Tops Day Nurseries: Bournemouth Nursery

A hospital setting gives Tops Bournemouth a clear practical identity: the nursery is based at Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Castle Lane East. It has capacity for 131 children, with an accepted age range of 3 to 60 months. This is a sizeable nursery, so the organisation of smaller groups matters more to a family's decision than the whole-setting number alone.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 26 April 2023 inspection. The detail beneath that judgement gives parents something useful to weigh: language activities, individual support and children helping one another, alongside an improvement point about waiting to go outdoors.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, bringing education and everyday care into the same framework. In April 2023, activities included older children using tallies to record ages, while younger children explored language through songs and stories. Those examples show different learning experiences for different stages rather than one activity for everyone.

In April 2023, staff also used sign along to support communication, and a language pen helped children learning English understand instructions. Children could communicate through more than spoken words alone. Drawing and painting featured among their interests, while preschool children helped care for a rabbit that moved around their room, giving animal care a concrete place in the day.

Outdoor transitions were the weaker point in April 2023. Waiting in groups sometimes led to frustration, distraction and pushing. The improvement action was to reorganise these movements so children spent less time waiting.

In April 2023, learning about other people included exploring the faiths and cultures represented among the children. Celebrations included EID and World Earth Day, connecting activities to children's backgrounds and environmental themes. Sustainability also shaped the nursery's priorities at that inspection, including avoiding disposable plastic. Children, parents and staff contributed their views when the nursery evaluated its work, so those priorities were considered alongside their experiences of the provision.

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and assessed support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very positively, including individual adult support and coordination with parents and other professionals.

Safety learning in April 2023 covered using the internet, being safe around roads and trying manageable risks. This gave children practical safety learning alongside the adults' safeguarding responsibilities. Staff training was reinforced through discussions at team meetings and individual meetings, keeping child protection part of professional conversations. Policies set out what staff should do if they were concerned about a child's welfare, rather than leaving the response to individual judgement.

In April 2023, bucket time used repeated words to develop language, giving children another route into communication. The special educational needs coordinator also worked with the schools children were moving to, connecting support across that change.

Daily conversations with parents were part of care in April 2023: staff and families exchanged information about children's interests and development. Staff also helped younger children manage their behaviour, while older children showed consideration by pouring drinks for younger ones and including others in play. These are useful examples of how relationships worked at that time.

The address is Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, BH7 7DW. Opening hours are 6am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, across the year; closures are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. That early start and late finish give families a broad operating window around work.

In April 2023, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Outdoor transitions. Waiting to go outside caused difficulties in April 2023. On a visit, ask how groups now move outdoors and how waiting is managed.
• Size and daily organisation. The nursery has 131 places in total. Ask how children are grouped through the day, especially if choosing care for a baby.
• Hours and booking. The weekday opening window runs from 6am to 8pm. Discuss the attendance pattern you need and request a written quotation covering funded hours, food and consumables.

Tops Bournemouth suits families who value a nursery at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and an opening window that accommodates early starts or late finishes. Its April 2023 assessment provides a positive quality benchmark, with practical examples of communication and individual support. The most useful visit discussion is how that sizeable setting organises each child's day, including the outdoor transitions identified for improvement.