Food
All meals are provided. Snack time includes fruit and milk/water. Lunch is a 2-course meal, freshly cooked on premises. Afternoon tea is a hearty snack. Special dietary needs are catered for.
Barn Owls Nursery
Ofsted: Good
(Aug 2024)
Number of places
30 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Aug 2024
Local authority
Dorset
About this day nursery
Barn Owls Nursery, situated in the beautiful countryside of Frome St. Quintin, Dorset, offers a nurturing and stimulating environment for children aged 8 months to 5 years. The day nursery focuses on fostering a sense of freedom and exploration, encouraging children to engage with their surroundings and develop at their own pace.
A key feature is their expansive outdoor area, equipped with "loose parts" like tyres and cable reels, and an "infamous mud pit" that transforms with the seasons, providing endless possibilities for imaginative play. The day nursery emphasises the importance of outdoor play for a child's overall development, with children spending a majority of their day outside.
Sibling integration is encouraged, creating a warm, family-like atmosphere. The nursery prioritises strong parent-nursery relationships, utilising online learning journals and regular communication.
All staff are qualified or actively training, ensuring high-quality care and education aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
Our ethos
Barn Owls Nursery's ethos is centred on fostering freedom and exploration, with a strong emphasis on outdoor, imaginative play using natural and "loose parts" materials, inspired by the EYFS framework. They believe in allowing children to develop at their own pace in a nurturing, family-like environment that prioritises parent partnerships.
What it's like
Children are happy and feel they belong to a community of learners. They form close, trusting relationships with staff who make them feel safe and secure. Babies, young and older children play and learn alongside one another, fostering a nurturing environment. Staff support children in growing in confidence and independence, entrusting them with responsibilities and encouraging mutual respect.
Emphasis on Outdoor PlayMud KitchenFamily-like AtmosphereChild-Initiated Play
Pricing & funding
Funding accepted
15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Opening hours
8am-6pm Mon to Fri for 51 weeks of the year (excluding Bank Holidays)
Session types
full day care, sessional care, 9am-1pm, 1pm-5pm
Age range
8 months - 5 years
Term time / All Year
All Year
Registered with Ofsted
2007
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Barn Owls Nursery
Last inspected 28 August 2024 · Jonathan Payne
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Children are happy and feel they belong to a community of learners. They form close, trusting relationships with staff who make them feel safe and secure. Babies, young and older children play and learn alongside one another, fostering a nurturing environment. Staff support children in growing in confidence and independence, entrusting them with responsibilities and encouraging mutual respect.
Inspector highlights
- Leaders have developed a cohesive curriculum that sequentially builds children's confidence and communication skills.
- Leaders and staff are good at supporting children's emotional well-being.
- Leaders and staff know children well and accurately assess their starting points.
- Staff model language well and engage children in imaginative play.
- Leaders and staff have developed good partnerships with parents.
Areas to develop
- 1support staff to use questioning more effectively to consistently extend and deepen children's thinking and learning.
Inspection #10354783 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Leaders and staff know children well. They accurately assess children's starting points and are aware of the necessary steps to support their individual development, especially for those with identified special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND.
Outdoor space
Children benefit from spending much of their time in the outdoor environment. They are physically active and routinely build strength and precision in the control of their bodies as they balance, climb, crawl and build throughout the day. Children use clipboards placed around the outdoor area to write, draw and make marks, creating treasure maps and digging in the sandpit.
Inspection history
Date: November 2014
- August 2024Good
- November 2018Good
- April 2018Inadequate
- November 2014Good
Frequently asked about Barn Owls Nursery
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