URN 2828219 · Inspected 2026-08-24 · Published 2026-09-22 · Inspector: Charmaine Cayton
The Wildflowers Nature Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2828219 Address: Pury Hill Business Park, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 7LS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 28/02/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Wildflowers Early Years Ltd Inspection report: 24 August 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard Children confidently use rich and ambitious vocabulary throughout the day. They listen attentively, respond thoughtfully to questions and engage in meaningful conversations. Children understand the value of communication in supporting their learning and confidently share ideas in a range of situations. As a result, they communicate effectively, continually expand their vocabulary and build positive relationships with others. Children develop strong independence and confidently manage their own self-care needs. From an early age, they learn toileting skills and serve their own food and drinks. As they prepare for school, children independently recognise their names, self-register and organise their belongings. They also develop mathematical awareness and apply this in their play, for example by comparing the size of sticks and understanding that a stick can be divided into two equal parts to share with a friend. Staff understand each child's individual needs and follow their development plans, ensuring the right support is in place from the start. As a result, all children make rapid progress towards reaching their full potential. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Children thrive in a calm, purposeful and highly inclusive environment where routines are securely embedded and expectations are consistently high. Staff are excellent role models who consistently promote kindness, respect and empathy. Even the youngest children demonstrate consideration for others. For example, toddlers willingly split their play dough in two, sharing resources so that everyone can join in. As a result, children form positive relationships, feel emotionally secure and approach their learning with confidence. Children are highly motivated and eager to participate in activities. They confidently follow established routines and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility. For example, they remind each other of the safety rules when on outings. Relationships between staff and children are strong and supportive. Staff model positive interactions and guide children sensitively, helping them to understand expectations and resolve minor conflicts. Children learn to recognise and understand their emotions, through games, books and reflecting on their own feelings. Staff help them identify how they feel, for example, by explaining, 'It can feel difficult to share, but let's try'. Children become increasingly confident in managing their emotions independently and resolve disagreements. Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance, communicating clearly why consistent attendance is essential for children to access the full curriculum and their emotional development. They have effective systems in place to monitor attendance and follow up absences appropriately. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children demonstrate high levels of wellbeing and a strong sense of belonging. They flourish in the calm, nurturing environment where warm, trusting relationships support their emotional security and confidence. The highly effective key-person system ensures that staff know children and their families extremely well. Staff respond sensitively to children's individual needs and circumstances. Care routines are respectful and consistently promote children's independence, dignity and self-esteem. For example, staff ask babies permission before changing nappies. As a result, children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. Children receive excellent support to lead healthy lifestyles. Mealtimes are calm and help children develop healthy habits and safe eating practices. Staff sit with children, engaging in meaningful conversations as children share their thoughts and ideas. Children show high levels of independence, confidently managing self-care routines, serving themselves at meal times and making choices in their play. They take ownership of their learning by sharing ideas and contributing to activities. For example, during outings children vote on what direction to take. As a result, children develop confidence and responsibility. In addition, children benefit from extensive opportunities for physical activity outdoors, including nature walks, football and yoga. As a result, children develop strong physical skills, including stamina, balance and coordination. Parents value the clear, daily communication, personalised induction procedures and supportive settling-in process, which keep them well informed about their child's care. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have implemented an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that helps all children build their knowledge and skills. Children make excellent progress across all areas of learning and are well prepared for their next stage of education. The curriculum is deeply embedded and securely delivered by skilled staff. Planning is informed by a wide range of information, including staff observations, assessments, parental views and children's interests. This helps leaders to create a curriculum that is relevant and responsive to children's changing needs, while maintaining high expectations for all. Children have excellent opportunities to learn outdoors throughout the day, promoting their physical, personal and social development. For instance, toddlers are inspired by a story they have recently read and stomp through the woods looking for objects to decorate their cardboard cut-out. Older children skilfully lead the way on nature walks, identifying wildlife as they navigate the various paths. Teaching is highly effective across the setting. Staff consistently use open-ended questions to deepen children's thinking and build on their existing knowledge. Mathematical language is seamlessly incorporated into play, helping children understand concepts through meaningful experiences. For example, children use mathematical words, such as 'heavy' and 'light'. They judge whether they can add any more flour into a cup before it overflows. This supports children to become confident, inquisitive learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education Inclusion Strong standard Leaders have built a highly inclusive nursery where every child is valued and supported to succeed. They identify emerging and changing needs quickly through accurate assessment and close partnership with families, ensuring that children receive timely support that reduces barriers to learning and wellbeing. Leaders have high expectations for every child and continually review the impact of support so that children make good progress from their individual starting points. For example, whilst waiting for support from outside agencies they implement their own support strategies to ensure children continue to make progress. This is particularly successful for those who have speech and language delay. Leaders carefully consider how additional funding can be used to maximise children's learning and development. Regular meetings with children's key persons and their parents ensure that funding is used to support children to make successful progress in their learning. For example, effective support for parents, alongside a range of additional resources, ensure that children's self-care needs are consistently met and contributes to successful toilet training. Leaders monitor the impact of additional funding, ensuring it leads to improved outcomes. As a result, all children make strong progress from their individual starting points. Staff benefit from ongoing training that enables them to tailor and adapt learning so children experience opportunities that are meaningful, accessible and ambitious from the moment they start. For example, all staff receive training to support children with special educational needs and or disabilities. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders set high expectations and share a clear, ambitious vision that shapes practice consistently across the setting. A key strength of the setting is leaders' commitment to delivering high-quality, fully inclusive care and education. Leaders are committed to continuous improvement and respond constructively to feedback from parents. They evaluate practice effectively, identify areas for development and ensure these priorities are shared and understood by staff at all levels. Leaders remain highly responsive to children's emerging needs, which is reflected in the consistently strong quality of provision in every room. They prioritise staff development, ensuring practitioners have the knowledge, skills and professional confidence to deliver high-quality care and education. They value their staff team and make thoughtful decisions that protect staff wellbeing and manage their workloads effectively. Leaders recognise individual strengths and adapt roles to support professional development. For example, when a staff member expressed an interest in teaching sign language leaders organised Makaton training for the whole staff team. Leaders hold frequent events for parents and carers to help them feel included in their children's learning and to help them to continue to support learning at home. Parents speak extremely positively about the setting. They comment that the care, dedication and encouragement shown by the team have clearly had a positive influence on their children's development, wellbeing and independence. They describe staff as being like a big family and praise the friendly and caring atmosphere that they create within the nursery. What it's like to be a child at this setting All children thrive in this highly inclusive and nurturing nursery. They are warmly welcomed by enthusiastic staff who know them exceptionally well. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they separate from their parents with ease and eagerly join their friends. They settle quickly, displaying high levels of confidence. For example, babies eagerly explore water play alongside staff who provide them with warm and nurturing interactions. Children benefit from an ambitious, broad and carefully sequenced curriculum, which is delivered effectively by skilled and responsive staff. The calm and purposeful environment is thoughtfully organised, with high-quality experiences that promote early communication, enabling children to explore, learn and develop with confidence. Children, including those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, benefit from rich outdoor experiences. They show enthusiasm and independence as they prepare for outdoor play. For example, from a young age children confidently swap indoor shoes for outdoor shoes and take a lead in finding their hats and high visibility vest. They are aware of risks during outings and confidently support one another to stay safe. Children build stamina and develop their physical strength as they spend lots of time outside. They develop an understanding of the natural world as they explore and use natural materials, such as sticks, feathers and leaves, to create imaginative constructions. They confidently share their ideas and take pride in creating unique and meaningful representations of their own thinking. Children are confident communicators who use a range of methods to express themselves. Makaton signing is securely embedded in staff's practice, and children readily use familiar signs to support communication. Children develop a love of books through daily shared- reading experiences. They see themselves reflected in the environment through photographs and stories, promoting a strong sense of identity and belonging. All children make excellent progress from their starting points. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help in order to realise a transformational impact on Inspector: Charmaine Cayton About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2828219 Address: Pury Hill Business Park Towcester Northamptonshire NN12 7LS Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 28/02/2025 Registered person: The Wildflowers Early Years Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 17:30 Local authority: West Northamptonshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator, children and parents during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. This data is from 24 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 43 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. 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