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Ivy Mill Day Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2024)
·
5.0(7 parent reviews) ·Oak Cottage, 13 The Square, Liphook, GU30 7AB · Hampshire
Number of places
56 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2024
Local authority
Hampshire

About this day nursery

Ivy Mill Day Nursery, located in Liphook, is a family-run facility that opened in October 2022. It is registered with Ofsted to accommodate 56 children and operates 51 weeks a year, closing only for the Christmas week.

The nursery offers year-round places from 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday, and also has a limited number of term-time only places. The setting is influenced by Steiner education principles, with a warm and inspiring environment.

It caters to children aged three months to five years, dividing them into three main groups: Peony Room for infants (3-24 months), Poppy Room for toddlers (2-3 years), and Blossom, Sunflower, and Waterlily Rooms for pre-school children (3+ years). Ivy Mill focuses on providing quality care and education within a safe and stimulating environment, adhering to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

They emphasise traditional values, individual needs, diversity, and parent involvement, fostering independence and confidence in children. The nursery also places a strong emphasis on nature-inspired learning, utilising innovative natural resources and custom-designed indoor and outdoor environments, including an all-weather garden with various play areas.

They are committed to high standards of childcare with a passionate and experienced team of practitioners.

Our ethos

Ivy Mill Day Nursery is dedicated to providing quality care and education in a safe and stimulating environment, supporting the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and the Every Child Matters agenda. The nursery respects and caters to each child's individual needs, considering their race, gender, ethnicity, language, and disability, to foster acceptance, independence, and empowerment. They encourage parental involvement and aim to build strong relationships to develop children's social skills and independence. The nursery's mission is to provide for all physical, emotional, and educational needs of children from three months to five years, maintaining high standards through reflective practice and a passionate team. They focus on inspiring creative minds by encouraging children's natural curiosity, developing language and mathematical skills, imagination, creativity, and physical play. A strong emphasis is placed on nature-inspired learning, with a welcoming and homely atmosphere that provides a secure, caring, and stimulating environment where children feel valued and confident.

What it's like

Children feel safe, secure, and confident to explore, play, and learn. They are curious and motivated, benefiting from attentive staff who interact positively with them. Providers and leaders have a broad curriculum, influenced by science and art, and are passionate about supporting children's positive mental health.

Family-run nurserySteiner influenced settingNature-inspired learningExperienced staff

Pricing & funding

The nursery offers both fully and partly funded sessions. Partly funded spaces charge a pro-rata hourly rate depending on the child's age band, with meals included only for the youngest age group. Fully funded sessions are fixed afternoon slots and cannot be combined with other sessions.

Funding accepted

15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)

Good to know

  • Funding is offered via partly funded (Option A) or fully funded (Option B) pathways.
  • Fully funded sessions run Monday to Friday from 13:00 to 17:24 and cannot be combined with morning sessions.
  • No additional hours can be booked alongside fully funded (Option B) sessions.
  • Meals are included for 9-23 month olds in partly funded sessions but are charged extra for older children.
  • Late collection fees may apply.

Key facts

Food

Meals included in partly funded sessions for children aged 9-23 months. For 2-3 and 3-4 year olds, meals are charged separately at £10.00 for full day and £5.00 for half day partly funded sessions.

Opening hours

08:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday (51 weeks per year)

Session types

Full Day, Half Day, Option A: Partly Funded Spaces, Option B: Fully Funded Spaces

Staff

1:3 (3-24 months), 1:5 (2-3 years), 1:8 (3+ years)

Age range

3 months to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2022

Waitlist

Accepts advance registrations

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Ivy Mill Day Nursery

Last inspected 22 November 2024 · Emma Dean

Safeguarding effective
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 feel safe, secure, and confident to explore, play, and learn. They are curious and motivated, benefiting from attentive staff who interact positively with them. Providers and leaders have a broad curriculum, influenced by science and art, and are passionate about supporting children's positive mental health.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff know the children they care for well and plan themes that support children's learning.
  • Staff have high expectations for children, who show respect and follow instructions.
  • Children hear and learn many new words as they play, developing into confident communicators with good support from staff.
  • Storytelling by staff is a real strength, with a focus book of the month and engaging reading that encourages active listening and a love for books.
  • Children benefit from a highly stimulating learning environment and are offered opportunities to make choices and be independent.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen daily routines to more precisely reflect the needs of the children to maximise learning throughout the day
  • 2support staff to consistently allow children sufficient time to think and respond to questions to help develop their own ideas and problem-solving skills.
Inspection #10368324 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents comment positively on the good ideas they have from staff to support their children's learning at home.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Children are fascinated by the ice they find outdoors. Staff encourage them to explore the ice carefully, looking at different sizes and thickness, and helping them make links to previous experiences like snow and cold weather.

Parent Reviews of Ivy Mill Day Nursery

5.0
(7)
Lex Miller
8 months ago

Ivy Mill provides exceptional care for my daughter. She started at 9 months old and is soon to be 2 - the staff in the baby room really are brilliant, it’s so comforting to know her care is in their safe hands. They know her so well, and support her development with a range of creative activities. Now that she is to transition into the next room, the communication has been excellent and I feel confident that she will be well looked after and supported through the next stage. I would recommend Ivy Mill to any parents looking for a home from home for their little ones, with consistent and experienced staff who always welcome with a smile. Thank you to all the staff - 5 stars 🌟

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Jessica Kimbell
8 months ago

My children both absolutely love Ivy Mill. The staff are brilliant and genuinely care about each of the children at the nursery, tailoring activities to suit their interests and going out of their way to look after them. A few people have asked me about the size of the garden - it’s obviously not huge but they use it so well - water play, sand pit, climbing & jumping, plenty of running, chalkboards and painting, picnics under the gazebo, and even a vegetable garden! My eldest has been there 3 years now and is so thrilled to arrive in the mornings and sad to leave at night, which I’d say is a pretty good review in itself!

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B A
8 months ago

We moved into the area in January and had a very unsettled 2.5yr old (and baby who has since started too). She had left a city nursery we thought was great but this one is far superior. She settled in so quickly and the staff are amazing. The smaller size of this nursery makes it like a family, and they have just been great. Can't praise it highly enough. We have now had experience with all three age groups/rooms and the same high quality of care. They're wonderful and I don't know how they do it!

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Katherine Avery
a year ago

Our daughter joined Ivy Mill at Easter 2023 and loved her time there until she left for school in August 2024. All her nursery teachers were fantastic, especially Kay her key worker. The setting is very nurturing and there's lots of interaction between the different ages. She has thrived and it was great to get the daily updates and photos on ParentAdmin. We're all going to miss a fantastic setting, thank you!

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Adrianna T
2 years ago

My daughter has absolutely flourished at Ivy Mill Nursery, the staff are absolutely lovely and the range of activities the children get up to are brilliant. We are constantly updated with pictures and observations on what our daughter has been upto and how she is progressing. We are so pleased we moved our daughter here, it is a wonderful setting and we thoroughly recommend it

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Ivy Mill Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

22 November 2024

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more