Nant-y-Cwm
Kindergarten
A magical Nursery in Pembrokeshire
“The children are extremely happy and engaged and have a strong sense of belonging. They have formed close relationships with their peers and staff and their feelings and needs are acknowledged and valued”
– Care Inspectorate Wales
Nursery in Pembrokeshire for ages 3 to 6
Nant-y-Cwm’s kindergarten nursery in Pembrokeshire offers children the best possible start to life. With nurturing and dedicated staff, a natural and gentle home-from-home setting, and days full of play and wonder, it’s the perfect first step into the world outside of the family home.
Play Centred Steiner Kindergarten
Our early childhood provision creates a nurturing play-based atmosphere of wonder, beauty, respect and security for children to begin their life-long process of engagement with the world.
Play is the natural work of early childhood, and at every stage of development, play improves a child’s IQ, social-emotional growth, learning, and academic performance. Different forms of play—whether movement, object, imaginative, social, storytelling, or creative—uniquely support the child’s physical development, social awareness, and cognitive growth.
Nature Connection
Our kindergartens have incredible outdoor spaces, featuring beautiful trees, climbing areas, hammocks, sand-pits, slides and dens, to provide the children with opportunities to explore imaginatively and become confident in their bodies.
The children play outdoors in all weather, and once a week the Kindergarten groups go for a walk in the woodlands surrounding the school. These activities, along with kindergarten’s seasonal festivals, help the children build a connection with the natural world, and the changing seasons of the year.
Natural and Inspiring
Creative, unstructured play provides opportunities to practice problem-solving, compromise, and even conflict resolution, whilst imaginative play helps cultivate critical thinking skills for later life.
As simple materials like wood transform from a loaf of bread one day to a toy dog the next, children at Nant-y-Cwm kindergarten learn to see how imagination can reshape the world around them. Their play, often involving logs, rocks, fabric, and crates, can last for long, uninterrupted periods, nurturing deeper thinking and sustained focus.
A Home From Home Setting
The enchanting kindergarten classrooms at Nant-y-Cwm support children’s developing senses with soft colours, natural light, and simple, natural materials— wood, wool, muslin. Teachers honour children’s natural tendency to imitate by offering themselves as worthy role models, creating space for the healthy unfolding of each child’s inner world.
More information
Prospectus
Take a look at our prospectus for more details on Kindergarten and life at Nant-y-Cwm
The making of Kindergarten
Find out about the eco-architecture behind our nursery in Pembrokeshire, now a listed building with CADW. Built by Christopher Day MBE
“We recently moved to the area, and our daughter has settled into the Kindy routine. We are only in week three and we have noticed that her imaginary play has re-ignited, which is wonderful to see. The support from the staff and community has been very welcoming.”
– J. Lloyd & N. Lloyd , Feb 2025
At Nant-y-Cwm, each kindergarten day follows a gentle rhythm that helps children feel secure and at ease. Mornings often begin with familiar songs, verses, and movement, before settling into free imaginative play. Teachers weave in stories and circle time, where children listen, sing, and join in with seasonal verses. Each day also includes time outdoors, in the garden or exploring the woodland paths, where the changing seasons become part of the children’s learning and joy. Snack and meal times are shared together around the table, giving children a sense of community and belonging.
Festivals mark the year in our kindergarten, bringing light, colour, and joy to the children’s lives. Whether carrying lanterns at Martinmas or dancing around the Maypole, the children experience the cycle of the seasons in meaningful ways. These celebrations also connect families, giving parents a chance to join in and feel part of the wider Nant-y-Cwm community.
A strong sense of home-like care underpins everything in our nursery in Pembrokeshire. New children are welcomed slowly and gently, with plenty of time to settle in. Parents are supported through this process, knowing that staff are attentive and sensitive to each child’s needs. Many families find that even the shyest child soon blossoms, carried by the warmth of daily rhythm and the kindness of their teachers and peers.
Kindergarten also prepares the ground for the transition to Class One. Through play, song, story, and practical activity, children develop essential foundations—social confidence, imagination, perseverance, and a love of learning—that will serve them throughout their schooling. Rather than rushing children into academics, we allow them to grow naturally into their capacities, so that when the time comes for formal learning, they step forward with eagerness and resilience.
Parents often remark that our kindergarten feels like a second home: safe, beautiful, and alive with imagination. We invite you to come and experience this for yourself. Taster days are available for families considering joining, and our staff are always happy to answer questions, show you around, and help your child feel at home in this special place.
Further reading
Waldorf UK
Waldorf UK is the national body that supports Steiner Waldorf schools and kindergartens across the UK and Ireland. They help to uphold the quality of education, provide guidance and resources for teachers and schools, and represent Waldorf education to the wider world. Nant-y-Cwm and our nursery in Pembrokeshire is part of this network, connected to a living movement of schools that share the same child-centred, creative and nature-based approach.
An Interesting Read
This academic article looks into Waldorf & Steiner kindergarten care, including the ethos and benefits.
Visit Nant y Cwm
Prospective parents are warmly invited to get in touch to arrange a school tour.