Food
Parents are asked to bring a healthy packed lunch with a cool pack. The nursery has a no nuts policy and provides nutritious snacks daily including toast (which children help prepare) and seasonal fruit.
The Townsend Nursery
Ofsted: Outstanding
(Jul 2022)
Number of places
26 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jul 2022
Local authority
Herefordshire
About this day nursery
The Townsend Nursery, established in September 1999, provides high-quality early years childcare in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Situated in the Victorian wing of a listed Queen Anne farmhouse, the nursery is designed to offer a nurturing, home-like atmosphere while preserving original architectural features.
The facilities include an attractive courtyard, a grass area with a playhouse, mud kitchen, climbing frame, swings, and a fairy house. Children also have access to a walled kitchen garden for cultivating plants and engaging in 'mini-beast safaris,' alongside opportunities to explore the farm for nature walks.
The nursery embraces outdoor learning, moving lessons outside on warm days for water play, pavement chalking, and storytelling under apple trees. Following the EYFS curriculum, Townsend Nursery prioritises exciting, challenging, and novel experiences to build children's cultural capital and prepare them for future learning.
A key component of their offering is a forest school programme, held weekly in a designated wood on the farm, led by qualified forest school leaders. The nursery emphasises a safe and supportive learning environment, adhering to various Children's Acts and fostering the enjoyment of learning, health, safety, positive contributions, and economic well-being.
They integrate literacy and numeracy skills through age-appropriate activities, half-termly topics, and the use of technology like iPads for tracking development. Parents are considered primary educators and are actively involved through daily contact, entry profiles, social events, and a virtual learning platform for progress updates.
The nursery fosters a love of books and reading, encouraging fluent readers and promoting language development through songs, rhymes, and interactive activities. They also prioritise mathematical development through games, problem-solving, and technology.
Personal and social skills are developed through music, yoga, dance, and drama, with an emphasis on independence, empathy, and respect for diverse cultures and beliefs.
Our ethos
Our ethos is to deliver consistently, exciting, challenging and new experiences for children to build cultural capital; to prepare them with sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning. Through this approach to learning and play we make use of our farm by delivering a forest school programme (each Thursday) in a designated wood, which is within easy walking distance on the farm and is lead by two qualified forest school leaders. The aim of the nursery is therefore to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for pre-school children. We operate in accordance with the 2004 children’s Act, Every Child Matters and everything we do reflects this; we teach the children to enjoy and achieve, to be healthy, to keep them safe and encourage them to make a positive contribution and support economic well being. We also operate under the Childcare Act 2006and children and families ACT 2014.
What it's like
Children thrive at this warm and welcoming nursery, arriving extremely happy and eager to begin their day. They benefit from a thoughtful and highly ambitious curriculum, engaging enthusiastically with high-quality resources and making excellent progress in all areas of learning.
Forest School programmeEYFS curriculumHomely environment in a historic farmhouseEmphasis on outdoor learning and nature
Pricing & funding
Fees are charged per half day or full day session for the 2025-26 academic year. Invoices are billed half-termly or monthly by arrangement. Funding is accepted for eligible two, three, and four-year-olds, with additional charges applied for unfunded hours and extra activities.
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)Tax-Free Childcare
Good to know
- Fees are paid half-termly, or monthly by arrangement.
- Accepts childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.
- Offers 15 and 30 hours funding for eligible children.
- Charges apply for unfunded hours and extra activities.
Key facts
Staff
There are a maximum of 23 children each day lead by correct ratios of qualified members of staff lead by and Early Years Teacher. All staff hold a level 3 in childcare and development, a current pediatric first aid certificate and have weekly training.
Waitlist
Contact us to find out more and register your place. Once dates have been negotiated it is appreciated that they are not altered, if a day is reduced and the place is not filled the place will be charged for. We require a full term notice in writing otherwise the fees will have to be paid.
Session types
Half day (9:00 am - 12:30 pm), Full day (9:00 am - 3:45 pm)
Opening hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 3:45 pm
Age range
from the term children turn 2 years
Term time / All Year
Term Time
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for The Townsend Nursery
Last inspected 8 July 2022 · Tina Smith
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
What it's like to attend
Children thrive at this warm and welcoming nursery, arriving extremely happy and eager to begin their day. They benefit from a thoughtful and highly ambitious curriculum, engaging enthusiastically with high-quality resources and making excellent progress in all areas of learning.
Inspector highlights
- The experienced manager has excellent knowledge of child development and works with staff to provide the highest levels of education and care.
- The manager and staff know children extremely well and use meticulous assessments to plan precisely for children's next steps in learning.
- Staff provide a rich and varied curriculum, using innovative ways to build on children's existing knowledge.
- Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive prompt, targeted early help and support, making rapid progress.
- Children who speak English as an additional language become fluent and confident communicators quickly.
Inspection #10116459 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
They comment on the excellent communications they receive, the nurturing staff and how proud and grateful they are to be part of the nursery community.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
The manager effectively supports her staff team to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive prompt, targeted early help and support. The staff and manager work exceptionally well with parents and other professionals to create individual learning plans to close any minor gaps in their learning. Any additional funding the nursery receives is used solely to benefit children's individual needs, such as purchasing further resources to support their play. Children with SEND make rapid progress in their learning and development.
Outdoor space
Children enthusiastically explore the wide array of high-quality resources, both indoors and outdoors. Staff carry out daily checks on all areas of the nursery to ensure children play in a safe and secure environment. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind them to wear their hats when they play outside in the sun and to drink water to keep themselves hydrated.
Inspection history
Date: August 2006
- August 2022Outstanding
- July 2022Outstanding
- August 2016Outstanding
- July 2016Outstanding
- November 2015Requires improvement
- March 2009Outstanding
- August 2006Good
Frequently asked about The Townsend Nursery
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