Jingle Bell House Day Nursery

A separate sleep room for babies and three connected rooms for older children give Jingle Bell House Day Nursery a clear physical shape. This Castle Lane West nursery in Bournemouth takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 42 places in total. Its appeal lies in the combination of spaces for different stages, an introduction to care built around family routines, and learning planned around children's interests.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received exceptionally strong support through collaboration with other professionals. That is a substantial inspection endorsement, with individual care rather than a branded programme carrying much of the detail.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. For families using funded childcare, the stretched arrangement and additional service charge deserve attention alongside the hours.

Rooms and Ages

Little Explorer's accommodates children aged 3 months to 2 years in a bright, open-plan room, with early movement, language, new foods and art forming part of its day. A separate sleep room contains full-sized cots, allowing babies to rest away from the main activity space according to their needs or home routine. That separation is a useful practical feature for parents weighing baby care.

Pre-School brings together children aged 2 to 5 across three linked rooms and the garden, with activities shaped by the cohort's interests and development, including preparation for school. The broad age span makes the way activities are adapted to different stages a useful topic for a visit. Outdoor activities are planned each day, so the garden forms part of learning rather than simply providing a break from it.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides learning through play, covering communication, physical development, relationships and later skills such as literacy and mathematics. Here, staff plan around individual development, using exploration, active play and creative thinking both inside and outdoors. The framework supplies the foundation; the useful detail is how activities connect to the child.

In December 2023, a gingerbread-man story led into children making gingerbread figures, while props helped babies and toddlers engage with stories. This gives parents a concrete picture of learning that moves between listening, handling materials and making something, rather than leaving a story as an isolated activity.

Family knowledge also contributed to the nursery day in December 2023. Celebrations included Diwali, Rio Carnival and Chinese Moon Festival, with families and staff sharing their experiences. These examples brought cultural differences into children's learning through people they knew. They were examples of shared celebrations, rather than a fixed annual events calendar.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children are encouraged to play outside daily. The garden provides another setting for activities, with outdoor planning given a place alongside the indoor day.

In December 2023, younger children used a climbing frame with guidance about the parallel bars, while older children were encouraged to tackle a climbing wall. The practical distinction matters: physical challenges were adapted to children's stage, with staff guidance accompanying the activity.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with two free sessions. A parent stays for the first, lasting one hour; the second lasts two hours, with the parent encouraged to leave so the child can begin building relationships with their keyworker and other children. The progression gives families an initial shared introduction before a longer period apart.

The first session also covers sleep patterns, food needs, preferences and development. These discussions give the keyworker information about the child's life at home, rather than treating settling as a simple introduction to the room.

EYLog provides access to termly assessments, including a keyworker summary of development. Regular newsletters cover nursery information and subjects such as toilet training and preparation for school, while parent surveys offer another route for feedback. Families can also arrange a discussion about concerns. Together, these provide both routine updates and opportunities for a fuller conversation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager holds a Special Educational Needs Coordinator qualification and has experience working with other professionals. At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that daily planning took account of individual learning needs, babies' feeding and sleep followed home routines, and children were well prepared for the move to school. Those findings connect support with everyday planning and care, rather than treating inclusion as a separate activity.

Current arrangements include safeguarding and first-aid training, recruitment checks and references. These are care procedures, while the dated safeguarding judgement remains the assessment of their effectiveness.

Nursery Kitchen supplies the daily hot lunch; children also receive fruit snacks and high tea, with an additional afternoon snack for babies. The nursery's dietary policy accommodates most allergies and intolerances, so allergy-affected families should discuss their child's particular requirements before care begins.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 250 Castle Lane West, Bournemouth, BH8 9TT. Full-day childcare is offered, with opening hours of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks each year.

Bank holidays are excluded, and there is a maintenance closure for one week in August, usually before the month's final bank holiday. Christmas Eve finishes at 1pm, with reopening after New Year. Closure periods are not charged, making the calendar relevant to both childcare cover and the household budget.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or by telephone. The nursery also offers visits. A large forecourt provides parent parking, though it can become busy at certain times of day.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Education Funding is offered only on a stretched basis: the entitlement applies across 38 weeks, while the nursery operates across 50. A maximum of 20 funded hours per week is offered here. Families should distinguish that delivery limit from the entitlement for which their child qualifies.

Funded hours carry an additional service charge covering lunch, high tea, bedding, flannels, sleep mats and general consumables, alongside other services. Meals and those consumables are therefore charged separately during funded hours. Parents also supply formula where needed, nappies, wipes, nappy sacks and summer sun cream, so the consumables arrangement combines nursery charges with items brought from home.

Private childcare is also offered, and childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare are accepted. Fees are reviewed annually; current prices should be obtained in the nursery's written quotation. The fees page provides the route to current fee information.

• Funding across the year. Stretched funding is capped at 20 hours per week here, with an additional service charge during funded hours. Compare the written quotation with the hours your family needs and the supplies you will bring from home.
• The older children's age span. Pre-School includes children from 2 to 5. During a visit, ask how activities and room use accommodate a newly two-year-old alongside children preparing for school.
• Holiday cover. The August maintenance week, bank holidays and Christmas closure interrupt the weekday pattern. Build those closures into your childcare plans.

Jingle Bell House suits families seeking weekday nursery care from infancy through the preschool years, especially those who value a separate baby sleep space, a gradual settling process and termly development updates. The December 2023 Outstanding judgement adds weight to the practical offer. The decision needs equal attention to the funded-hours charge structure and closure calendar: those details determine how the care fits family life.