Learning & care
Garden and outside play
Secure, inspiring outdoor spaces for free-flow play, fresh-air learning and safe challenge in every season.
We are very proud of our outdoor nursery environments. Being outside is a powerful way for children to learn about the world, so our gardens are planned and resourced to a high standard with children’s safety carefully considered.
Free-flow play
We aim to offer access to the garden throughout the nursery day. Adults are deployed inside and outside, enabling children to move between the two as they choose while we maintain the correct adult-to-child ratios. Each room has level, direct access to the garden.
Risk and challenge
As children become more confident, able and agile, they need opportunities to manage risk safely. Balancing, climbing, swinging, running and spinning help children learn about challenge, their own capabilities and their limitations—building confident learners while having great fun.
Safety
Our gardens are secure from public access and a designated person completes a full safety check each day. Enclosed areas for our youngest babies and toddlers contain age-appropriate toys and resources. Safety surfacing is installed where risk assessment identifies it is needed, including around climbing equipment.
Natural, all-weather resources
We favour natural materials such as wooden houses and willow huts, helping children understand and appreciate the natural world. Outdoor play matters in every season, and all-weather clothing helps children enjoy the variety of British weather.
- Tricycles and bicycles
- Climbing apparatus
- Sand, water and muddy areas
- Role-play areas and den-making materials
- Large-scale painting, drawing and mark-making
- Large blocks, bats, balls and hoops
- Movable, open-ended resources such as tyres, milk crates and logs