Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School

About this day nursery

Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School in Faygate, near Horsham, offers an internationally recognised approach to early years education for children aged 3 months to 5 years, having achieved an 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating in both 2013 and 2017. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach from Northern Italy, the nursery fosters inquiring minds through a holistic, hands-on educational philosophy.

Children benefit from a large free-flow garden and a unique farm school environment, where they interact with animals like pigs, chickens, quails, rabbits, and guinea pigs. They also cultivate an edible garden, growing vegetables and herbs for use in cooking activities.

The nursery provides dedicated art studios, known as Ateliers, where professional artists guide children in creative research projects, often spanning many weeks. Little Barn Owls maintains high staff-to-child ratios, with dedicated Heads of Family Support and Children's and Adult's Learning across all its nurseries.

The institution emphasises significant investment in staff professional development to ensure a nurturing and stimulating environment that promotes a lifelong love of learning.

Our ethos

Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, fostering inquiring minds through a holistic, hands-on educational philosophy. They provide unique farm and garden experiences, art studios (Ateliers) with professional artists, and a commitment to lifelong learning through professional staff development.

What it's like

Children are warmly greeted by enthusiastic staff who gather information from parents to help new children settle and support smooth transitions to new rooms, ensuring children who need reassurance feel secure. Leaders provide a well-structured curriculum, offering plenty of opportunities for children to be active outdoors, make independent choices, and explore a wide range of exciting activities, which builds their confidence. Staff effectively support good behaviour by praising awareness of rules and boundaries, interacting at children's level, and sensitively reminding them to share and take turns, fostering cooperative play among older children.

Pricing & funding

Registration requires a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable deposit paid via BACS within 72 hours of space confirmation. A monthly retainer fee applies if a child starts outside the standard admissions period. No session rates or tuition fees are listed in the provided text.