Partou Natures Day Nursery & Pre-school

Two acres of grounds give Partou Natures its clearest identity: a Sunninghill nursery where outdoor exploration has substantial space behind it. Sandpits, sensory spaces and mud kitchens give children different ways to investigate, while the nursery's forest school introduces nature and the surrounding world through outdoor learning. For children who enjoy getting absorbed in practical play, that is a persuasive combination.

The nursery accepts children from three months to five years. At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, but a subsequent regulatory action concerning staff induction is material to any decision about joining.

Age-specific playrooms organise the indoor provision. Attendance choices include full days, morning and afternoon sessions, and a school day session, allowing families to consider different lengths of nursery day rather than a single pattern.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences support skills such as communication, movement and early mathematical understanding. Alongside this, the group-wide Partou experience gives children a choice of activities, with adults helping them explore their interests. The practical value is scope for children to become involved in something that captures their attention, rather than everyone following the same activity.

In September 2025, staff planned learning around children's existing abilities and interests, then built on what they could already do. Books served different purposes across the ages: babies responded to pictures during stories, while older children used insect illustrations as starting points for butterfly drawings. Reading therefore connected with both conversation and creative work.

Counting was woven into younger children's activities. Older children encountered weight-related vocabulary during water play, linking mathematical ideas to something they could handle and observe. Animal cards prompted children to examine skeletons and imitate movements, bringing information about the natural world into physical play.

There was also an important weakness. In September 2025, adults sometimes moved on too quickly after asking a question, leaving children insufficient thinking time. The improvement needed was more patient interaction, giving children room to form an answer or work towards a solution themselves. That matters as much as the activity being offered.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden combines sensory exploration with messy play. Mud kitchens and sandpits create opportunities to manipulate materials, while forest school gives outdoor activity an explicit connection with learning about nature. These are useful features for families seeking more than a brief spell outside between indoor activities.

In September 2025, older children cycled and explored climbing tubes outdoors; babies practised movement indoors, including balancing on a beam. Children also helped clear garden leaves using tools and took part in assessing outdoor risks with adult support. The emphasis was on participating in the environment, with practical tasks alongside physical challenges.

In September 2025, information gathered from parents helped staff understand children's interests and developmental stage. Babies' home routines informed their care, making the exchange between family and nursery relevant to the youngest children rather than simply an administrative exercise. Older children practised cooperation and turn-taking, including waiting to use a ball run.

Everyday independence also featured in that September 2025 account. Children attempted to put on their own shoes and manage personal care, while younger children fed themselves with adult help. These small tasks gave children opportunities to practise doing things for themselves as their abilities developed.

Regular updates about children's progress form part of the current care offer. However, in September 2025, communication did not consistently give parents enough information about the next stages of learning or how to help at home. A general update and a useful explanation of what a child is working towards are different things; the latter was an explicit improvement priority.

On 16 July 2026, Ofsted found a further area of non-compliance and required effective induction, coaching and oversight for all staff, including agency workers, specifically concerning Local Safeguarding Partners guidance, with action due by 28 July 2026. This is the latest published regulatory position and deserves substantial weight alongside the earlier Good judgement.

Meals are cooked at the nursery using seasonal menus, with a rotation of three to four weeks. The nursery has procedures for food allergies and accommodates different dietary requirements, so food planning is part of the care discussion for children who need adaptations.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Meridian House, London Road, Sunninghill, Ascot, SL5 0PL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays, with a further closure between Christmas and New Year.

Full days run from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and the school day session from 8.30am to 3.30pm. The different finishing times are useful when matching nursery attendance to work or other family commitments. Both year-round and term-time attendance are offered.

Enquiries and visit bookings can be made directly through the nursery's enquiry and booking options. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can access funded childcare typically covering 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 term weeks, with a maximum of 10 funded hours a day. For year-round attendance, funding is stretched over 51 weeks; term-time attendance uses the entitlement across the term weeks. Funding applies to care, rather than the whole cost of a session, which is an important distinction when comparing attendance patterns.

Full private fees include meals, drinks and consumables within the combined charge. These daily care items include wipes, nappies and sun cream; for funded sessions, meals and consumables are charged separately from funded care. Families therefore need to compare the complete quotation, including any care beyond their funded hours.

A non-refundable registration charge or a registration deposit applies, with eligibility conditions determining the deposit option. Bank holidays remain chargeable, so closure days also matter when assessing the overall payment arrangement.

• Staff induction after the July 2026 action. The action dated 16 July 2026 required stronger induction, coaching and oversight, including for agency workers. Ask what has changed and for the latest official outcome before deciding to join.
• Thinking time and useful updates. September 2025 improvement priorities concerned children's opportunity to answer questions and parents' understanding of next learning steps. During a visit, ask how staff now allow thinking time and show families what to support at home.
• Funded care and the complete bill. Meals and consumables carry separate charges during funded sessions, and bank holidays are chargeable. Compare a written quotation for your intended attendance pattern rather than treating funded hours as the whole package.
• Outdoor play and dietary adaptations. Forest school and substantial grounds are central attractions. Use a visit to discuss how your child would take part, and confirm current food-allergy arrangements if your family needs them.

Partou Natures suits families who value substantial outdoor space and want a choice between full days, shorter morning or afternoon sessions, and a school day pattern. The garden and forest school give that choice a recognisable setting. The September 2025 learning examples add substance, but the July 2026 induction action must be weighed carefully before joining. This is a nursery to assess through both its practical offer and its latest regulatory position.