Bishy Barnabees Day Nursery

A snug for babies who are not yet walking, gardens equipped for messy exploration and a kitchen for preschool baking give Bishy Barnabees Day Nursery a clear practical character. This Mattishall nursery separates the needs of younger children from the more structured preparation of those approaching school. Outdoor play runs through both stages.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 7 December 2022 inspection. The detail behind that judgement matters: children felt comfortable seeking help, staff knew their interests and parents contributed to learning plans, although activities needed more scope to stretch children's thinking.

The nursery accepts children from two months to five years. Ladybird Room accommodates the younger age group, while Barnabee Room serves children from approximately three to five; a separate Barnabee Club provides care around the school day. Families can choose flexible attendance or term-time contracts, alongside provision across the year.

Rooms and Ages

Ladybird Room combines a sleeping room, quiet and messy areas, a snug for babies who are not yet walking, and access to two enclosed gardens, giving rest and active play separate spaces.

Barnabee Room, for approximately three- to five-year-olds, occupies the adjoining building, where a baking kitchen, outdoor classroom and a more structured routine support school preparation while children still help decide how their day unfolds.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning through communication, movement, relationships, early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. At Bishy Barnabees, children choose activities themselves and also join sessions led by adults, so the day combines their interests with opportunities to try something new.

Play dough, construction, role play and threading are among Ladybird Room's activities. Staff support exploration rather than directing every choice. In Barnabee Room, children help plan their time with the team, giving them a part in the decisions that organise their day.

In December 2022, adults built vocabulary through songs, stories and conversations, helping children practise unfamiliar words. Children used illustrations to tell familiar stories to friends. However, planning and resources needed to stretch learning further, especially during activities children chose themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

Two grassed spaces and a smaller tarmac area provide different surfaces for outdoor play. Mud kitchens, sand pits and outdoor classrooms sit alongside ride-on toys, slides and seesaws. Children go outside in different weather conditions; protective clothing is supplied, while families provide wellies.

Animal visits add another strand. Giant African land snails visit regularly, and children learn how to handle and care for them; a trained therapy dog also visits, with opportunities to learn how to behave around a dog. Fire-service, police and dentist visits take place at intervals through the year, bringing people with recognisable roles into the nursery day.

Relationships and Communication

A key person uses family knowledge of a child's interests and needs to plan learning. The initial settling contact may be a different practitioner; the eventual key person follows the relationship the child develops.

Settling sessions increase gradually, with the approach agreed between parents and staff. They are charged at the child's usual hourly rate. The nursery recommends attendance on more than one day each week to help relationships develop, but this is advice rather than a compulsory minimum booking.

The Day in the Life Of… form gathers babies' sleep, food and daily routines. Staff aim to follow these patterns and discuss necessary changes with parents.

The FAMLY APP shares the child's learning record, photographs and observations, with access supplied before starting. A new-parent consultation around four to six weeks gives families a scheduled opportunity to discuss settling.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that staff worked successfully with other professionals to support children with SEND and their progress. Those are dated findings; the practical support arrangements include a SENCO role, written support plans, discussions with parents and review of the child's needs.

SEND support involves health visitors, occupational therapists, portage and speech and language therapists where appropriate. Parents agree what information is shared during room or school transitions.

In December 2022, children with SEND could have extra transition time, while families could discuss concerns and visit the next room together.

A chef prepares meals on site, and fruit or vegetable snacks carry no individual charge. Younger children have a dedicated sleeping room within Ladybird Room, keeping rest separate from its messy and active play areas.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 46 South Green, Mattishall, Dereham, NR20 3JY; the contact address also uses South Green Park. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01362 850947 or through the contact form.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates for 51 weeks of the year, with a one-week closure between Christmas and New Year and closures on bank holidays. Those breaks matter for families arranging care throughout the working year.

Flexible attendance has no minimum session length, with sessions capped at 10 hours. Term-time contracts are offered to all children. A holiday retainer applies to term-time attendance beyond government-funded entitlement, excluding Barnabee Clubbers.

Barnabee Club operates before school from 8am to 9am and after school from 3pm to 6pm, with collection from Mattishall Primary School. It provides a practical option for families combining nursery care with the school day of an older child. This is a transport arrangement, not an admissions advantage.

School preparation in Barnabee Room includes a more structured routine, while local schools visit around transition time. SEND information can be passed to the receiving school with parental agreement, helping the next setting understand the support already in place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15- or 30-hour places, with provision for qualifying two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds. Private care is also offered where funding does not cover attendance. Eligibility conditions apply; HMRC validation documentation is required for two-year funding.

Breakfast, lunch and tea are charged separately, and families may supply a packed lunch; the additional-service charge also contributes towards snacks. That service charge applies to both funded and non-funded children, using different charging structures, and contributes towards bathroom supplies, activities, celebrations and access to the FAMLY APP.

For funded hours, food and consumables, including nappies, wipes, creams and sun cream, are covered by separate additional-service terms. Parents supply formula milk.

Families are automatically opted into additional services unless they advise otherwise on the admissions form. Opting out requires supplying listed items and may change attendance days around enhanced activities.

Joining involves a deposit with a non-refundable administration component; the remaining balance is held until attendance ends and fees have been settled. Cancellation or a reduction in sessions requires one month's written notice, with fees still payable during that period. Fees also remain payable during holidays and short absences. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Babies within Ladybird Room. A sleeping room and snug for babies who are not yet walking sit within the younger children's room. During a visit, ask how staff organise these spaces around your baby's routine.
• Stretch within child-chosen play. In December 2022, planning and resources needed to give children more demanding next steps, especially during activities they selected themselves. Ask to see how a familiar activity is extended for a child who has already mastered it.
• The additional-service choice. Funded and private attendance both carry an additional-service arrangement, with automatic inclusion unless families opt out; opting out may affect attendance days. Have the nursery explain the implications for your proposed pattern before agreeing the contract.
• Settling and commitment. Settling sessions are paid, attendance on more than one day is recommended, and reducing sessions requires a month's written notice. Discuss a gradual start that fits your child's experience and your family's intended timetable.

Bishy Barnabees suits families seeking flexible hours or term-time attendance, as well as those combining nursery care with before- and after-school provision. Its physical arrangements have clear purposes: younger children can rest separately, preschool children have a baking kitchen, and both stages have substantial outdoor resources.

The December 2022 Good judgement sits alongside a need for greater challenge in child-chosen play. Ladybird Room's broad age group and the additional-service terms are the main considerations for families weighing the spaces, settling arrangements and communication.