Boomerang Kids

A converted barn, the Bear Garden and Little Explorors' outdoor adventures give Boomerang Kids a character rooted in Saltdean's surroundings. Its Little Explorers programme uses forest school and outdoor learning principles, combining exploration, physical challenges and practical tasks. Children make natural art, learn about wildlife and venture to the park and beach. Outdoor learning has a concrete place in the week here.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Boomerang Kids Outstanding and judged safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 81 children aged from birth to five, at Saltdean Barn in Saltdean Oval Park. That whole-setting total should be kept separate from the size of an individual group.

The Barn and Lower Annexe accommodate preschool groups, while the Upper Annexe houses the under-twos. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit alongside school-day arrangements, with both year-round and term-time care offered. The practical choice is broader than a single long day.

Rooms and Ages

The Upper Annexe is home to the Bunnies, the under-two group; The Barn accommodates Squirrels and Foxes, while Owls and Hedgehogs use the Lower Annexe. These names give families a useful way to understand the organisation of the nursery, rather than treating its total capacity as the size of a child's immediate setting.

Preschool uses family-style groups mixing children aged two, three and four. Each group has at least two key persons. This arrangement gives parents regular adults to speak to and children familiar people within their group. It also brings different ages together, rather than dividing every preschool year into a separate cohort.

The daily routine makes room for rest as well as activity. Babies have lunch at noon, followed by a nap and afternoon activities from 1pm. For preschool children, the period from 12.45pm to 2.30pm accommodates younger children's naps while older children take part in activities. A timetable provides structure, but these are different parts of the day for children at different stages.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supplies the learning framework: children develop communication, physical skills and social understanding, then build towards literacy, mathematics, knowledge of the world and creative expression. Here, individual interests help shape activities, with free play and more structured experiences both included. Development Matters guides planning, and learning is broken into achievable steps.

Seasonal planning adds a recognisable thread. Community visits give children opportunities to notice changes over the year, while indoor classrooms and outdoor experiences support learning and independence. The curriculum page also sets out how progress is discussed with parents, connecting the activities children do with the next steps staff plan for them.

In July 2025, staff used signs and visual prompts to help children express their needs, and incorporated speech and language work into planned activities. A throwing game gave children different challenges according to their capabilities. Older children encouraged younger participants. The useful detail is the adjustment of the task, rather than expecting everyone to achieve the same thing in the same way.

Another July 2025 example involved hammering golf tees into cardboard. When children struggled, adults used questions to help them work out a solution. Staff stayed close enough to support the activity while leaving children room to persist. That is a practical illustration of independence: trying, thinking and having another go.

Outdoor and Community Life

Little Explorers is for children aged three and over and runs as weekly sessions across six weeks, with a set attendance day and a certificate at the end. In the Bear Garden, activities include tree climbing, natural art and discovering birds, plants and insects. Park and beach trips extend the experience beyond the nursery grounds.

Practical jobs belong to the programme too. Washing up after breakfast and litter picking in the park connect independence with looking after shared spaces. Waterproof clothing and suitable footwear are part of the preparation; shelter and indoor alternatives are used in extreme weather. Families should expect an outdoor programme that needs appropriate clothing.

The back garden has areas for bikes, climbing, a mud kitchen and loose-parts play. In July 2025, community experiences included shopping for snack ingredients, handling money and preparing food for other children, alongside regular visits to libraries and residential care homes. These activities gave children reasons to communicate and participate in everyday life beyond their own group.

Relationships and Communication

Family grouping is supported by at least two key persons in each group. The child's group is allocated when they join, making the relationship with familiar adults part of the organisation of care. Parents therefore have regular contacts for conversations about their child's day and development.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, carries observations, photographs and videos from key people. Parents can contribute information from home as well as view nursery updates. This two-way exchange matters when a new interest, achievement or change in routine begins outside the nursery and needs to be understood by staff.

Two detailed spotlight reports each year cover children's development and provide a basis for discussion with parents. These sit alongside the longer observations in Tapestry. The combination gives families both individual examples and a broader account of progress, rather than relying entirely on brief daily exchanges.

For babies, the settling sequence comprises an introductory video call and two visits in person. A booklet for use at home helps children become familiar with nursery and links home with the settling period. Versions are offered in English, French, German, Italian, Persian, Polish and Spanish, giving some families a choice of language for that preparation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found SEND support highly effective, with individually planned provision involving outside professionals and adaptations to activities and spaces. This included making outdoor learning accessible to children who preferred it. The finding concerns how support worked in practice, rather than simply the existence of a policy.

In July 2025, room transitions were planned months ahead. Dentists visited, and staff helped children learn to care for their teeth, including brushing. Leaders also worked alongside practitioners as mentors, while relevant training informed activity planning. These observations connect preparation, staff development and everyday care.

Vegetarian food is made on site by the nursery team and cook. Baby meals are included in the fee; preschool morning attendance requires a packed lunch, snacks and drinks are included, and the Tea session includes a cooked meal.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Saltdean Barn, Saltdean Oval Park, Arundel Drive West, Saltdean, Brighton, BN2 8SJ. Nursery opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery operates five days a week across 51 weeks, closing for bank holidays, a Christmas week and two staff-training days each year.

A full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning attendance is 9am to 1pm, the afternoon session is 1pm to 3.30pm, and Tea runs from 3.30pm to 6pm. Early Breakfast covers 7.30am to 8am, followed by Breakfast from 8am to 9am. The baby routine also identifies a school-day pattern starting at 8am and ending at 3.30pm.

Both all-year-round and term-time-only care are offered. The waiting-list rule gives priority to families seeking year-round attendance, a material consideration for parents who need care only during terms. Childcare sessions and additional hours must be booked ahead. Changes to sessions require one month's notice; sickness and family holidays are charged, while bank holidays and staff-training closure days are not.

Applications use a form, with enquiries handled by telephone, email or the contact form. Visits can be arranged through the office. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 and 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds, plus funding for eligible two-year-olds and nine-month-olds. Entitlement can be stretched across the year and shared between settings. The nursery also accepts Tax Free Childcare payments. Eligibility conditions still apply; participation in a funding scheme does not make every family's attendance pattern funded.

Meals vary by age and session, as described above. Parents supply formula milk for babies, and nappies and nappy cream for children who use them. Those supplies therefore remain part of the family's preparation for attendance. The fees page sets out booking and charge terms.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes its breakfast and after-school clubs as partnered with Saltdean Primary School, with an escorted walking bus between the settings. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 9am, with arrival required by 8am; After School Club runs from 3pm to 6pm and includes a cooked vegetarian tea. Both clubs operate during term time only. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time plans. Boomerang Kids prioritises year-round nursery bookings on its own waiting list. If term-only attendance is essential, discuss how that rule applies to your proposed booking during a visit.
• Your child's group. Preschool mixes ages two to four, and the Bunnies use the Upper Annexe. Ask to see your child's likely room and discuss its usual group size and daily organisation.
• Outdoor preparation. Little Explorers involves tree climbing and trips to the park and beach. Discuss the allocated session day and clothing requirements before planning attendance around the programme.
• Food and supplies. Baby meals are included, while preschool morning attendance needs a packed lunch; families provide formula, nappies and nappy cream where needed. For allergies, confirm current food-handling arrangements and how your child's requirements will be managed.

Boomerang Kids suits families who value practical outdoor learning, mixed-age preschool groups and regular communication through key persons and Tapestry. The Bear Garden and Little Explorers give that educational character substance, while the July 2025 Outstanding judgement provides a clear inspection position.

Its attendance patterns serve parents needing morning or afternoon sessions as well as school-day and full-day care. The strongest practical qualification is the priority given to year-round bookings. Families seeking term-time-only attendance should weigh that rule alongside the outdoor programme, meal arrangements and their child's likely group.