YMCA Humpty Dumpty Nursery

Weekly woodland sessions and an enclosed garden give YMCA Humpty Dumpty Nursery a clear outdoor identity. A converted bungalow on the Kingsbury Green Academy site in Calne provides the main building, complemented by a separate garden studio. The outdoor space is central to the offer: children can paint, play and explore beyond the indoor rooms.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 18 October 2022 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The nursery accepts children from three months to five years and has 36 places in total. Flexible sessions and full days provide different ways to attend, with funded early education offered to eligible families.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing learning through play together with everyday support for growing independence. Here, exploration is a clear part of the current approach: loose parts and natural resources give children materials to investigate rather than a single predetermined way to play. For parents, that means an emphasis on what children discover and do themselves.

In October 2022, children could select their activities and decide whether to play outside. Materials were arranged so they could find things independently; wood and crates became building resources, with children working together on their constructions. These examples show how practical play can combine decision-making, cooperation and physical effort.

Stories and singing also featured in the October 2022 day. Babies explored picture books and new words, while older children used props to act out familiar tales. Simple signs and picture cards helped children express themselves, alongside small-group activities. Communication therefore extended beyond spoken conversation, giving children different ways to participate.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School, an approach involving learning and exploration outdoors, takes place each week in the woods within the school grounds. A trained Forest School teacher supports this provision. Its regular place in the week matters: woodland exploration is part of the attendance experience, rather than an occasional outing.

The enclosed garden offers playhouses, a swing and a painting wall, with a tree providing shelter and a place for picnics when the weather allows. A separate studio adds another space within the garden. Walks extend into the school grounds and surrounding countryside, giving the outdoor offer more variety than a single play area.

In October 2022, outdoor activities included climbing, counting games and using tools to hammer nails into pumpkins. Children also gathered tomatoes and raspberries for snacks. Community experiences included shopping for cooking ingredients and a church visit for Remembrance Day. Parents from Afghan and Chinese backgrounds joined cooking activities, connecting children's learning with families' experiences.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2022, babies' eating and sleeping followed the routines they used at home. Staff responded to their gestures and sounds, and children had opportunities to practise everyday tasks themselves, including putting on outdoor clothing. For a family choosing care for a baby, those observations provide concrete examples of how routines and developing independence were handled at that time.

Parents contributed information about children's interests and development in October 2022, while staff shared updates on progress. This two-way exchange linked home experiences with activities at nursery. It also gave parents a role beyond receiving information at the end of a session.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

An on-site Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) provides advice and expertise for children needing additional support. At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified emerging developmental needs accurately and supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through work with parents and other professionals. The current coordinator role gives families a specific point of contact; the dated judgement describes how support operated during that visit.

Children bring a healthy packed lunch, while breakfast, snacks and high tea can be purchased separately. This puts lunch preparation with families and allows them to choose the additional food provision around their child's attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

Full days run from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and flexible sessions are also offered. Families can discuss different times with the manager. These are different booking patterns: a full day covers the stated daily window, while flexible attendance allows a conversation about the hours required.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks of the year and closes between Christmas and New Year. That makes it relevant both to families needing attendance across the year and those using funded education during term time. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's contact form, by telephone on 01249 822545 or by emailing humptydumpty@ymca-bg.org.

Getting There

The address is The Bungalow, Kingsbury Green Academy, White Horse Way, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 8YH, next to Calne Leisure Centre. There is parking, and the nursery has access to facilities at the academy and leisure centre.

Being on school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education covers eligible three- and four-year-olds, two-year-olds receiving additional support, and children aged nine months and two years with working parents. It can be taken over 38 term-time weeks or spread across 51 weeks. The offer includes 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours for eligible working parents, and 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds; eligibility conditions apply to the relevant entitlement.

Private childcare is also offered. Packed lunches come from home, and light breakfast, healthy snacks and high tea carry separate charges. A non-compulsory consumables contribution supports activities and enrichment beyond the EYFS, so it is separate from the childcare charge and families can decline it.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The session times and prices page sets out the attendance and charge structure, helping families distinguish childcare hours, food and the non-compulsory contribution.

• Quiet spaces for conversation. In October 2022, background noise in the preschool room sometimes made conversation difficult, and more quiet spaces were needed. On a visit, ask how the room now supports children who need calmer conditions to communicate.
• A woodland week. Weekly Forest School sessions use the school woods. Discuss outdoor clothing and how these sessions fit the attendance pattern you are considering.
• Food and additional charges. Lunch comes from home; breakfast, snacks and high tea cost extra, and the consumables contribution is non-compulsory. Build your comparison around the combination your child will use.

YMCA Humpty Dumpty Nursery suits families seeking either flexible sessions or full-day attendance, with regular woodland learning and substantial outdoor space. The converted bungalow, garden studio and school woods give its offer a recognisable shape. Its October 2022 Good judgement provides a positive assessment at that date, while the preschool noise concern gives families a precise issue to explore. The strongest practical match is for parents who value outdoor exploration and are comfortable providing a packed lunch.