Wild Roots Childcare

About this day nursery

Wild Roots Childcare is a nurturing early years setting located in Axminster, dedicated to providing high-quality care within a stimulating and natural environment. The team, led by manager Ellie, is passionate about learning through play, fostering curiosity, and encouraging exploration, particularly outdoors.

They strive to create a happy, healthy, and safe space where children can thrive and develop at their own pace. The staff, including Deputy Manager Niki and experienced practitioners, bring diverse qualifications and a shared commitment to supporting children’s early development.

Many have a strong appreciation for nature and incorporate outdoor experiences, natural materials, and sensory play into the daily routine. The day nursery emphasises building strong relationships with both children and families, ensuring a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.

They believe in encouraging independence and confidence through engaging activities, including messy play and connecting with the natural world through simple cooking and exploration of wild plants. The focus is on holistic development, helping children to grow into curious, confident, and independent individuals.

Our ethos

Staff are passionate about learning through play, they are patient and empathetic with children, striving to provide a safe, stimulating environment with natural objects and outdoor learning!

What it's like

Children do not all benefit from a consistently well-taught curriculum that helps every child make the progress they are capable of. Leaders have not ensured that less-experienced staff are made aware of children's next steps for learning. As such, while children are safe, happy and interested to learn, they are not consistently gaining new knowledge and skills. Leaders and staff work closely with parents from the start to help settle children, meet care routines consistently and to understand their developmental needs. Key persons and more-experienced staff form close and trusting bonds to support children of all ages to feel safe and secure. However, at some busier times of the day, staff are not always deployed effectively. When key persons and familiar staff are not available to meet the emotional needs of some younger children, children become upset until the familiar staff return to comfort them. Overall, children are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. They arrive smiling, and most settle well and are keen to join in the activities. Babies explore freely and with curiosity, such as investigating sensory toys and musical instruments. Older children link up with others for play, such as driving tractors around together. They use their imagination with staff, making pretend meals to serve in the mud kitchen. Children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging. They respond well to the familiar daily routines, such as preparing for outdoor play and mealtimes. They know where to find their own possessions and confidently choose toys and their favourite activities. Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes and social skills. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning, who share, take turns and happily include others in their play.