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Muddy Boots Childcare

Ofsted: Expected standard·
4.3(6 parent reviews) ·Quickes Farm, Newton St. Cyres, Exeter, EX5 5AY · Devon
Number of places
20 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2026
Local authority
Devon

About this day nursery

Muddy Boots Childcare, registered in 2018, is a childcare setting on non-domestic premises in Exeter for children aged 0-5 years. The nursery operates year-round, Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 18:00.

The setting provides a broad and balanced EYFS curriculum, ensuring children of all ages are well-supported in their learning and development. Children show a real sense of belonging and confidence, eager to explore their environment and engage in a variety of activities.

Staff foster positive relationships and work to build strong bonds with key children, promoting a sense of security and belonging. This is evident in children's high levels of confidence, whether they are explaining their feelings in Spanish or excitedly creating worlds of roaming dinosaurs.

The nursery places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning, with children enjoying daily explorations that enhance their physical development and appreciation for nature. Nutritional meals prepared on-site further contribute to children's well-being, encouraging them to try new foods.

What it's like

Children show a real sense of belonging at this setting, arriving eager and separating well from parents. They confidently explore the environment, engaging in activities and demonstrating kindness and consideration towards their peers. Staff foster positive, respectful relationships, and children experience a broad and balanced curriculum. They develop strong bonds with their key persons, leading to confidence, independence, and a willingness to seek help when needed.

Confident learnersSupportive environmentOutdoor playNutritious mealsStrong bonds

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 08:00 - 18:00

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2018

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Jan 2026

Headline: Expected standard

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

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
0 to 5
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Muddy Boots Childcare

Last inspected 21 January 2026

What it's like to attend

Children show a real sense of belonging at this setting, arriving eager and separating well from parents. They confidently explore the environment, engaging in activities and demonstrating kindness and consideration towards their peers. Staff foster positive, respectful relationships, and children experience a broad and balanced curriculum. They develop strong bonds with their key persons, leading to confidence, independence, and a willingness to seek help when needed.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders and staff create a positive and inclusive learning environment with high expectations for all children.
  • Children develop into confident, inquisitive learners able to make choices in their play and work well with others.
  • Leaders and staff create a safe, welcoming environment, and children separate well from parents.
  • Children enjoy nutritious meals prepared on site and eagerly try new foods.
  • Babies make steady progress in their physical development, relishing opportunities to develop balance and coordination.
  • Children show high levels of confidence in their play, excitedly creating worlds of roaming dinosaurs and informing visitors about herbivores and carnivores.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders should promote a range of teaching approaches to best support development of children's knowledge, understanding and skills as they play and learn.
  • 2Leaders should further facilitate staff to be able to manage their roles and responsibilities so they can best promote progress for all children.
Inspection #10136886 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff responsible for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) understand their role and responsibility. Training is targeted to develop their skills and confidence in helping all children to achieve, and staff feel confident seeking support and guidance from specialists. While support strategies are used, their impact on children's wellbeing varies.

Outdoor space

Children spend time outdoors daily, exploring ride-on vehicles and balance courses, developing a joy of exploring in nature, and enhancing their balance, core strength, and coordination.

EAL / language support

In preschool, children show particular joy when explaining their feelings in Spanish, demonstrating their ability to recall prior knowledge of how to greet friends and confidently state their emotions.

Parent Reviews of Muddy Boots Childcare

4.3
(6)
Alex Greaves
4 years ago

A wonderful environment where kids use nature (as well as indoor activities) to work through the EYS. Our daughters LOVE the carers here, who ensure they are cared for and exposed to challenging activities in a constructive way that leaves them more confident.

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Patrick Seller
a year ago

Muddy Boots at the Farm is a fantastic nursery. The outdoor spaces are well designed and the learning that they do taking advantage of the location is just brilliant. Last week, our son made the dough for flat breads, then cooked them on a fire. Just wonderful! They plant seeds, pick berries, make jams; they jump in muddy puddles the way the Scandinavians are famous for; they encourage the children to not be put off by wet weather, surely a valuable life skill in our country! They of course have all the other resources and activities you might expect from a nursery too and the children have never a dull day. Above all else though, the staff make the nursery special. Without the lovely team, despite the incredible setting, the nursery would not be what it is. The staff are skilled, kind, genuine practitioners with care for the children as their top priority. Highly recommend.

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Celia Oxlade
4 years ago

My daughter has attended Muddy Boots for 2.5 years, she has had the most fantastic time. The nursery is a loving caring environment where the children are able to explore, play and grow in a rural setting. They spend a lot of time outside using the natural world to learn. I can't recommend this nursery highly enough.

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Chris Shaw
6 years ago

My wife and I looked at all the different nurseries local to Crediton and none of them came close to Muddy Boots. The staff are amazing and the outside space is phenomenal - they're next to a farm! Can't recommend enough.

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Jane DOE
4 years ago

Hilarious that one of the two reviews is by the owners husband... Wouldn't touch here with a barge pole!

Read on Google

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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