feedback covers immediate care.

Parent evenings take place twice yearly, in the Autumn and Summer terms, with time to discuss development with a keyworker. Baby sleep arrangements follow individual home routines, and children in other rooms can rest or sleep after lunch according to their needs. Induction discussions include sleep routines and what families need to bring.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised individual needs and arranged tailored support with specialist agencies and charities, but personal care was sometimes delayed, handwashing lacked consistency and mealtime supervision did not reliably keep children safe. Both sides matter when choosing care: individual support does not remove the need for dependable everyday routines.

The required action was to make personal-care routines and supervision while eating consistent, with a completion date of 11 March 2026. The February 2026 findings also called for staff deployment at meals to keep children within both sight and hearing. This is the latest published position, rather than an assumption about whether the action was subsequently completed.

Collection arrangements include a password when an unfamiliar adult collects a child. If a child becomes ill during nursery, staff contact parents and then the nominated emergency contact if necessary. These are practical procedures families can incorporate into their own collection and contact arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm; School Day runs from 8.30am to 2.30pm. Additional hours can be booked within the core 8am-to-6pm window. The shorter pattern may fit families whose working or caring arrangements finish earlier, while the Full Day provides a longer attendance window.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Attendance can be term-time only or across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01249 750075 or by email to info@lodgefarmnurseryschool.co.uk.

Getting There

The address is Lodge Farm Nursery, Malmesbury Road, Kington Langley, Chippenham, SN15 5PY. Its working-farm premises sit in the countryside between Chippenham and Malmesbury, with access to the M4 and A350.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal 15-hour entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, with an additional 15 hours for eligible families. Eligible children aged 9 months and over can use the 30-hour entitlement from the term after reaching that age. Entitlements can be taken over 38 term-time weeks or stretched across 51 weeks; the stated all-year patterns are 12 or 22 hours weekly, depending on entitlement.

Private session fees include meals, while children using funded entitlement have a separate Enhanced Provision Charge covering home-cooked food, Forest School and additional activities. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation; the fees and funding page explains the session and entitlement structure.

Food is cooked daily in the nursery kitchen on a three-week menu cycle, with hot lunch, high tea and snacks according to the session attended. Dietary requirements, including allergies and intolerances, can be catered for.

Depending on age and induction arrangements, parents may need to provide nappies, wipes and sun cream, alongside items such as a hat, wellies and water bottle. Formula and other milks are supplied by the nursery. Joining involves returning a registration form and paying a registration fee.

• Personal care and eating safely. The February 2026 findings required more consistent care routines and mealtime supervision, with action due by 11 March 2026. Ask what has changed and how managers check that those changes are maintained.
• Your child's outdoor routine. Daily Forest School provision across the nursery includes a weekly pattern for Squirrels and regular sessions for the preschool rooms. During a viewing, discuss how the woodland programme fits your child's room and attendance days.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funded sessions carry an Enhanced Provision Charge for food and additional provision. Obtain a written quotation for your chosen attendance pattern so the funded hours and additional charges are clear together.
• Dietary care. The nursery caters for allergies and intolerances. Families affected by these should confirm current kitchen and serving arrangements for their child's needs.

Lodge Farm suits families seeking either Full Day or School Day attendance and a nursery where woodland, animals and growing food form part of ordinary childhood experiences. The Library Bus and online learning journals add useful connections between nursery activities and home.

The decision turns on care as well as character. February 2026's concerns about personal care and eating safely are material, and families should weigh the nursery's response before joining. The farm and outdoor facilities offer plenty to explore; consistent everyday care must carry equal weight.