Charley Barley's Nursery

Six babies in the Teddy Bear Room, a private garden and a gradual progression through four bear-named rooms give Charley Barley's Nursery a recognisable character. This independent, family-run nursery occupies a double-fronted property at Fiveways in Brighton, with rooms arranged over two floors. Its current age range is 3 to 60 months. The youngest room's small published capacity is a useful starting point for families comparing baby care.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 28 August 2024. The detail behind that judgement includes carefully planned learning, support for children's emotions and practical links between home and nursery. These are more useful indicators than the grade alone: they show how teaching and relationships worked together at that visit.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings are offered, with early and late additions. The main practical distinction is between full-price attendance and two funded packages, which make different arrangements for food, toiletries and additional activities.

Rooms and Ages

The Teddy Bear Room accommodates six babies and emphasises movement, early communication and emotional development, with individual routines informing their care. Moving on is linked to readiness at around 15 or 16 months rather than a birthday alone. The next room is on the same floor, so the change introduces a new stage within familiar surroundings.

Panda Bear Room, for the Teenies, takes children from around 15 or 16 months to two and a half years, with capacity for 15; its emphasis is on early language, social interaction and learning to play alongside others. Practitioners model play close to the children, and parents receive suggestions for continuing that learning at home. This is a stage for developing confidence with other children while familiar adults remain nearby.

From two and a half years, Fuzzy Bear Room supports learning through children's interests, with freely accessible garden space and choices about when to eat a snack or continue playing. That arrangement gives toddlers some control over their day. They remain in this stage until the September before their move to school.

Polar Bear Room is the preschool stage, beginning in that September, where children's interests and parents' monthly contributions inform preparation for school. Parents share what their child enjoys, understands and feels confident doing at home. Those contributions give the key person practical information to use in planning, rather than treating home and nursery learning as separate.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: here, children develop communication, movement and relationships through play, conversation and planned activities. It is the shared foundation for early years provision, rather than an extra programme. The nursery builds its day around both children's choices and adult-led experiences.

The baby timetable includes messy play, songs, time in the garden and a midday sleep period. Preschool children have stories, music and dance, group activities and opportunities to choose their own play. These routines offer different ways to participate: a child can explore independently, listen with others or join a planned activity.

In August 2024, language learning was visible in ordinary play and mealtimes. Babies practised words during a pretend picnic, older babies named the food they wanted, and preschool children used shopping vocabulary in imaginative play. Practitioners extended conversations with questions about events and feelings. The practical value is that vocabulary was being used for real purposes, including making a request and explaining an idea.

Outdoor and Community Life

Both the toddler and preschool stages have outdoor access through their own free-flow areas, alongside the nursery's private garden. For the younger children, the timetable also makes space for garden play. Outdoor experience therefore sits within the day rather than being confined to an occasional outing.

The Enrichment Package adds cookery, outings and visiting sessions. Children may prepare food or taste dishes from different cultures; listed destinations include the I360, the beach, libraries, woods and a museum. Yoga and Debutots sessions are also included, with Debutots offered to toddlers and preschool children. These additions belong to that package, which matters when comparing funded attendance options.

In August 2024, children also visited older people at a care home regularly and had taken donations to a nearby homeless shelter. Preschool children checked the garden for possible hazards each day and passed their findings to staff. These examples gave children concrete ways to think about other people's needs and take responsibility within their own surroundings.

Relationships and Communication

A home visit and the first two settling sessions are offered without charge where those sessions can be arranged; further settling sessions carry a charge. The key person relationship continues beyond settling, with individual routines shaping baby care and parents contributing to learning plans as children grow. This gives families an active role in explaining what helps their child feel comfortable and engaged.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, holds photographs, observations and comments about children's experiences. Parents can contribute their own photographs and responses, making it a two-way record. The funded packages differ in detail: Enrichment includes updates, observations and baby care diaries, while EYFE-Only includes one observation each week.

In August 2024, learning bags provided activities and games for families to use at home, including counting and early writing. Lucy Bear linked children's home experiences with nursery life. Workshops, meetings and social occasions offered other ways for parents to take part. These were practical connections, with something for families to do together rather than simply progress information to read.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, strong support for emotional development and rapid progress for children with SEND, with specialist help obtained when needed. Current staff roles include SENCO responsibilities and a safeguarding officer, alongside paediatric first-aid training.

In August 2024, stories and visual reminders helped children recognise feelings, while older children practised ways to become calmer with adult support. Babies sought comfort from their key persons and practised everyday tasks such as finding shoes and washing hands. Emotional support and growing independence were connected in these small routines.

An onsite chef prepares meals daily, with individual dietary requirements catered for. The meal service includes breakfast, lunch or tea according to attendance, plus snacks, so food arrangements need to be considered alongside the chosen session and funding package.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 120 Stanford Avenue, Brighton BN1 6FE. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, normally from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks annually, closing on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, and there is an online registration form.

Full days run from 8am to 6pm, mornings from 8am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Early attendance runs from 7.15am to 8am; the late addition runs from 6pm to 6.45pm. A minimum of two sessions each week applies, giving the key person repeated opportunities to work with the child.

EYFE-Only has its own booking arrangements. The universal entitlement can be taken through a Monday or Friday full day plus a half-day session, or Monday and Friday afternoons plus another half day, subject to the nursery's allocation of days. For the extended entitlement, the funded-only afternoon pattern runs from 1.15pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with up to five sessions each week, subject to availability.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Free Entitlement (EYFE) is offered for eligible children from nine months, some two-year-olds receiving benefits-based support, and all three- and four-year-olds. The universal and extended entitlements provide up to 15 and 30 hours respectively over 38 weeks; the nursery stretches funding across 47.5 weeks, giving a maximum of 12 or 24 funded hours each week. EYFE-Only attendance excludes two weeks at Christmas and two weeks in August.

There are two voluntary funding options. Enrichment combines funded learning with charged additions covering food, consumables and enhanced activities. EYFE-Only covers core care and learning: parents supply toiletries, including nappies, wipes and sun cream. Families bring meals from home or pay separately for the complete meal service. Food brought from home must need neither refrigeration nor heating, and forgotten consumables attract an emergency charge; trips can be added for a separate charge.

Full-price sessions include their specified meals and snacks, while milk, nappies, sensitive wipes, nappy cream, a toothbrush and sunscreen are included in full-price fees. This differs from the funded-only arrangement. The funding information explains the package choices, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Ordinary bookings have a one-off registration charge and a deposit, returned through the final invoice after attendance has begun and the required notice has been given. EYFE-Only has a separate deposit arrangement, with repayment in the month following the start date. One month's notice is required before leaving; invoices are issued monthly in advance, sickness absence remains payable and bank holidays cannot be exchanged for another day. Childcare charges are spread across 50 weeks, with funding and private hours averaged through monthly invoices.

• The baby-room move. Teddy Bear Room has capacity for six, and the move to Panda Bear Room depends on readiness around 15 or 16 months. During a visit, discuss how familiar adults and individual routines continue through that change.
• The funded package. EYFE-Only requires toiletries from home and parent-supplied food unless families purchase the meal service. Enhanced activities are excluded; trips can be added for a separate charge. Compare its attendance calendar and practical requirements with Enrichment before choosing.
• School-start planning. Attendance normally ends on 31 August in the year a child is due to start school unless parents give written instructions with the required notice. Later sessions are charged as extras, so plan the end date alongside the school's start arrangements.

Charley Barley's suits families seeking morning, afternoon or full-day care, with early and late additions for days that need them. The six-baby Teddy Bear Room, outdoor access for older children and parental contributions to planning give the offer practical substance. The August 2024 Outstanding judgement adds a strong dated assessment of teaching and care.

The funding decision deserves equal attention. Enrichment and EYFE-Only involve different food, equipment and activity arrangements, while the two-session minimum shapes attendance for every family. For parents comfortable with those terms, the nursery brings a small youngest room together with progressively more independent play and preparation for school.