The Old School Nursery

A Victorian building, a Babies House with its own garden, and a planting area for children give The Old School Nursery a clear physical character. This Bognor Regis setting combines spaces for different stages of childhood with a key-person approach that makes family knowledge part of everyday care. It has 68 places in total.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 5 October 2022 inspection. That judgement comes with two practical reservations: older children sometimes lost interest during group activities, while the arrangement of a younger children's room did not consistently help them see and participate. Both matter when judging how the day works for an individual child.

Babies House serves children from 6 months to 2 years, followed by Caterpillar Room for 2-3-year-olds and Butterfly Room for 3-4-year-olds. Opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, with optional breakfast and tea clubs on certain days.

Rooms and Ages

Babies House gives the youngest children an enclosed garden, access to the main outdoor space and activities including water exploration, sensory play and movement to music. Indoors, there are two playrooms and a kitchen downstairs; upstairs are a changing room, a small sensory room and a separate sleep room. Rest has a dedicated space away from the playrooms.

Caterpillar Room is for children aged 2-3, while Butterfly Room takes the 3-4 age group. Children in Babies House may move to the next room from 18 months when their development makes that appropriate. Readiness therefore matters alongside the room's usual age band.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday experiences build communication, physical skills and early understanding of numbers. Here, topics develop through children's interests, with information from home helping staff choose what comes next. Families can contribute an object or a story connected with the topic, which is displayed in the waiting area and on a whiteboard.

In October 2022, number work grew out of ordinary play: babies explored shapes with blocks, younger children compared quantities while filling containers with sand, and older children discussed size and counted. Stories also took place outdoors, with staff answering children's questions. These examples show how learning can fit into activities children already want to pursue.

Outdoor and Community Life

The main garden has a planting area alongside spaces for water and sand play. That gives children opportunities to explore growing things as well as materials they can pour, fill and move. Babies House adds a smaller outdoor setting of its own, while retaining access to the larger garden.

In October 2022, children practised balance using stilts and climbed on soft-play equipment. A visiting farm also brought animals into the nursery for children to learn about their care. The visit extended their experiences beyond toys and pictures; it is an inspection-era example rather than a recurring timetable promise.

Relationships and Communication

A child's key person gathers information about preferences, interests and individual requirements, giving families a main contact who can connect home life with nursery care. Staff also offer daily feedback. Tapestry, the online journal used to record learning and achievements, allows parents to add their own observations rather than simply receive updates.

Settling includes up to 4 visits before a child starts. The nursery also supports contact with teachers before children move to school and offers transition days through other agencies. These arrangements connect the adults involved in a child's next stage and give staff useful information before a change.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SEN Co-ordinator and deputy support staff working with children who need additional help. Planning can use individual plans, one-page profiles and development trackers, with discussion involving parents and, with consent, other agencies. Funding allocated to a child is directed towards that child's needs, including additional staff or resources.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support suitable, with staff working alongside families and other professionals and using additional funding for training and resources. These are dated judgements, alongside current support mechanisms rather than a promise about every child's experience.

Toilet learning follows the child's pace and is coordinated with home. In October 2022, children also practised independence by pouring milk, eating for themselves and washing before meals. The reservation about the younger children's room was specific: its layout sometimes left children unable to watch or join activities with the physical support they needed.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old School, Bersted Street, Bognor Regis, PO22 9QE. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3.30pm; optional breakfast club starts at 8am and tea time club ends at 5pm, on certain days. Those extensions need to fit the family's actual weekly routine.

Babies House also offers a full-time attendance pattern. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01243 867019, and Babies House has a dedicated email contact at babies@theoldschoolnursery.org.uk. The different attendance options deserve attention separately from the main opening window.

Funding and Paid Extras

In October 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. A non-refundable joining charge applies, and the fees page sets out separate charges for food at breakfast club and tea club, effective from March 2026.

• Participation across ages. In October 2022, older children's group activities did not consistently hold their attention, and younger children's room arrangements restricted participation. At a visit, ask how group planning and the younger children's layout now address those two issues.
• Moving beyond Babies House. A move to the next room can be considered from 18 months if a child is developmentally ready. Discuss how staff assess readiness and prepare the child for that change.
• Extensions on particular days. Breakfast club begins at 8am and tea time club finishes at 5pm, with both offered on certain days. Match the proposed booking to the days your family needs before committing.
• Funding and supplies. Club food is charged separately and the joining charge is non-refundable. Ask which funded entitlement and delivery pattern apply to your child, and how meals and non-food supplies are handled within that arrangement.

The strongest reasons to consider The Old School Nursery are concrete: Babies House separates sleep from play, the gardens support hands-on exploration, and Tapestry gives families a way to contribute to learning records. It suits families seeking full-time attendance in Babies House or optional breakfast club and tea time club attendance on certain days.

The October 2022 reservations deserve equal weight. A useful visit should establish how children of different ages can participate comfortably, rather than judging the nursery only by its rooms and equipment.