Oceans Day Nursery

A Sensory Room with light, sound and texture, plus visits to a sister play centre, gives Oceans Day Nursery a recognisable character. Based on Spring Street in Hucknall, Nottingham, it combines exploratory play with a separate space intended for quieter moments. That combination matters for families who want activity and somewhere their child can take a pause.

The nursery has capacity for 110 children and accepts children from 1 to 60 months. At its 17 July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical offer includes full-day care and shorter funded daytime attendance, with paid wraparound options around the funded day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this means learning through play alongside attention to communication, physical development and the skills children need to become more independent. It is the foundation of the nursery day, rather than an extra programme.

In July 2024, activities drew on children's interests and what they could already do. Older children acted out building work, using toy tools to repair objects; toddlers handled rice and containers; babies experimented with percussion. These examples show different ways of engaging children at different stages: imaginative problems for older children, handling and pouring for toddlers, and sound and choice for babies.

Books also became something children could use actively. During July 2024, children retold a caterpillar story using actual food and turned to books to discover information about animals.

At the July 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified three priorities: more consistent understanding among staff of children's next learning steps, clearer help for parents supporting learning at home, and routines that kept children involved rather than waiting. These are useful distinctions within the Good judgement. Interesting activities alone do not settle how precisely learning is planned or how smoothly the day runs.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Sensory Room contains interactive equipment for exploring light, sounds and textures. Nursery children have exclusive access to it, and its purpose includes providing a retreat for children who need a quieter setting. A separate sensory space offers a different kind of experience from busy shared play; its practical value lies in how it is used for each child.

Oceans Of Fun Play Centre shares the nursery's site, and visits to the sister play centre form part of the enhanced provision associated with funded attendance. Community trips are included in that offer too. These are nursery experiences; the separate Holiday Club serves children who have already started school.

In July 2024, outdoor play included climbing and a slide for older children, while younger children explored sand and moved water between containers.

Relationships and Communication

In July 2024, staff collected information from families when children began attending and used it to shape their care. This gives the initial conversation a practical purpose: familiar needs and preferences can inform what happens during the nursery day. Activities were also prepared around children's interests, connecting that knowledge with their play.

Parents can observe their child's play through a webcam system. Access requires an individual account which the nursery checks, and the system is explained during nursery visits. For families who value a visual connection during the day, this is a specific communication feature. It serves a different purpose from a conversation about a child's development.

The July 2024 findings make that distinction important. Some parents did not understand their child's next learning goals or how to help at home. Seeing an activity and understanding what a child is working towards are separate things; the latter was an improvement priority.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staffing structure includes a SENCO and a designated safeguarding lead. These are named responsibilities within the team, rather than a general promise about support. The Sensory Room adds a physical resource intended to accommodate individual sensory needs, including those of children with special educational needs.

Entry through the internal door uses a fob system. Alternative collectors must be identified on the child's registration paperwork and use individual passwords; visitors have their identities checked and sign in and out. These are concrete arrangements for access and collection, distinct from the dated safeguarding judgement.

In July 2024, children practised handwashing before meals and cleared their dishes afterwards. Staff had also undertaken oral-health training and helped children understand tooth cleaning. Independence was part of mealtimes, although older children sometimes spent too long waiting to serve their food. That balance between doing things for themselves and keeping routines moving deserves attention.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Spring Street, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 7BZ. Opening hours are 7.15am to 6.15pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas; its funding arrangements use a 51-week year.

Private full days run from 7.15am to 6.15pm, and an hourly rate is also offered. Funded daytime attendance runs from 9.15am to 2.50pm: the 15-hour entitlement uses two days per week, while the 30-hour entitlement uses four. Paid morning wraparound runs from 7.15am to 9.15am, and afternoon wraparound from 2.50pm to 6.15pm. A combined option covers both periods.

The contact form provides an enquiry route, and families can arrange to view the nursery. Sessions agreed at registration become a continuing booking. Reducing that booking requires a month's notice, while ending the place requires one month's paid written notice, given by the first day of the month. Ad-hoc extra sessions require two weeks' notice and payment when booked, subject to availability.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered subject to eligibility and Government and Local Authority conditions. The arrangements cover supported two-year-olds, children from the term after their third birthday, and eligible working families with children aged 9 months or older. The team offers help with applications.

Funding is stretched across 51 weeks. For the 15-hour entitlement, the stated weekly allocation is 11.17 hours; for the 30-hour entitlement, it is 22.35 hours. These are stretched arrangements, so families should distinguish the entitlement's name from the weekly hours delivered throughout the year.

For funded sessions, hot meals, drinks and snacks sit within a separately charged package for which the nursery requests a voluntary contribution. Non-food consumables in that package include wipes and sun cream. The voluntary wording matters when comparing the funded place with the overall cost of attendance.

The package also encompasses bedding laundry, community outings, play-centre visits and family events. Celebrations include Christmas, Diwali, Easter and Eid, while children moving on to school have graduation activities and learning packages. These extras extend beyond food and toiletries, so the contribution relates to a broader set of services.

Private fees are paid monthly in advance, and absence, sickness, holidays and bank holidays do not attract deductions. Current prices should be obtained in a written quotation; the private fees and booking terms explain the payment structure.

• Learning beyond the activity. The July 2024 priorities included consistent next steps and better guidance for learning at home. During a visit, ask how staff now explain an individual child's goals and share practical ideas with families.
• Mealtime waiting. In July 2024, older children sometimes queued for prolonged periods before serving themselves. Ask how lunch is organised now and how children remain involved while others eat or serve food.
• Stretched funding and extras. Funded attendance uses shorter daytime blocks, with paid wraparound and a voluntary contribution for enhanced services. Request a written breakdown for your chosen pattern, including how attendance works if you decline the contribution.
• Sensory support. The Sensory Room offers a separate space for light, sound and texture exploration. Ask how access is planned for your child and how the SENCO would help agree any individual support.

Oceans suits families considering either private full days or shorter funded daytime attendance, including those who need wraparound at one or both ends. The Sensory Room, play-centre connection and parent webcam give it concrete features to weigh alongside the Good July 2024 judgement.

The decision also turns on the detail of daily practice. Clear learning goals, useful communication with home and mealtimes that keep children engaged were the improvement priorities. Families who value sensory resources and flexible attendance patterns have a specific offer to consider here, with the funded contribution and continuing booking terms deserving careful attention.