Opening hours
Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Woodland Barn Day Nursery
Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2023)
Number of places
48 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2023
Local authority
Essex
About this day nursery
Woodland Barn Day Nursery provides a nurturing "home from home" environment for children aged 3 months to 5 years. The nursery focuses on fostering exploration, risk-taking, and resilience through engaging indoor and outdoor activities.
Children are encouraged to connect with nature and develop independence. The setting is committed to providing an education that helps children achieve their full potential, cultivating confidence and self-belief.
Their dedicated team, with over 130 years of collective experience, works together to ensure smooth transitions for all children. The nursery is thoughtfully divided into rooms named after influential figures: The Rosa Room for babies (0-2 years), The Albert Room for toddlers (2-3 years), and The Malala Room for preschool children (3-5 years), each designed to support age-appropriate development.
Woodland Barn also prides itself on positive parent feedback, highlighting the exceptional care and support provided to children with diverse needs.
Our ethos
The nursery is committed to fostering exploration, risk-taking, and resilience by encouraging children to connect with nature and develop independence. Their approach aims to help children achieve their full potential, cultivating confidence and self-belief.
What it's like
Children explore the local community on visits to the nature reserve and a local residential home, fostering inquisitiveness and empathy. Staff respect children's views, involving them in decisions about play and activities. They also learn Makaton signs to develop communication skills, providing an inclusive environment for children with additional needs.
Home from home environmentFocus on outdoor learningExperienced staff teamAge-specific rooms
Pricing & funding
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Age range
3 months to 5 years
Term time / All Year
All Year
Established
2005
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Woodland Barn Day Nursery
Last inspected 11 January 2023
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Children explore the local community on visits to the nature reserve and a local residential home, fostering inquisitiveness and empathy. Staff respect children's views, involving them in decisions about play and activities. They also learn Makaton signs to develop communication skills, providing an inclusive environment for children with additional needs.
Inspector highlights
- New children settle well and form close bonds with their key person, who provides warm interactions.
- Children are excited to care for pet snails and learn about their needs.
- Children’s mathematical skills are developed well through looking for numbers, shapes and patterns, and exploring colour mixing.
- Staff support children with school readiness, including working with teachers to ease transitions and introducing physical education lessons.
- Children quickly become independent, learning to cut fruit, pour drinks, and zip up coats.
Areas to develop
- 1review and improve the organisation of mealtime routines to reduce children's waiting times and ensure children's engagement is maintained.
Inspection #10265291 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
parents say the nursery is a 'home-from-home' environment, where staff are 'happy, thoughtful and radiate kindness'.
They have good communication with their child's key person with regard to what their children are learning.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Children learn Makaton signs to develop their communication and language skills, providing an inclusive environment, particularly for children with additional needs. These signs are shared with parents, who use signs such as ‘more’ and ‘finished’ at home. The setting teaches "Sing and sign" classes so children can learn new words and signs to develop their communication skills, enabling them to express themselves through a non-verbal method.
Outdoor space
Children learn to use technology by taking photos in the garden of objects and each other. Older children solve their own problems in the garden, for example, by moving objects to create space to ride bikes and then returning them to their place.
Inspection history
Date: June 2009
- January 2023Good
- June 2017Outstanding
- January 2015Good
- September 2014Inadequate
- June 2009Good
Frequently asked about Woodland Barn Day Nursery
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