Silks Farm Day Nursery and Preschool in Huntingdon

Curriculum

We incorporate a hybrid of Forest School Sessions and Reggio Emilia Approach, encouraging the flow of learning through play with independence whilst also having a real focus on the benefits and wonder of the outdoors and being in nature.

Our nursery follows a comprehensive curriculum and core educational programmes such as Sow and Grow, Make and Bake, Health and Self, Innovate and Investigate, and Move and Groove. You can read more about each of these educational programmes here.

Team

Some of our staff have been with us for an extensive amount of time. Their experience and contribution is invaluable to the nursery and children and we have a couple of level 3 qualified SENCo’s.

We welcome local students and apprentices to gain experience and really value learning and development for all. We have a passionate and caring team who are here for children, families and each other. Paddy, our chef, is a professionally trained having previously worked in pubs and restaurants before coming to Silks Farm and his food is greatly loved by all.

Parent Partnership

We work closely with parents to ensure that children’s interests and specific contexts are taken into consideration. We upload regular updates on our nursery app to ensure parents are well informed on what their children are up to at nursery and any relevant upcoming events.

We host open mornings for current and new families and have Christmas craft stay and play sessions which is well attended and enjoyed.

Facilities

We are located in an old farm building so all rooms have high ceilings and rustic wooden beams, which gives a wonderful large open feel. We are not in a village centre and have larger group sizes meaning more space.

Playrooms

Our bright and open playrooms are perfect for providing children with the resources and space they need to develop their learning and spark their creativity. Are rooms are as followed:

Robins: this room is aimed at babies and toddlers. They have their own air conditioned cot room and a milk kitchen. The older Robins have direct access to their own garden which has recently been refurbished with Astroturf to make it safer and easier for them to move and become confident safely.

Hedgehogs: this room is aimed at solely toddlers with access to the garden and the Paddock area. They have their own sensory room and direct access to the over 2’s garden. They have a bathroom area with child-sized cubicles, large changing area, sinks and nappy changing ideal for potty training.

Rabbit: this is our preschool room for older toddlers. It is our largest room with access to the over 2’s garden. In this room they have plenty of space to explore and engage.

Outdoor Space

We are lucky to be located on 7 acres of beautiful land! We are surrounded by growing trees and look out to the Fenland farmland views. We are currently working towards our Eco School accreditation and to foster more eco-awareness and develop a fully sustainable kitchen garden and growing garden that the children will help tend to.

Our paddock area is a large, enclosed grassy area with its own conker tree, willow den, wooden tepee, log circle and ample space to roam and build dens.

Our over 2’s garden has hard ground and has a mini woodland area at back that is barked. The hard surface area has an open play space, a large wooden construction space, sand pit and a water area. The mini woodland area has a mud kitchen and digging area as well as our sow and grow space. It also has access to our newly developed Reggio Emilia inspired art space with shelves of resources and materials for loose part play and creation.

Our Forest Trail area has winding grassy trails through apple, pear and plum trees, blackberry bushes, muddle puddle jumping space, and den building area. In summer we regularly pick the fruit together.

Activities

From planting flowers to painting sessions, we try to incorporate as many activities into the day as we can. Creating a space where children can explore their creativity is one of our main goals.

Community Outings

Due to our remote and secluded location in nature, we do not take any community outings. However we love inviting the outside would in with visitors like the Zoo lab, fire trucks and more! Our children have great fun when we get visitors and love learning about new things. With so much land to ourselves, there is little need to venture outside.

Book a visit   Ask our team

Our Nursery at a Glance