Little Herons Nursery at West Monkton: Review

An open-plan room connected to outdoor space gives Little Herons its defining feature: play can extend beyond the room. This purpose-built nursery belongs to West Monkton Church of England School in Bathpool, Taunton, and takes children aged 2-4. It is the school's nursery provision, with its own approach to the youngest children's learning.

Little Herons aims to help children become independent and motivated through play. Its continuous, free-flow approach puts children's choices into the shape of the day. For parents, the important combination is a nursery designed for this age group and an environment that connects indoor activity with outdoor exploration.

Play leads the curriculum. Little Herons uses in-the-moment planning: staff observe what interests a child, then use that interest to plan the next learning opportunity. They also plan for individual children to revisit familiar skills and attempt new ones. The approach gives adults a role in developing play, rather than simply supervising it.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, brings together children's care, development and learning. Children develop language and communication, physical abilities, and social and emotional skills. Learning also covers early reading and writing, maths, making sense of the world, and expressing ideas through art and design. Here, its principles translate into attention to each child's development, relationships with adults and the environment around them. Progress is treated as individual rather than something that follows an identical pace for every child.

The open-plan room and adjoining outdoor environment support the nursery's free-flow philosophy. Within that setting, observing children's interests is part of planning what comes next. The nursery aims to build learning on what children can already do, giving familiar play a further purpose.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that early-years children began their education well, with carefully chosen activities, adult questioning that developed learning and routines that supported participation. Those findings give substance to the play-based approach: adults guide children's thinking as well as organise activities.

A key person works with a group of children and spends time learning about both the children and their families. This makes the relationship with home part of daily care. Communication includes personal routines such as changing nappies and wiping noses, so care is treated as something to discuss with children respectfully.

Staff put words to children's actions and model empathy. Little Herons treats behaviour as communication, an approach that gives adults a starting point for understanding big emotions. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator helps staff adjust their practice for children who need additional support.

Safeguarding has a clear contact route. Staff and volunteers receive child-protection training annually, and the safeguarding team can be identified by rainbow lanyards. Families can contact the team through the school office, including by email with FAO Safeguarding Team in the subject line.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Somerset Council. The annual application window runs from September to mid-January; parents should confirm the relevant year's dates with the council.

Support for children with SEND is a separate question from allocation of places. Before school entry, the SENCo contacts families and their child's nursery or preschool. For a child with an education, health and care plan, a School Entry Planning Meeting brings the family, nursery and involved professionals together to agree support for starting school.

Little Herons opens at 7.30am and closes at 5.45pm, operating all year round. That opening span matters for families organising care beyond the school day. Contact Nursery Reception on 01823 412582 or littleherons@wm.oak.education for current charges and further information.

Nursery enquiries use a Famly form, after which the team contacts the family. Waiting-list enquiries are also invited for September 2027, 2028 and 2029, giving families a route to express interest ahead of their intended start.