Children and woman engaging in outdoor activity

Nursery: Welcome

Nurturing Young Minds

At Barfield, we believe in creating a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment where young minds can grow and thrive.

Our mission is to provide exceptional care and early education for children, stimulating their curiosity, creativity, and social development through play-based learning.

The Nursery provides a gentle introduction to school life and we welcome children as soon as they turn two. The Hatchlings (2 year olds), Owlets (2-3 year olds) and Owls (3-4 year olds) are very much a part of the school, making full use of Barfield’s extensive grounds with access to a wide range of outdoor learning experiences.

Children enjoy a refreshingly varied curriculum from an early age and are taught by specialist teachers for PE, Swimming, Music, French and Outdoor Learning. They are integrated into the main school in a careful and considered way, gradually getting to know more members of the school staff as they move through the school.

They use the dining hall to eat hot lunches every day and take part in whole school events such as whole school assemblies, Easter bonnet parade, Sports Day and shared reading, where the older children come down into the Nursery to read to the children. Our Nursery is very much part of our school.

Our Nursery is divided into three age groups:

From 2 Years

Hatchlings

2-3 Years Old

Owlets

3-4 Years Old

Owls

What We Offer

Age-Appropriate Learning:

Tailored programs for children aged, focusing on cognitive, emotional, and physical development.

Qualified Staff:

Our dedicated, experienced, and caring educators are passionate about nurturing every child’s potential.

Individual Attention:

We recognise that every child is unique, and we offer personalized care and attention to suit their individual needs.

Play-Based Activities:

Play-based learning places the child at the center of their own learning process. Children have the freedom to choose activities and explore topics that interest them.

Many play-based activities promote group work, communication, and collaboration, helping children to develop social and emotional skills.

Play-based learning encourages children to think creatively, solve problems, and use their imaginations to make sense of the world around them.

Children play with toys at an outdoor table.

Subject Specialist Teaching:

All children in the Nursery have Music taught to them by a specialist teacher. As the children move through the Nursery we introduce new subjects and teachers to enrich their curriculum, PE, Swimming, Outdoor Learning and finally French.

Our Facilities

Bright, Spacious Classrooms: Fully equipped with safe, stimulating toys, learning materials, and age-appropriate resources.

Heated Indoor Swimming Pool where children enjoy fortnightly lessons in Owlets and weekly lessons in Owls.

Purpose built playgrounds

12 acre site to explore – including forests, orchard and pond

Outdoor Play Area

All of our classrooms have access to a well-maintained outdoor space where children can run, play, and explore nature. The children also make use of our ‘Sandy play’ area which is designed to excite and development children’s creative and physical development with a mixture of climbing, balance and adventure equipment.

Our Nursery is a very valued and included part of our Barfield family. The children eat lunch in the Dinning Hall. They have lunch break in Sandy Play at the same time as the rest of the School, meaning that siblings can meet or wave at each other from across the field whilst playing with their friends and they attend whole school assemblies.

“Every member of staff at the school is wonderful, but the nursery and early years team are the most nurturing, caring, warm, encouraging bunch!”