Little Moors Farm Nursery

Horses, a pond and woodland gave Little Moors Farm Nursery a recognisable character in October 2022: children explored habitats and tackled physical challenges outdoors. At its 27 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found that children progressed well and identified support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as a strength.

The Hartlebury setting accepts children aged 4 to 60 months and has 36 places in total. Its farm setting will interest families who want nature to feature in their child's early experiences.

In October 2022, outdoor learning involved watching horses and discovering how grooms looked after them, learning about the pond habitat, which a heron regularly visited and exploring the woods. Tree climbing and swings provided physical challenges. These were concrete experiences of animals, habitats and movement, rather than nature confined to pictures.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this brings play, communication and physical development into the child's day. In October 2022, babies practised communication through songs, rhymes and adults responding to their sounds and gestures; older children discussed stories and explored letters in their names.

Planting seeds, watering vegetables and watching them grow connected learning with the changing seasons. Counting children in a line and recognising shapes brought early mathematics into ordinary activities. October 2022 activities also explored what children had in common and how they differed, bringing awareness of other people alongside learning about nature. Books offered another kind of discovery: children understood the separate jobs of writers and illustrators and recognised how stories moved from an opening through a middle to an ending. That gave story time substance beyond listening. Adults used questions to invite children's ideas, including explanations for ripples on the pond, connecting conversation with something children could observe. However, in October 2022, less-experienced staff needed stronger guidance on extending learning during play, and leaders needed to assess what additional government funding achieved for children.

In October 2022, babies sought comfort from staff, while older children helped friends negotiate the slope towards the woods. Children also practised managing their coats and wellington boots. The daily experiences combined adult comfort with opportunities to become more independent.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that planning addressed individual children's learning needs, with specific work on speech and language, while staff shared responsibility for observing children, assessing their development and planning activities. This matters because the same outdoor experience can provide different learning opportunities for different children: a conversation about a pond and a physical challenge in the woods need not serve the same purpose. Individual planning gave those shared experiences a connection to each child's next steps. The improvement required in less-experienced staff's interactions remains relevant alongside that account of planning.

Care also involved helping children judge physical challenges in October 2022. An outdoor rock wall provided opportunities to consider their own abilities, persist and try again, with staff supervising throughout. For families attracted by the farm setting, this is an important part of the inspection-era picture: physical exploration included learning to make decisions about personal safety. Children practised social responsibility too, sharing materials and waiting for turns. Helping a friend on the woodland slope brought that consideration into an outdoor activity, rather than leaving it as an abstract rule about behaviour.

The address is Moors Farm Station Road, Hartlebury, Kidderminster, DY11 7YJ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation except bank holidays and Christmas. That opening window gives families a useful starting point for planning work and childcare.

In October 2022, the nursery received funding for early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. This is a dated participation fact, rather than a promise of a funded place now.

• Outdoor experiences. In October 2022, children climbed trees, used swings and explored woodland. On a visit, ask how these outdoor experiences are organised today and how younger children take part.
• Learning during play. In October 2022, less-experienced staff needed more support to extend children's learning. Ask how practitioners are coached today, including how leaders assess the effect of additional funding.

Little Moors Farm Nursery will suit families drawn to a farm setting and the outdoor experiences documented in October 2022. The October 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality assessment, with improvements needed in staff guidance and evaluating additional funding. Its strongest character comes from the practical learning possibilities of horses, woodland and growing vegetables.