Business Details
10 Years
experience
Outstanding Outdoor Children's Nursery in Crockerton
The Learning Meadow is an outdoor children's nursery located in Crockerton near Warminster, dedicated to nurturing children through nature. Established in 2016, we were rated an 'Outstanding Provider' by Ofsted in 2022, reflecting our commitment to high-quality early years education. Our forward-thinking team creates a meadow-based environment where children aged 1-5 explore, create, and discover through play and hands-on experiences. We prioritise emotional and social development, preparing children for school with skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Our approach follows 'In the Moment Planning', allowing children to lead their learning journey supported by natural resources and attentive staff.We integrate sustainable practices through growing produce, fire pit cooking, and partnerships with local businesses. Regular parent engagement is facilitated via digital EY Logs and three annual meetings. Our purpose-built lodge offers shelter while maintaining outdoor access, with 80% of daily activities taking place in all weathers. Partnerships like Little Art Adventures enhance creative opportunities, while resident animals add joy to learning. Our practices align with the Early Years Foundation Stage (2021) framework, ensuring holistic development through rich staff interactions and teachable moments.
Services
Outdoor Nursery
Animal Interactions
Sustainable Projects
Forest School
Parent Partnerships
Details
- Year established: 2016
Highlights and features
- We offer an Ofsted Outstanding-rated outdoor nursery with nature-based learning
- Our team uses In the Moment Planning for child-led educational experiences
- We focus on emotional and social development for school readiness
- We provide 80% outdoor time in all weathers with sheltered spaces
- We partner with Little Art Adventures for creative enrichment opportunities
Associations and certifications
- Ofsted
What people say
Nurture and awareness
Welcomed and relaxed
Capturing her imagination
Services
Outdoor Nursery
Our outdoor nursery provides year-round childcare in a natural meadow environment. Children engage in exploratory play, risk assessment, and social development activities under qualified staff supervision. The setting combines structured learning with free-flow play across 80% of daily programming.
Animal Interactions
Resident animals enhance learning through supervised interactions that teach responsibility and empathy. Children observe seasonal animal care routines like sheep shearing and dental checks while developing gentle handling skills in our meadow setting.
Sustainable Projects
Children participate in growing fruit and vegetables, fire pit cooking, and bee-friendly initiatives. These projects teach environmental stewardship through hands-on experiences that connect food production with daily meals and habitat creation.
Forest School
Forest school sessions develop resilience and creativity through woodland activities. Qualified leaders guide bushcraft skills, nature exploration, and team-building exercises that align with early years curriculum requirements.
Parent Partnerships
We maintain open communication through daily updates, digital EY Logs, and three annual parent meetings. Families participate in seasonal events and receive regular progress updates aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
People
Dawn Pirie
Owner / Manager / DSL
Dawn leads our team with extensive childcare experience, holding the Designated Safeguarding Lead role. She oversees daily operations and maintains our Outstanding Ofsted rating through rigorous quality standards.
Barry
Owner and Director
Barry serves as Deputy Manager and DDSL, supporting operational leadership while ensuring compliance with safeguarding protocols across our outdoor nursery provision.
Gabbi
Early Years Partner
Gabbi contributes specialist early years expertise, developing child-led learning programs that align with our nature-based educational philosophy and statutory requirements.
Lauren
SENCo
Lauren provides specialist support for children with special educational needs, implementing tailored strategies that ensure inclusive participation in our outdoor learning environment.
Kat
Nursery Staff
Kat delivers hands-on care as part of our qualified nursery team, facilitating daily activities that promote emotional development and nature connection for young children.
Questions
What age range do you cater for?
We accept children aged 1-5 years at our outdoor nursery setting.
Are you Ofsted registered?
Yes, we're an Ofsted Outstanding-rated provider with registration number 2509652.
How much outdoor time do children get?
Children spend approximately 80% of their day outdoors in our meadow environment.
What payment options are available?
We require a £100 deposit to secure a space, with £75 deducted from first month's fees.
Do you offer holiday clubs?
Yes, our Meadow Rangers summer holiday club accepts children up to 8 years old.
