Young Sussex Nursery, Brighton

A private deck for Bear Cubs, six play spaces for Tiger Cubs and a whole upper floor for Lion Cubs give this Dyke Road nursery a clear identity: different stages of childhood have different spaces. The youngest children also have a dedicated sleep room, while preschool children practise making choices for themselves. Those are useful differences for parents weighing how a baby’s day will change as they grow.

Young Sussex Nursery, Brighton takes children from birth to five and has 120 places in total. Despite its Brighton name, its address is in Hove. At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding and found safeguarding effective, with impressive progress for children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of a visit today.

Morning, afternoon, School Day and Full Day bookings sit alongside extended hours and term-time attendance. The practical choice is substantial, but the distinction between standard attendance and funding-only sessions matters just as much as the clock times.

Rooms and Ages

Bear Cubs have ground-floor accommodation with a private outdoor deck, sensory equipment, direct garden access and a dedicated sleep room beside a kitchen, with garden, quiet and messy-play rooms giving babies different settings for activity and rest.

Across six middle-floor play spaces, Tiger Cubs can explore materials, make things, pretend and spend time with friends, while sharing a garden divided into zones for different age groups.

Lion Cubs occupy the top floor, where clearly organised learning spaces and opportunities to choose activities support preschool children’s independence and preparation for school.

The whole-setting capacity is separate from the number of children sharing any one room.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and adult support help children build language, physical skills and independence. The room arrangements give that work different settings as children grow, rather than treating the nursery as one undifferentiated space.

In May 2022, toddlers investigated a bubble lamp and changing colours in illuminated balls, while garden play involved herbs and spices. The examples connected sensory exploration with conversation and experimentation. Children could investigate something tangible, then use words to describe what happened.

Books served more than one purpose in May 2022. Older children consulted them while playing with toy trains, connecting information with an existing interest; babies and toddlers shared picture books on sofas or an adult’s lap. Children also selected photographs, writing and creative work for their own display boards. Choosing what to show gave them a role in representing their learning, rather than leaving every display decision to adults.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area is arranged over several levels. Babies have their deck as well as access to the main garden, while toddlers share the larger outdoor space. That combination is worth weighing for families who want outdoor play close to the youngest children’s rooms, alongside space they can use as they grow.

In May 2022, additional funding had supported improvements outside to broaden play opportunities for children without gardens at home. This was a practical use of resources: outdoor provision addressed a difference in children’s experiences beyond nursery.

In May 2022, staff gave children time to consider a challenge before responding, and used commentary on their play to introduce vocabulary. With toddlers, adults redirected attention before frustration grew; older children were supported to work through disagreements themselves. The distinction matters because managing a toddler’s immediate emotions and helping a preschool child resolve a conflict call for different responses.

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that shared planning with parents supported children with SEND, and that children learning English as an additional language were exceptionally well supported, including through songs in their home languages. These were concrete approaches to inclusion, rather than a general promise that every child would settle in the same way.

Daily conversations and online communication connected home and nursery in May 2022. Parents contributed information about children’s interests, and staff used it in their work; families also received ideas and resources for learning at home. That two-way exchange matters more than updates alone, because a child’s experiences away from nursery can shape what happens during their next session.

In May 2022, the nursery employed 26 staff, with 20 holding an early years qualification at level 3 or above.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, across the year, closing for bank and public holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Morning runs from 8.15am to 1pm; Afternoon from 1pm to 5.30pm; School Day from 8.15am to 4pm; and Full Day from 8.15am to 5.30pm.

Early Start adds 7.45am to 8.15am, and Late Finish covers 5.30pm to 6pm. Brighton also has Sunrise from 7am to 8.15am and Sunset from 5.30pm to 7pm. These extensions make the distinction between opening hours and a core booking important: a Full Day session does not itself cover the entire opening window.

A minimum of two core sessions a week must be booked and maintained. Term-time attendance continues through half terms, with the option to swap those sessions; it is not offered for funding-only children. Leaving requires at least one month’s written notice. These conditions are worth building into a family’s plans before committing to a regular pattern.

Getting There

The address is 191-193 Dyke Road, Hove, BN3 1TL, on the corner of Highdown Road between Seven Dials and BHASVIC. Branch enquiries go to brighton@youngsussex.co.uk or 01273 736948.

Paid bays are on Dyke Road and Highdown Road; the off-street spaces are for staff, although parents may use them briefly when free. Brighton Train Station is a short 10 minute walk away down past Seven Dials.

Funding and Paid Extras

Brighton offers working-parent funding from the term after a qualifying child reaches nine months, universal funding from the term after a child’s third birthday, and early-learning funding for eligible two-year-olds. Funding can be spread across all-year attendance or term-time attendance, but funding-only sessions must be taken across the year. Eligibility and the nursery’s delivery pattern are separate questions.

Funding-only attendance uses Morning, Afternoon or Full Day sessions and cannot be mixed with standard sessions. Under standard attendance, funded hours are allocated within session limits and additional hours are charged; moving between the two arrangements ordinarily takes effect from the next term. This makes the booking category consequential, rather than simply a different label on the invoice.

Snacks are included without an additional charge, while cooked lunch is an optional paid extra, including on funded sessions. Nappies and sun cream are also included without an additional charge; meals or additional paid hours are not conditions of accessing funded hours.

A non-refundable registration charge applies except to funding-only children. Deposits have separate conditions: the standard deposit’s return depends on completing three months’ attendance, giving the required notice and settling outstanding charges; funding-only deposits follow different refund terms, with no deposit for disadvantaged two-year-old funding-only attendance. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Babies’ spaces. Bear Cubs have a sleep room, several play rooms and their own deck. During a visit, ask how staff organise supervision and movement between these spaces for your child’s stage of development.
• Funding and attendance. Term-time attendance and funding-only attendance are different arrangements and cannot be combined. Choose the category against your actual weekly pattern, including any early or late extensions.
• Parking. Paid street bays are the regular option, while off-street spaces are reserved for staff. Families driving to nursery should plan around that arrangement rather than rely on a dedicated parent space.

Young Sussex Nursery, Brighton suits families comparing morning or afternoon sessions with School Day or Full Day attendance, including those who need early and late extensions. Its strongest current physical features are the separate baby spaces, the zoned garden and the progression to independent choices in Lion Cubs. The Outstanding judgement from May 2022 adds a strong, dated inspection position. The main decision is how the room arrangements and attendance category fit your child and your working week.