FAQs
Where are you located?
We are located 3 miles out of Hereford, in the beautiful parish of Shelwick.
What age do you take children from?
The nursery is open to 2 - 5 year olds.
Stay and Play sessions are for sturdy walkers up to age 5. There is no change for a sibling non walker, please feel free for extra adults to attend with no extra charge. “It takes a village!”
What are your opening hours?
We are term time only for the nursery. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am - 2.30pm.
Stay and Play open - Monday and Friday 9.30 - 11.00am
Holiday club dates are on hold currently as the nursery is taking priority.
How many days does my child have to attend?
Your child will get the most out of the setting if they attend for a minimum of 2 days a week, this helps to form friendships and relationships with the adults. However, we occasionally have single days available should you want to take a place and increase the days at a later stage when more sessions become free.
Priority is given to families looking to enrol their child for 3 days.
Stay and Play is pay as you go - you can book as many or as few sessions as you chose, no registration required.
What are the Nursery fees?
Each session is currently £45.00. From September 2025 this will increase to £50.00
We accept Nursery funding. Eligible parents/ carers can claim 15 hours nursery funding for 2 year olds commencing the term after their second birthday.
Every 3&4 year old is entitled to 15 hours of nursery funding per week, term time, commencing the term after their 3rd birthday.
What are the stay and play costs?
Stay and Play session £10.00 (child and carer). Baby non walking siblings can come along with no extra charge. The session last 1.5 hours.
How do children stay warm in the winter?
The correct clothing is vital. No-one enjoys being wet and cold. We recommend that nursery children attending wear a very hardy outdoor waterproof set. We take your child’s comfort and safety seriously therefore it is vital that we ensure that they are warm and dry in all weather conditions - cold and wet children do not enjoy the outdoors.
We recommend the Didrikson’s Boardman set, they have been designed in Sweden to withstand all weather conditions. They are comfortable, warm, hardwearing and practical, with waterproof outer layer and a fleece warming inner layer.
Wildhearts are aware of the high cost of waterproof sets for growing children, sites such as eBay and Vinted sell preloved items.
Ski wear is also great at weatherproofing your child. Please talk to us to get the layering right - we would rather too many clothes so we can remove layers than too few so they are cold.
Don’t forget hats, snood (please avoid scarves as they dangle and can catch on equipment when playing) and insulating gloves. Multiple socks are also vital!
My child goes to another nursery - can they come to you too? Can I split their days?
Yes, absolutely. We will take care of the arrangements of this and contact the other nursery to share your child’s development progress against the early years framework.
Why don’t you open for longer? The nursery hours don’t suit my work schedule.
We are an outdoor nursery so we are at the mercy of the weather and day light hours. Your child will be expending energy all day, whilst we will keep refuelling them there is a limit to what they can do, particularly when they first come to us, their stamina will have to be built up. They will need to rest and relax.
We don’t consider ourselves a childcare facility as much as a life choice for your child’s future. We want the best for your child and believe that the outdoors provides all that they need to develop, grow and enjoy their childhood to the fullest.
Do you provide food?
We want your child to be well fed and happy during our sessions - young children can be particular about their food or may have specific dietary requirements and/or allergies. It is important that they eat well to maintain their energy and so we ask parents to provide a packed lunch and water.
Please also provide a mid morning snack. We try hard to not add additional fees for parents and carers - this is one way to ensure we don’t have to.
Allergies and intolerance - We are able to cater for children with specific dietary requirements when cooking or making foods as part of the curriculum - please talk to us about this so we can ensure our activities are available to all. Please refer to our food and nutrition policy for further information - link below.
What do you do when it rains?
We do the same as when the sun shines, only with water. We encourage children to embrace all kinds of weather. We believe that with the right clothes and attitude we can have loads of fun - whatever the weather! Of course, spare socks and gloves are vital at these times so we encourage a bag of spare clothes to be brought in for your child’s comfort. This bag can be left safely in our boot shed on arrival until needed.
For those not so keen on playing in the rain, or who might need a break, our log cabin or field shelter provides cover.
What do you do in storms?
We are not a survival school and take the welfare of your child very seriously. There may be occasions when the weather is deemed too extreme (high winds / thunder storms) to be on site. In such instances we will contact you in advance to advise you of the situation.
What about toileting?
We have 3 purpose built compost toilets and we have added a transportable camping toilet which we can move around as the need arises - the compost toilets can be far for little legs who are desperate to wee. A nappy change facility is provided in the boot shed - please supply your choice of nappy changing equipment which can be stored safely in the boot shed until needed. If your child is still being toilet trained we are very happy to work with you to support them according to their individual stage of development.
Can I come and have a tour of the setting?
Of course! We love to welcome new people into the community. Please complete an enquiry form to arrange a visit.
Our prospectus and registration form are available on the menu bar above.
Are there places left for September 2025?
Yes, please get in touch to arrange a tour.
The prospectus and registration form is now available to view/download on the menu bar of this website.
We have a waitlist in place on the menu bar of the website for children who are not yet 2 - we use this to keep parents/carers updated on their Childs place.