Opening hours
7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday
Barnkids
Ofsted: Needs attention·
3.2(6 parent reviews)
·Barnkids, Penang Farm, Chiddingfold, GU8 4XL · Surrey
Number of places
90 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Mar 2026
Local authority
Surrey
About this day nursery
Barnkids Ltd, established in 1996 and re-registered in 2004, operates as a childcare setting in Chiddingfold, Surrey, for children aged 0–5 years. 30pm, it provides a stimulating environment where children delight in exploring the natural world at forest school, learning to pump water, and working together to build dens.
The setting, located in the picturesque Penang Farm, focuses on fostering independence and a positive attitude towards learning. Children are encouraged to form strong friendships and show concern for others, with staff promoting good behaviour and supporting individual needs.
The nursery offers a well-resourced learning environment where children can confidently select play materials and are supported by knowledgeable key persons. Barnkids is dedicated to the well-being and development of each child, ensuring they feel safe, happy, and are supported effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Parents praise the setting for the daily feedback and regular updates on their children's progress, highlighting the strong partnership between home and nursery.
Our ethos
Barnkids Ltd offers a unique outdoor learning experience committed to fostering a love for nature through a child-led approach. They are dedicated to environmental sustainability and aim for Carbon Net Zero by 2030, promoting children's mental and physical development through exploration and growth in a natural environment.
What it's like
Children have a positive attitude to learning and enjoy stimulating experiences provided by staff. They develop strength and large motor skills during physical play and delight in exploring the natural world at forest school. Children form secure attachments with staff, feel safe and happy, and are supported to be independent.
Positive learning attitudesNatural world explorationStrong independenceIndividualised SEND supportStrong parent partnerships
Pricing & funding
Fees exclude voluntary consumables such as food, snacks, nappies, wipes, protective creams, and Calpol. Additional activities beyond the standard EYFS curriculum and extra hours taken outside of funded sessions are also charged separately.
Funding accepted
15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)
- Funded hours weekly (stretched)£11.18 / hour
- Funded hours weekly (stretched)£22.35 / hour
- Funded hours monthly (stretched)£47.5 / hour
- Funded hours monthly (stretched)£95.0 / hour
Good to know
- Consumables like food, snacks, nappies, wipes, protective creams, and Calpol are excluded and voluntary.
- Additional activities beyond the EYFS curriculum are charged extra and vary by term.
- Extra hours and sessions booked beyond funded hours are subject to additional charges.
Key facts
Age range
3 months to 4 years
Term time / All Year
All_year
Session types
full day, funded sessions
Established
1996
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Needs attention
Last inspected Mar 2026
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
—
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementNeeds attention
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesNeeds attention
Children's welfare and wellbeingUrgent improvement
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
InclusionNeeds attention
Leadership and governanceUrgent improvement
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Barnkids
Last inspected 18 March 2026
What it's like to attend
Children have a positive attitude to learning and enjoy stimulating experiences provided by staff. They develop strength and large motor skills during physical play and delight in exploring the natural world at forest school. Children form secure attachments with staff, feel safe and happy, and are supported to be independent.
Inspector highlights
- Children have a positive attitude to learning and enjoy stimulating experiences provided by staff.
- Children develop strength and large motor skills during physical play and delight in exploring the natural world at forest school.
- Children form secure attachments with staff, feel safe and happy, and are supported to be independent.
- Staff promote children's independence by teaching them how to put on their coats and help set the table.
- Children are very confident and keen to show visitors around, discussing their learning experiences.
- Leaders and managers are knowledgeable and continually strive to improve the provision based on feedback from parents and staff.
- Children access a well-resourced learning environment, confidently selecting play materials.
- Relationships between staff and children are warm and nurturing, supported by a well-established key-person system.
- Parents speak highly of the setting and the support their children receive.
Areas to develop
- 1Support staff to provide further challenge to children during activities to fully extend the quality of children's learning experiences.
- 2Review and improve transition times during the day to ensure that children understand what is happening next and to help keep children purposefully engaged.
Inspection #10217496 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively by their knowledgeable key person. There is good, individualised support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work in partnership with other providers and professionals to share information about children's development to help them make good progress.
Outdoor space
Children develop their strength and large motor skills during physical play. Children said that going to forest school is their favourite thing to do. They delight in exploring the natural world, hunting for bugs, making a tiny washing line for fairies and working together to build dens. The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.
Parent Reviews of Barnkids
3.2
(6)
Sonogray Baby
12 years ago
Moved my son here from another local nursery after he failed to settle and enjoy. Instantly found the staff approachable, friendly and calm. He LOVED forest school and continues to attend the after school club for one day a week, three years later. This is not for childcare - but because he enjoys it! I thoroughly recommend Barn kids and it suited my sensitive, outdoorsy boy down to the ground. I cannot wait for my second son to begin when he's ready.
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Sabrina
a year ago
Absolute horror show of a nursery. They let my child walk around all day with a poopy nappy and didn't even bother to change him. Staff are careless and management is even worse! AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!
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Yungblud Fandom
a year ago
No communication skills, rude and entitled staff.
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Venetia T
a month ago
Please note: We have now left the nursery so I am unable to comment on whether the situation has changed. The review below was posted in March 2026. Review: Our child started at this nursery in September 2023, and at first it was a warm and welcoming environment. The forest school setting is wonderful, and initially the nursery felt reliable and caring. Over the past year, however, there have been a number of changes. Several experienced and much-valued staff members have left, and there now seems to be a heavier reliance on agency staff, which has affected consistency and continuity of care. Some organisational changes have also been challenging. For example, the merging of two rooms for older children seemed to happen quite quickly, wasn’t clearly communicated to parents and we don’t think it works as well as having them separately. More recently, we were informed on a morning that only up to eight children would be admitted to our son’s room for the day. The setting remains lovely & there is a lot of potential but the recent management and organisational changes are poor.
Read on Google
Ryan Hawkes
12 months ago
Reviews from Google for Barnkids. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: June 2011
The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.
- March 2022Good
- February 2022Good
- December 2016Good
- November 2016Good
- July 2013Requires improvement
- May 2013Requires improvement
- September 2011Good
- June 2011Good
Frequently asked about Barnkids
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