Applepips Day Nursery

Six children per session in Caterpillars gives Applepips Day Nursery a clear point of difference for families choosing care for their youngest child. At The Chimes in Rustington, the nursery combines a small younger room with a preschool room opening directly onto the garden. Its current accepted age range is one to five years, with 22 places in total; room limits describe the individual spaces, rather than an additional whole-nursery capacity.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Applepips Good and found effective safeguarding, steady progress and targeted help for children with additional needs, while identifying weaker outdoor learning and creative opportunities for younger children. That is a dated assessment. The current nursery day includes garden exploration, books borrowed for home reading and physical activity linked to growing independence.

Morning, afternoon, School Day and Full Day bookings sit alongside term-time and full-year attendance. The practical appeal is choice, while the educational character comes from children making decisions about their play and practising everyday skills.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillars accommodates up to six children per session, with low resources for independent selection, sensory and messy play, and adults supporting early communication through songs, books and simple signs. The younger classroom is upstairs. A bright room with accessible materials gives small children opportunities to choose, while their individual routines remain part of the care arrangements.

Butterflies, for children aged two to five, accommodates up to 16 per session and combines interest-led activities, group stories and direct garden access. Resources are within children's reach, and the role-play space changes with their interests or the current topic. The garden connection matters: choosing an outdoor activity can be part of the session rather than a separate whole-group move.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, including communication, physical development and relationships. Applepips plans around children's development and interests, with learning priorities shared with parents each half term. For younger children, conversation, movement and social confidence receive particular attention; older children also encounter literacy, mathematics, creative expression and exploration of the world.

For the Book Bag Scheme, book bags can be purchased from the nursery. Once a child has a bag, staff provide a reading log and the child chooses a Biff, Chip and Kipper book to share with staff and at home.

PE Sessions run twice weekly and include Sticky Kids dancing, obstacle courses and ball or parachute games. Children also practise changing into their kit, which parents can supply themselves. Movement and practical independence are taught together: getting ready is part of the activity, rather than something adults simply do for the children.

Outdoor and Community Life

Mud pies, bug hunts and a quiet reading area give the shared garden several uses. Younger children go outside in both the morning and afternoon, with supported slide climbing and exploration of natural materials among their experiences. They also spend garden time with older children, so the room division does not separate every part of the day.

In May 2023, outdoor activities held children's interest less successfully than indoor experiences, and creative planning for babies and younger children was less developed than for older children. Both concerns matter when judging the balance of the day. Current outdoor activities offer concrete things to discuss, but they do not by themselves establish that those inspection concerns have been addressed.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with at least three tasters: an initial 30-minute session with a parent present, followed by longer sessions lasting one to three hours. Staff learn about sleep, bottles and family routines during this process. A key person is allocated after the child has settled, drawing on the relationship they have formed with a practitioner.

Comforters are encouraged for younger children, and weaning follows the family's lead.

The Blossom Educational App combines daily care information with activity photographs, learning reports and messages, and parents can contribute observations from home. Families can also view booking plans and request extra sessions through it. Parent evenings are usually held twice yearly, providing a separate opportunity to discuss development rather than relying entirely on brief daily exchanges.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support is organised through a Special Educational Needs Coordinator and an Inclusion Officer, working with the key person and parents on written plans. Plans are reviewed, with termly discussions between the coordinator and key person. Outside help, including health visitors or speech and language therapists, is brought in after consultation with families.

For children with medical needs, a health care plan is developed with parents and updated each term or sooner when necessary. Families using English as an additional language can contribute familiar words and phrases, while staff seek reading materials in the child's first language.

Moving between rooms is paced around the child, with time to become familiar with the new space and practitioners. School preparation includes managing clothes and belongings, recognising names and practising personal care. Once a school place has been allocated, teachers can visit, transition information is shared and additional support plans can inform meetings with the receiving school.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Chimes, 1 Artex Avenue, Rustington, Littlehampton, BN16 3LN. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Enquiries can be made through the nursery's contact form or by telephone on 01903 783917.

Full Morning runs from 8am to 1pm, Full Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm, School Day from 8am to 4pm and Full Day from 8am to 6pm. Families can combine patterns and choose term-time attendance or a full-year booking covering 48 weeks. Shift-pattern bookings are also offered, giving another attendance arrangement for parents whose working hours vary.

Fees are paid monthly in advance. The terms require written notice of one month when ending a place, or half a term for a funded place; fees remain payable during the notice period. Booked sessions remain chargeable when missed for holidays or illness.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is offered for eligible children from nine months for up to 30 hours weekly, delivered either during term time or stretched across the year. This describes the funding offer, while the nursery's current accepted age range begins at one year. Additional care beyond funded hours is charged separately.

Meals and nappies are included in full sessional prices; on funded hours, meals are an extra families can choose to add. Breakfast and snacks are prepared at the nursery, lunches come from Little Tums, and a light tea is prepared on site for children staying after 4pm. The nursery offers arrangements for dietary requirements.

A holding fee is returned when the child takes up the place. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the fees page explains the attendance and funding structure.

• The younger room. Caterpillars has a cap of six per session and is upstairs. During a visit, discuss how your child's daily routines and movement between the classroom and garden would work.
• Outdoor learning and creativity. In May 2023, these were improvement priorities, especially for younger children. Ask to see how current planning extends creative play and keeps children engaged outside.
• Access across two floors. The building is not fully wheelchair accessible; an alternative route through the garden reaches preschool. Discuss the appropriate route and room arrangements if mobility affects your family.
• Dietary needs and funded charges. Full sessional prices include meals and nappies, while funded meals are an opt-in extra. Families managing allergies should confirm current food practice and have the agreed charge structure set out in their quotation.

Applepips suits families seeking a small younger room, gradual settling and a preschool day that connects books, movement and practical independence. Morning and afternoon sessions serve shorter attendance needs, while School Day and Full Day patterns give different finishing times. Term-time and full-year bookings broaden that choice further.

Caterpillars' room cap and Butterflies' garden access are the strongest practical distinctions. The reading scheme and twice-weekly PE give the older children's day recognisable detail. The May 2023 assessment also identified weaknesses in outdoor learning and younger children's creative play.