Cranleigh Lodge Day Nursery

A baby room capped at nine, separate gardens for younger and older children, and preschool groups organised around when children will start school give Cranleigh Lodge Day Nursery a clear shape. This Tuckton setting has capacity for 38 children, with an age range from two months to five years. Its appeal lies in the detail: a separate sleep room upstairs, toddler access to the garden, and practical preparation for school in Owls.

At its 20 June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with children making good progress through a curriculum that encouraged independence, confidence and curiosity. Two improvement priorities were identified: stronger teaching of the connection between letters and sounds, and more discussion of how food supports health.

Full-day and part-day care are offered. The different stages of nursery life, rather than one uniform arrangement for every child, are the stronger reason to consider it.

Rooms and Ages

The Hummingbird Room accommodates up to nine babies, with an upstairs play space, separate sleep room and kitchen for bottles and snacks; activities can be separated so older babies can try craft while babies who are not yet mobile explore sensory materials. That separation matters. Rest, feeding and play each have a place rather than competing for the same corner.

In the Robin Room, children aged 18 months to three years have a maximum room capacity of eight, with French patio doors connecting their indoor space to a garden at the quieter rear of the nursery and activities built around communication and language. The garden connection gives toddlers a choice between indoor and outdoor play, except during meals.

Owls and Owlets divide preschool children by their expected school-start year, sharing access to craft, books, imaginative play and the front garden, while Owls emphasises independence and managing emotions before school. This makes the final nursery stage about readiness for the next step, rather than simply moving into an older room.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play across its seven areas of learning, with activities adjusted to children's interests and next steps. It is the educational framework here; the concrete additions include weekly music sessions and opportunities to move between indoor and outdoor activities.

In June 2025, play connected stories, construction and early number work. Preschool children built bridges from cups and lolly sticks to recreate a favourite story, while a pretend birthday cake prompted counting for a purpose. Toddlers experimented with cars and guttering. These examples show how familiar materials can give children something to solve, discuss or imagine.

Physical activity was equally practical that June: babies explored soft play shapes and a low slide, toddlers practised jumping, and preschool children balanced on a wooden beam. Different stages had different challenges. The early-literacy improvement remains relevant alongside these examples: recognising a meaningful letter needed more consistent extension into the sound it represents.

Outdoor and Community Life

The baby and toddler garden includes sensory areas and a mud kitchen, while preschool children have a separate outdoor area. Construction play and caring for the environment also feature in preschool activities. Outdoor space therefore extends the types of play children can choose, rather than serving only as a break from indoor learning.

Relationships and Communication

Room moves are discussed with parents as children approach the toddler stage. Settling sessions can help establish relationships with the next team, and a move can be delayed when a child needs longer. This is a useful distinction for families: the transition takes account of readiness, not just age.

Babies spend time with toddlers once or twice during the day, fitted around their individual routines. Familiarity with the next room can build gradually before a permanent move. It also gives babies access to garden activities with the toddler group.

In June 2025, staff discussed babies' sleep patterns with parents and followed those routines at nursery. Daily routines were calm and predictable, and staff helped children practise sharing and kindness. The nursery values tree recognised positive actions, giving children a visible reminder of behaviour they could feel proud of.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes a SENCO role, a special educational needs coordinator, alongside designated safeguarding lead and deputy lead roles. Staff receive first-aid training, and two in-house training days each year address development needs and subjects of interest to the team. These are practical arrangements for support and staff development; the dated safeguarding judgement sits separately above.

Toilet training is supported with parents when children are ready. In June 2025, everyday independence also included toddlers pouring drinks and preschool children practising with cutlery. School preparation is similarly practical: Owls gives attention to managing emotions and doing things independently, rather than treating readiness solely as an academic task.

Hot lunch and hot high tea are supplied by Nursery Kitchen. Drinking water is accessible throughout the day, babies receive a mid-morning snack, and milk is offered with breakfast and the afternoon snack.

Sessions and Attendance

Cranleigh Lodge offers full-day and part-day care and opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm. It operates across the year, closing on bank holidays, for one week in August and for a week between Christmas and New Year. Families relying on year-round childcare need to accommodate those planned breaks.

Getting There

The address is 177 Cranleigh Road, Tuckton, Bournemouth, BH6 5JZ, between Christchurch and Bournemouth town centre. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01202 426 086, and a tour-booking option is offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2025, the nursery received government funding. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the cost discussion needs to distinguish the childcare pattern from food, non-food consumables and any additional private hours.

• The youngest room. Hummingbird Room has a cap of nine babies and a separate sleep room upstairs. On a visit, ask how sleep supervision and time with the toddler group fit your baby's routine.
• The toddler transition. Robin Room includes children from 18 months, and moves can be delayed according to readiness. Discuss how the team would judge the right point for your child to change rooms.
• Literacy and food education. The June 2025 improvement priorities concerned letter-sound connections and understanding healthy food. Ask for examples of how these now feature in activities and mealtime conversations.
• Attendance and the quotation. Full-day and part-day care serve different schedules, with summer and Christmas closures to plan around. Ask which funded entitlement and attendance arrangement would apply to your family, and how meals and consumables would be charged or supplied.

Cranleigh Lodge suits families considering either full-day or part-day care who value small published caps for the youngest rooms, gradual transitions and outdoor choice. Hummingbird Room's separate sleep space and the school-year distinction between Owls and Owlets make the organisation easy to understand. The June 2025 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific improvements in early literacy and food education. For a family choosing on daily arrangements rather than broad promises, there is useful substance here.