What Should I Look for in a Nursery for Children Aged 2 Months to 5 Years?

Choosing a nursery is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your child’s early years. A nursery is not just childcare — it’s the foundation for your child’s social, emotional, and educational development. Here are the key things to consider:

🎲 Play-Based Learning

Research consistently shows that play is the most effective way for young children to learn. Through play, children develop problem-solving skills, creativity, resilience, and social understanding. A nursery should provide a balance of structured and free play, encouraging children to explore, imagine, and learn at their own pace.

🏡 The Nursery Environment

The physical environment has a huge impact on children’s learning. Look for:

• Homely, nurturing spaces that feel safe and welcoming.

• Outdoor areas that allow children to connect with nature, run, climb, and explore.

• Age-appropriate rooms so babies, toddlers, and preschoolers each have spaces tailored to their needs.

  
  

👩‍🏫 Quality Interactions with Staff

The relationships children form with staff are central to their development. The best nurseries have:

• Highly qualified, caring practitioners who understand child development.

• Staff who engage in sustained shared thinking — extending children’s ideas and encouraging curiosity.

• A strong ethos of emotional security, so children feel safe, valued, and confident.

📖 Following the EYFS

In the UK, nurseries follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This ensures:

• A focus on the prime areas of learning: communication and language, physical development, and personal, social, and emotional development.

• A broad curriculum covering literacy, maths, understanding the world, and expressive arts.

• Regular observations and assessments to support each child’s progress.

🪵 Loose Parts Play

Loose parts — such as shells, wooden blocks, fabric, and natural objects — encourage open-ended exploration. They allow children to:

• Develop imagination and creativity.

• Build problem-solving and engineering skills.

• Learn collaboratively with peers.

🌱 In-the-Moment Planning

Many outstanding nurseries use in-the-moment planning, where staff respond instantly to children’s interests. This approach:

• Keeps learning child-led and meaningful.

• Encourages curiosity and independence.

• Helps children develop a genuine love of learning.

🌟 Why Orchidale Children’s Nursery is a Great Choice

If you’re looking for a nursery that embodies all of the above, Orchidale Children’s Nursery in Taverham, near Norwich, is an outstanding choice. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, Orchidale offers:

• A homely, nurturing environment with beautifully designed indoor rooms.

• A Forest School garden, Shepherds Huts, and a Yurt, giving children magical spaces to explore.

• Farm School and Beach School experiences, connecting children with nature and the wider world.

• Loose parts play and in-the-moment planning, ensuring learning is creative, responsive, and child-led.

• Highly qualified, passionate staff who build strong, caring relationships with every child.

• Nutritious, home-cooked meals and a focus on healthy living.

• Community adventures in their minibuses, from visiting local farms and shops to exploring woodlands and even caring for nursery pets like rabbits and bantams.

• A strong family ethos, where children feel safe, valued, and inspired.

✨ At Orchidale, children don’t just prepare for school — they develop confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.

👉 Learn more at www.orchidale.co.uk