Logo for The Tadpoles Nursery showing three black tadpoles inside a blue circular pond with red text around the outer edge reading "The Tadpoles Nursery Est 1995."

“Children thrive in this exceptional setting. They thoroughly enjoy exploring and investigating the wonderful awe-inspiring activities and resources. Children are deeply engaged in what is on offer”.

- Ofsted Inspection 2022
Rated Outstanding

Outdoor children's play area with a sandbox, small picnic table under an umbrella, activity table, storage shelves with craft supplies, a sandpit and secure garden fencing all around. The outdoor setting is at The Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter.
Children's cloakroom with coats, hats, backpacks on hooks, and a blue chair. Artwork and messages are displayed on the walls. The Corridor is within the setting of The Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter.
Traditional half-timbered pub with a sloped roof, surrounded by lush green trees on a sunny day in the rural village of Woodham Walter.
A classroom with tables and blue chairs, children's artwork on the walls, educational toys, shelves with supplies, and posters. The room is well-lit and has a window, a fire exit sign, a clock, and sinks visible, photo taken inside Tadpoles Nursery.
A playground with wooden play equipment, surrounded by a wooden fence, under a clear sky with scattered clouds. A merry-go-round and swing are visible, with houses and trees in the background inside the picturesque village of Woodham Walter.
Interior of the Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter with children's artwork on bulletin boards, a tall chapel window showing a tree outside, a Royal Mail postal van can be seen through the window. Various educational play items on the windowsill.
A quaint countryside road in Woodham Walter, lined with green bushes and a traditional white cottage with a brown tiled roof and mint-green windows under a blue sky with clouds.

Based within the quaint rural setting of Woodham Walter (between Danbury and Maldon), our small community based setting provides the perfect place for learning through play.

The Tadpoles Nursery is an Ofsted Outstanding Early Years Provider offering places for children from 2 years old to school age and are 2, 3 & 4 year old funding approved.

Woman with glasses smiling in a nursery room, wearing a colorful leaf-patterned blouse, standing near a window. A whiteboard with notes and a bookshelf are in the background with some hand decorated children's work on display.

About the Founder

Pam Seear

“After running the business for almost 30 years, I am very proud to have developed such a wonderful setting in the heart of the community. The team and I are always grateful to the community and all involved that continue to show us their support. The Tadpoles Nursery is a truly unique place that I am delighted to share with you all”.

Meet the team >

Learning through play

Play enables children to practice, revisit and embed deeper learning through experimentation and repetition. Play facilitates natural curiosity, enabling children to make connections, understand what is seen, heard, and experienced in their world.

Child outside in the garden at the Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter wearing a floral hat painting on a tree trunk with a brush, colorful paint on the tree.

A part of the community

With frequent visits to the local school, church, Bell meadow and Forest school sessions we fully embrace the nature around us on a regular basis. Our ethos “The child at the heart of all that we do” expresses our passion for promoting children’s learning.

Children in winter clothing sitting on logs outdoors, engaged in a nature activity at forest school with an adult. Background includes trees and greenery.

At The Tadpoles Nursery, we love:

  • Children playing outdoors with a red and yellow plastic toy car, washing it with a cloth. One child wears a yellow apron and another in a colourful shirt and hat. Nearby, there is a mud kitchen with dishes and a wooden cable spool used as a table.

    Playing outside

    Whatever the weather
    Tadpoles are a free flow indoor outdoor setting where children are encouraged to splash in their puddle suits, make mess in the mud kitchen, have fun at the water wall and dig for gold in the sandpit, we believe a little dirt never hurt!

  • Shelving unit with educational toys and natural materials, including Russian nesting dolls and wooden puzzle pieces in the main playroom / classroom at the Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter

    Small World Play

    Gaining an understanding of the world
    Small world play transports children to another space and time entirely. The children have multiple opportunities to…

  • Forest school teacher assisting a child on a rope swing hanging from a tree in a wooded area, with other children playing in the background.

    Forest school

    Promoting Outdoor Learning
    We provide Forest School sessions that have many benefits, fromimproving physical health, increasing creativity, reducing stress levels, and enhancing cognitive learning.

  • Bulletin board displaying Makaton symbols for communication, including words like "Good morning," "Please," "Thank you," "Goodbye," and illustrated gestures for concepts like "Happy," "To eat," "To drink," and "Toilet." Additional multilingual greetings are included, such as "Hello" in different languages. A sign reads "We're all friends at Tadpoles."

    Makaton

    Communicating clearly together
    Makaton can support individuals with no speech, unclear speech or those who are reluctant to communicate. Tadpoles enjoy learning sign, picking up valuable early communication in Makaton.

  • Historic church with a clock tower and graveyard, surrounded by trees on a sunny day. The church is situated in the village of Woodham Walter.

    Community trips and events

    From the local church and village hall to the nearby park and even the zoo!
    We love to take the children on exciting adventures and welcome parents to get involved too where possible. Life beyond the nursery is a key part of learning for the children.

  • Plush toys of fictional character The Gruffalo and a small Fox on a white shelf with illustrated book in background inside the main nursery room at The Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter.

    Reading and rhyme time

    Inside on the carpet by the book corner or maybe even outside in the sandpit!
    The children love the use of the Tadpoles library where they can take a book home every week. Together we sing songs and explore new stories and authors, indoors or outdoors - everyday!

  • Children's books and toys in a basket on a trolly, including 'The Color Monster' and 'Bear Feels Sad', with colorful plush toys and a purple sensory bottle filled with glitter and water. The set up is to prompt children to discuss their emotions.

    Emotions and Wellbeing

    The colour monster theory
    We encourage the children to talk about their feelings through reading the colour monster, having regular discussions about our emotions and enabling the use of play with the regulation tools provided on the emotions trolly

  • Child in a purple jacket and pink sun hat pouring liquid from a jug at a blue table with a tray containing a basket of fruit and various cups. The child is concentrating and the task is teaching independence. The jugs contain cows milk and oat milk.

    Independent learning

    Giving children confidence to manage their own tasks
    We guide, help and encourage each child to become independent in various ways throughout the setting, from putting on their own coats and boots to pouring their drinks, even tidying up toys! Children try and do things for themselves, whenever possible and love the opportunity to do so.

  • Preschool classroom with kid-sized furniture, children's clothes hanging, craft artwork displayed, and a window view. Image taken inside the Tadpoles Nursery Woodham Walter.

    School readiness

    Preparing Tadpoles for their next journey
    We have a very strong school readiness programme in place which is concentrated in the summer term prior to the children starting school in September. This includes sharing information and school readiness tips with parents about their individual child. P.E sessions, lunch sessions and interaction with the reception class of our local school. We also liaise with the reception class teachers of the schools our leavers will be attending the following September.