Opening hours
7:30am – 6:00pm, Monday – Friday (closed for 1 week between Christmas & New Year)
The Old Forge Day Nursery
Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2025)
Number of places
100 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2025
Local authority
Derbyshire
About this day nursery
The Old Forge Day Nursery, situated in the tranquil village of Findern, Derbyshire, offers a nurturing environment where children can thrive and discover their full potential. As part of The Den Nursery Group, it provides a comprehensive approach to early years education, encompassing a carefully designed curriculum and a strong emphasis on outdoor learning, including Forest School and Urban Forest School activities.
The nursery is dedicated to children's wellbeing, incorporating a "Mini Minds Matters" programme and even engaging in an intergenerational programme to enrich their experiences. Recognised with an "Ofsted Good" rating, The Old Forge fosters a supportive and stimulating atmosphere, ensuring children receive nutritious meals, essential supplies like nappies and creams, and benefit from inclusive activities and trips.
The nursery operates with a commitment to growth and development, regularly reviewing its fees and offering discounts for siblings, while embracing government funding schemes and childcare vouchers to support families.
What it's like
Staff at The Old Forge Day Nursery are welcoming and caring, ensuring all children's needs are met, including dietary requirements. Children are supported to feel safe and secure, forming strong attachments with staff. The curriculum is strong and well-sequenced, encouraging children to persevere, learn new skills, and develop good relationships.
Forest SchoolOutdoor LearningIntergenerational ProgrammeChild Wellbeing Focus nutritious meals
Pricing & funding
Funding accepted
15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Key facts
Session types
Full Day, Morning session, Afternoon session
Food
Meals, snacks, drinks, and formula milk included
Age range
9 months to 5 years
Term time / All Year
All Year
Established
2011
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for The Old Forge Day Nursery
Last inspected 22 January 2025
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Staff at The Old Forge Day Nursery are welcoming and caring, ensuring all children's needs are met, including dietary requirements. Children are supported to feel safe and secure, forming strong attachments with staff. The curriculum is strong and well-sequenced, encouraging children to persevere, learn new skills, and develop good relationships.
Inspector highlights
- Staff have a welcoming, caring approach and ensure that all children's needs are met.
- Leaders work closely with staff to implement a strong and well-sequenced curriculum.
- Staff are well qualified and experienced, and interact well with children to develop their speech and language.
- Staff set high expectations for children's behaviour and use praise to motivate children in their play.
- Staff plan interesting activities outside to have a positive impact on children's heath, physical development and ability to keep themselves safe.
Areas to develop
- 1support all staff to have a clear understanding of the curriculum intent so that they are consistently focused on what they want children to learn
- 2review the organisation of larger group activities to support all children to remain fully engaged and interested in their learning
- 3find more ways to help children to learn to regulate their behaviour and to understand how this may impact on others.
Inspection #10367635 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents praise the warm and friendly staff.
Parents comment that their children are eager to tell them all about their day and the things they have enjoyed doing while at nursery.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Staff have a welcoming, caring approach and ensure that all children's needs are met. Staff have accessed training about different learning styles to help them support individual children.
Outdoor space
When they play outside, children practise counting as they jump and dig in soil to find insects. Staff plan interesting activities outside to have a positive impact on children's heath, physical development and ability to keep themselves safe. Staff structure days so children can spend prolonged periods learning in the forest school.
Parent Reviews of The Old Forge Day Nursery
4.7
(12)
Tim Lewis
3 years ago
Our little one has been here for three months now and has absolutely thrived. The staff were super supportive when first starting, they communicate well with parents (with regular updates via the app) and they are managing the transition between rooms really well. They take the children outside every day (even in December!) and we're sure this has been a huge contributing factor in our child's burgeoning sense of adventure. The variety of food the kitchen team produce is fantastic and is giving our toddler a chance to experience lots of new tastes. We have been really pleased with the quality of care here and would definitely recommend The Old Forge.
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Amelia Saunders
3 years ago
The old forge is a fantastic nursery. My son has done 7 months in bear cubs and I could not think of a single improvement. The staff are caring and take time to get to know the children. They do amazing activities and the food is excellent. The nursery has an excellent management team who are always striving to improve and listen to feedback. The food is excellent and we can’t wait to have Kate back when she’s fully recovered.
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Abby Bramwell
3 years ago
I cannot say enough good things about The Old Forge. My daughter has been going since she was two and has absolutely loved her time in both Big Bears and Pre-School. The staff are superb - every one is so kind, welcoming and nurturing and develops wonderful relationships with the children. The outdoor provision is fantastic, including a large playground and forest school. It is clear the children are given ample opportunities to learn and play, led by their own interests. There is nothing more I would look for in a nursery!
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Jit S Johal
2 years ago
My son loves it here. The staff are super friendly and generally the nursery has a really good system with the Famly app. This keeps us up to date throughout the day and allows us to easily communicate with the nursery. The previous nursery we tried didn’t have this system and didn’t feel very comfortable as parents. So far, the nursery is fully deserving of 5 stars.
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Lucy Gregory
3 years ago
The Old Forge is a friendly and welcoming nursery. My son has been attending since he was 1 and has absolutely loved it. The staff are all lovely and the activities and forest school experiences they offer are of a high standard. I would highly recommend this nursery to anyone.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for The Old Forge Day Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: October 2011
- January 2025Good
- February 2019Outstanding
- September 2015Good
- October 2011Good
Frequently asked about The Old Forge Day Nursery
About the setting
The Old Forge Day Nursery registered in 2011 and is situated in Findern, Derbyshire. The nursery employs 35 members of childcare staff, with various qualifications including qualified teachers, early years teacher status, and level 6, 3 and 2 qualifications. The nursery opens all year round from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and a week between Christmas and New Year, and provides places for children in receipt of government funding.
- URN
- EY427124
- Registered person
- The Old Forge Day Nursery Ltd
- Day care type
- Full day care
- Register
- Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
- Establishment type
- Childcare on non-domestic premises
- Previous rating
- Outstanding
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