Mini Moos At Churchfields Day Nursery Operated By Blooming Imaginations

Farm animals, woodland learning and a covered garden give Mini Moos a recognisable character. Churchfields Farm Park supplies more than a rural backdrop: children can help care for animals, explore seasonal changes and use the farm even when it is closed to the public. For families who want outdoor experiences woven into childcare, that is the strongest reason to consider this Droitwich nursery.

The 3 June 2026 Ofsted report card awarded Expected standard across achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership, with safeguarding standards met. This is a setting to judge on its practical outdoor offer alongside the need for more consistent teaching and everyday routines.

Following an expansion completed in September 2025, the nursery accepts children from nine months to five years and has four indoor learning environments. Developmental readiness shapes room placement rather than fixed age divisions. Full days, morning sessions and afternoon sessions are offered, with both year-round and term-time attendance.

Rooms and Ages

Piglets supports the youngest children, starting at nine months, through early language, trusted relationships and physical development. Tiny Tractors gives extra attention to communication and confidence for younger learners or children who need support in those areas.

Leaping Lambs develops independence through expressing needs, handling disagreements and learning to assess risk. Curious Calves is the preschool room, with preparation for the move to school as its emphasis. These are developmental stages rather than a ladder determined solely by birthdays.

The expansion added a dedicated baby room and extended the nursery across the building's ground and first floors. That gives the youngest children a room of their own within a setting that also serves older, more independent learners. Room placement deserves close attention here because a child's communication, confidence and readiness for independence all influence the arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the foundation for children's learning, development and care: language, physical skills, relationships and early ideas about reading and numbers develop through play and everyday experiences. Mini Moos calls its approach Learning Through Play, using children's interests and choices to shape activities. The approach is concrete: stories and imaginative games support conversation, while counting, sorting and measuring introduce mathematical ideas.

Muddy Moos adds woodland learning, with exploration and play outdoors. Delta Sports and Funics provide regular sessions at the nursery covering early-years PE and phonics. These bring organised physical activity and early literacy work alongside the children's own play; the sessions are described as regular, rather than tied to a particular weekly timetable.

In June 2026, children experimented with coloured pasta and textures, played ball games with adults and used dressing-up and small-world resources. Drawing and painting gave them opportunities to make purposeful marks. The experiences were varied, but activities were sometimes too complicated for children's developmental stage, and staff did not consistently identify exactly what children should learn. Enjoyment and purposeful teaching need to work together.

Outdoor and Community Life

Churchfields Farm Park is the main outdoor resource. Feeding and meeting donkeys, sheep and goats gives children direct experience of animal care, while planting and exploring life cycles connect the nursery day with the natural world. Access continues when the farm is closed to public visitors, making it more than an occasional destination.

Forest School provides a woodland setting for exploration and outdoor play. Closer to the rooms, the private garden has a substantial covered area and is used for free-flow play from Curious Calves. Children can select open-ended resources there, so outdoor time can include quieter, self-directed activity as well as energetic play.

A giant sand pit and the farm's adventure play spaces add physical variety. Annual farm events include Lambing Live and the Halloween pumpkin patch, linking children's experiences to seasonal changes. The nursery aims to visit the farm at least daily, but weather, environmental conditions, children's needs and the farming calendar can alter that plan. Outdoor experiences are central; a particular outing is not guaranteed every day.

Relationships and Communication

A free two-hour settling session gives children an initial introduction to the nursery. Families can purchase further settling time, allowing the introduction to continue beyond that first session. The distinction matters for children who need a slower start: extra time carries a charge.

In June 2026, staff adjusted settling arrangements to individual children and gathered information from families about interests, routines and development. Familiar adults offered reassurance during care routines and transitions. This gives a useful picture of how relationships were built at that point, rather than making room placement the whole story of settling.

The nursery can also help families access Worcestershire's Early Help support, covering matters including parenting, health, housing and relationships. That creates a practical route to help beyond the child's activities in the nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received targeted help involving parents and other professionals, but their learning goals were often too broad to guide sufficiently precise teaching and support. The important distinction is between having support arrangements and making each child's next step specific enough to act on.

In June 2026, babies and younger children had comfortable resting spaces, sleeping children were checked regularly, and staff followed safer-sleeping guidance. However, everyday routines and mealtimes did not consistently reinforce hygiene or explain healthy eating. Some opportunities to help children manage their belongings and personal care were also missed.

Staffing difficulties after the expansion meant adults sometimes worked between rooms in June 2026, contributing to inconsistent practice. Professional development and a revised curriculum were being introduced, but leaders' checks on teaching were not yet sufficiently precise. For parents, continuity of care and consistency between adults belong alongside the appeal of the farm setting.

Sessions and Attendance

Mini Moos operates at The Old Dairy, Churchfields Farm, Salwarpe, Droitwich, WR9 0AH. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday; the earlier opening is separate from the standard session start.

A full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoon sessions from 1.15pm to 6pm; a 7.30am start can be requested. Both year-round care and term-time-only attendance are offered, giving families genuinely different ways to use the setting.

The nursery opens for 50 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays and up to five staff-training days. There is a Christmas and New Year closure, with dates set annually. Families arranging care around school holidays should distinguish the term-time option from the year-round pattern and its closures.

Fees are invoiced in advance. A child's absence through sickness still attracts the full fee, whereas a nursery closure caused by staffing difficulties or sickness leads to a deduction from the following month's invoice. This makes the reason for an absence financially significant.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, alongside paid care. Enrichment charges apply when a child does not meet the criteria for a fully funded space. Families should obtain the nursery's current written quotation for their chosen arrangement; the funding and fees page sets out the session structure and payment terms.

Food, nappies and wipes are included in the nursery's fees. Nutrifresh supplies the hot meals, using locally sourced ingredients for food designed for young children. That reduces what families need to pack for the day.

Additional settling sessions are charged separately after the free introductory session. This is a useful distinction between the routine care fee and extra time spent establishing attendance.

• Teaching after expansion. In June 2026, staff did not consistently match activities to children's development, and leaders' teaching checks needed greater precision. On a visit, ask how staff now identify and review a child's next learning step.
• Room placement. Piglets, Tiny Tractors, Leaping Lambs and Curious Calves reflect developmental needs rather than fixed birthday boundaries. Discuss how your child's communication and independence would inform their room and subsequent moves.
• Outdoor expectations. The nursery aims for daily farm visits, subject to children's needs, conditions and the farming calendar. Consider whether your priority is frequent outdoor learning or a particular animal experience each day.
• Funded-place costs. Enrichment charges apply outside the criteria for a fully funded space. Ask for a written breakdown of your funded arrangement, including how meals and consumables are treated during funded hours.

Mini Moos suits families who want farm and woodland experiences alongside indoor play, whether they need full days, morning sessions or afternoons, on a term-time or year-round basis. The covered garden, animal care and regular PE and phonics sessions give the offer substance.

The reservation is consistency. June 2026 practice left room for clearer learning goals, better-matched activities and stronger everyday hygiene teaching. Families should weigh that work alongside the outdoor opportunities and the developmental approach to room placement.