Community Playcentre, Walberton

A water wall for babies, a mud kitchen for older children and village walks to the duck pond give Community Playcentre, Walberton a day built around hands-on exploration. The outdoor spaces are divided between the younger and older groups, with access in all weathers. For children who prefer learning outside, the garden carries activities beyond the classroom rather than serving only as a break from it.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), made good progress. That is a dated assessment. The practical attractions today are the separate baby space, individual care routines and a key person for each child, alongside attendance options spanning school mornings, school days and full days.

The nursery caters for babies through to four-year-olds at The Recreation Field in Walberton. Community involvement also has a concrete form: staff, parents and trustees help raise funds for nursery resources through events and the monthly Arundel Farmers Market.

Rooms and Ages

Babies has a self-contained area with a sensory space, a sofa beside the books and its own fenced garden, where the water wall, Wendy house and ride-on toys support exploration, movement and early communication. The room description covers babies aged six months to two years. Its emphasis is on relationships and emotions, physical development, and communication and language, so early learning grows out of interaction and play rather than formal tasks.

Overs, for children aged two and above, combines changing role-play settings, number and shape resources, art materials and a quiet sensory area with outdoor access, a mud kitchen and climbing equipment. The role-play area has taken the form of a post office, a campsite and a school. These are examples of environments changing with children's interests, giving familiar everyday situations a place in their play.

Choice matters across the older children's space. Children can move between the classroom and garden, and outdoor learning areas mirror the opportunities indoors. A child drawn to the garden can still explore creative activities and imaginative play there. The separate sleeping area and reading space also give rest and quieter activity their own place alongside messier work.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS links learning and care to children's age and development, with play covering communication, physical skills, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Here, key people plan next steps from observations, while group activities happen twice daily. This combines time for children to choose their own play with planned opportunities to practise developing skills.

An interactive touch screen supports stories and movement videos such as sticky kids and cosmic yoga. These are used as get-active activities; they sit alongside the room's puzzles, playdough and mark-making materials rather than replacing practical play. Children have access to art resources when they want to create, while the mathematics area invites them to handle shapes and explore counting.

In July 2023, children used recipe instructions during pretend cooking and counted the materials they collected. Books also featured in both independent activity and time with adults. These examples connect early literacy and number work to something children wanted to do.

The July 2023 inspection identified two improvements: clearer learning aims for planned activities and more precisely targeted language support for children who were quieter in groups. In July 2023, staff sometimes overlooked chances to engage children who spoke less or played alone, leaving some less confident children with fewer opportunities to learn. These are useful distinctions for parents: an appealing activity needs a clear purpose, and joining a group does not necessarily mean every child receives equal encouragement to speak.

Outdoor and Community Life

The adjacent field and play park extend the nursery's outdoor options. Walks also take children to the church, past horses in the fields and to the duck pond. These local outings give children variety beyond the fenced gardens.

In July 2023, outdoor play included riding bicycles and experimenting with water, while babies explored rice and sand using scoops and spoons. Movement, handling materials and conversation were connected within the same activities. The current gardens retain that emphasis on doing: babies have a water wall, while older children can use climbing equipment and the mud kitchen.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person who observes development, plans next steps and acts as a contact for parents. Tapestry, the online learning journal, records experiences through photographs, videos and diary entries, and parents can contribute their own comments and moments from home. This gives families a way to connect learning in the nursery with what their child does elsewhere.

Two parents' evenings each year provide dedicated discussion time with the key person, with a SENCo meeting possible when additional needs require it. Informal conversations are also part of the arrangements. Families therefore have both everyday contact and scheduled opportunities to discuss development in more depth.

Settling begins with an All about me form covering preferences and routines. Children under two have a care plan completed during settling, and baby feeding and nap routines follow those used at home. Mats and blankets are available for naps, with cots in the sleeping area on the older children's side. That makes the sleeping arrangement a useful part of understanding how the younger children's day is organised.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCo coordinates support with staff and parents, using strategies and resources and seeking outside guidance with parental consent. Where needed, the key person and SENCo develop a one-page profile or individual plan with the family; referrals and applications for additional funding also involve permission. Support is described through these concrete steps, rather than a general promise that every need can be met.

Local health visitors can meet parents and staff on request, and the SENCo meets the Early Years and Childcare Advisor termly. The building is on one level, with wheelchair access, adjustable-height tables and garden doors that can open wider for specialist equipment. These details matter for families considering both participation in activities and the practical use of the space.

Behaviour support includes helping children name feelings, offering limited choices and working with parents on consistent responses. The policy also allows exclusion after consultation and unsuccessful support strategies, so families whose child needs substantial behavioural support should understand how plans and reviews operate.

In July 2023, babies practised using spoons and putting on bibs, while older children handled cutlery, dressed themselves and tidied belongings. Those small daily tasks formed part of preparation for the next stage. For children with additional needs approaching school, staff liaise with the chosen school to share relevant information and support strategies.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Recreation Field, The Street, Walberton, Arundel, BN18 0PJ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Families can book term-time attendance or attend across the year; closures cover bank holidays, Christmas to New Year and two inset days, approximately in April and September.

For children under two, the booking patterns are All day, 7.30am to 6pm, and School Day, 9am to 3pm. From age two, the choice expands to School morning, 9am to noon; School afternoon, noon to 3pm; and Full Afternoon, noon to 6pm. Early School Day runs from 7.30am to 3pm, and Late School Day from 9am to 6pm. Half-day arrangements are also offered.

Booked sessions are charged even when a child misses them. Permanent bookings require four weeks' written notice, with school holidays excluded from the notice period for term-time places. That difference matters when changing childcare around a holiday. Nursery enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01243 931848.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours universal and 30 hours working families, with free entitlement accepted for nine-month-olds and children aged two, three and four. Funded sessions run between 9am and 3pm; care outside that window is charged. Entitlement can be used during term time or stretched across the year, so the funding pattern and the child's booked attendance need to be considered together.

Snacks are included in sessions, with breakfast and an evening meal included where the booked session covers them; hot lunch is a separately charged choice prepared in the nursery kitchen, and children may bring a packed lunch instead. The nursery publishes a nut-free policy and caters for dietary requirements and allergies.

There are no additional consumable charges. A non-refundable booking fee applies once a place is offered, but families using only Free Entitlement hours are exempt. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Learning purpose and quieter children. The July 2023 improvement points concerned precise activity aims and targeted language support. During a visit, ask how staff bring a child who speaks less into group learning and how they identify the skill an activity is intended to develop.
• Baby starting age and room moves. The baby-area description covers six months to two years, while the nursery serves babies more broadly. Discuss the starting arrangement for a younger baby and how the move into Overs is planned.
• Settling and support plans. Induction includes at least two one-hour sessions, and under-twos have individual care plans. Use these sessions to discuss sleep, feeding and any additional support, including how behavioural strategies are reviewed with parents.
• Funding window and food. Funded sessions fall between 9am and 3pm, and hot lunch costs extra. Consider the whole booked day when comparing quotations; families managing allergies should confirm current food preparation and dietary practice.

Community Playcentre suits families looking for school mornings or school-day attendance as well as full days, with a choice between term-time and year-round arrangements. The baby garden, free movement between indoor and outdoor play for older children, and walks around Walberton give its offer a clear practical character.

Individual routines and a key person provide the structure around that freedom. The July 2023 learning and language improvement points remain useful questions for a visit, especially for a quieter child. For parents who value hands-on play, local outdoor experiences and a learning journal they can contribute to, this is a nursery with substantial detail to weigh against their child's needs.