Banana Moon Day Nursery Stoke Poges

A Library, Indoor Soft Play and dedicated sleep room give Banana Moon Day Nursery Stoke Poges a character that extends beyond its age-group rooms. At Chiltern House on Bells Hill, children have spaces for books, movement and rest, alongside a secure playground and natural adventure area. That variety is the practical attraction: the building allows different parts of the day to happen in different surroundings.

The nursery accepts children from three months to five years and has 84 places in total. At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, while requiring clearer communication with parents about learning and stronger support for reading at home. Those improvement points matter alongside the grade.

Full-day and half-day attendance sit alongside funded-only term-time sessions for children aged three and over. For babies, the strongest current details are more personal: a key person from the start, individual routine planning and free settling sessions.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Moons takes children from three months until they become confidently mobile, with sensory exploration through textures, colours and shapes. Progression to Teenie Moons follows confident mobility rather than a single birthday; this stage runs up to age two and includes singing, painting and messy play.

Mini Moons covers ages two to three, emphasising activity choices, independence and support with potty training. Full Moons serves children from three to five, combining play chosen by the children with individual learning tracked by their key person.

These stages give parents a useful picture of progression. The younger stages centre on exploration and familiar routines; the older stages put more responsibility into children's hands. In Mini Moons, bringing spare clothing supports practical toilet training, while Full Moons gives children opportunities to choose what they do. Independence is built into ordinary activities rather than reserved for the final weeks before school.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play, observation and next steps shaping their day. Alongside it, the group-wide Banana Moon Early Learning & Development Programme uses children's interests as the starting point for activities and the learning environment. Open-ended resources, close observation and exchanges with parents are concrete parts of that approach. The programme sits alongside EYFS requirements.

The curriculum page explains this emphasis on following children's fascinations. For families, the useful distinction is between a fixed sequence of activities and planning that responds to what a child is exploring. Here, the stated approach allows practitioners to build from that interest while tracking development.

In November 2022, children searched the building for shapes, compared their discoveries with dough models and practised drawing on an interactive whiteboard. Mathematical language was connected to objects they could handle and recognise. Sensory dough play also became imaginative play when children made an octopus. These examples show how a familiar material can support several kinds of learning in the same activity.

Current facilities include interactive screens, while additional spaces include Sensory, ICT and Loose Parts rooms. They give the nursery more than one setting for exploration. The Library adds a place for books, and Indoor Soft Play provides another space for movement.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children go outdoors daily across the year, using the playground and natural adventure area for exercise and play. That makes outdoor time a regular part of attendance rather than an occasional event. Seasonal changes also give children something different to notice even when they use familiar surroundings.

Wild Fangs visits monthly, with a recent visit centred on snakes. This brings an animal encounter into nursery life and gives families a recognisable recurring activity alongside the everyday play programme. It is a concrete addition, with a stated frequency.

In November 2022, visiting organisations provided Spanish and science activities, as well as encounters with animals and insects. These are dated examples of enrichment, rather than a promise about today's timetable. During that period, children also used the library and sports hall, alongside spaces for dining and sensory play, practising movement between different parts of the building.

Relationships and Communication

Every baby has a dedicated key person, and staff gather information about sleep, feeding, weaning and comforters. A personalised routine plan gives those conversations a practical purpose: care can start from the baby's familiar habits. Home routines are followed wherever possible, keeping that important qualification clear.

Free settling sessions and flexible start dates give families room to prepare for the change. The settling policy also allows arrangements to be adapted to the individual child. For a baby beginning nursery, this is a more useful detail than a broad promise about feeling settled: parents can share the routines and preferences that staff will work with.

The Parent App carries photographs and daily updates, including information about sleep, snacks and learning. Personal learning journals support development tracking and next steps, while families can send comments from home. It provides a channel in both directions, allowing parents to contribute rather than only receive updates.

In November 2022, communication was uneven: some parents wanted a clearer account of their child's day and how learning was organised. Support for extending children's interest in books at home also needed development. The current app's functions are useful, but the quality of the information shared remains the point for families to explore.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A separate sleep room has gently lit surroundings and wooden cots, with individual bed linen washed on site. Staff make regular checks alongside CCTV monitoring and aim to follow established sleep routines. Separating sleep from active play gives babies a dedicated place to rest.

An in-house chef cooks meals on site, with two hot meals each day, snacks, a separate weaning menu and menus that change frequently. The nursery's dietary policy covers allergies and individual requirements.

Fingerprint access controls entry, and people who are not enrolled on the access system wait for staff admission. CCTV operates around the nursery. These are specific arrangements parents can understand; their presence does not replace the dated safeguarding judgement.

The group-wide Little hearts, bright futures initiative has brought a CardiAid defibrillator to reception, accessible to the local community. Under the group-wide Big moments, bright futures initiative, a LifeVac anti-choking device is also installed there. These are equipment provisions, alongside attention to food preparation and supervision at meals.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Chiltern House, Bells Hill, Stoke Poges, SL2 4EG. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas.

Attendance patterns include full days and half days, with one-off day and half-day bookings also priced. The recommendation is at least one full day or two half-day sessions per week; this is a recommendation rather than a compulsory minimum. It gives parents a starting point for considering how regularly their child will attend.

Since September 2026, funded-only term-time sessions have also formed part of the offer for children aged three and over. This is a separate option from attendance across the year and matters for families whose childcare needs follow term dates.

Enquiries can be made through the callback form, by telephone on 01753 648927 or by email at info@bananamoon-stokepoges.co.uk. Fees remain payable during a child's sickness or holiday absence, and the payment terms cover 51 weeks, including bank holidays. Families therefore need to budget around the booked pattern, rather than only the days actually attended.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are both offered. The funding schedule includes stretched allocations of 11 Hours and 22 Hours, alongside the funded-only term-time option for children aged three and over. These arrangements serve different attendance needs; the age condition belongs specifically to the term-time offer.

Meals are included in non-funded day rates. On funded attendance, nursery meals are an optional separate charge, with a packed-lunch policy available on request. That distinction matters when comparing the total cost of attendance. A registration charge also applies.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The fees page provides the route to its fee information and callback form.

• Communication and reading. November 2022 improvement points concerned the information parents received and support for reading at home. During a visit, explore an example learning journal and how staff turn nursery interests into useful ideas for home.
• The baby's daily arrangements. A key person, personalised routines and free settling sessions are tangible parts of the offer. Use the baby-room tour to discuss the group your child would join and how routines work during a busy day.
• Attendance and payment. Full days, half days and funded-only term-time sessions serve different needs, while sickness and holiday absences remain payable. Have the written quotation distinguish the chosen pattern, funding allocation, registration charge and meal choice.
• Dietary needs. On-site cooking and a separate weaning menu support different stages of eating. Families managing allergies should confirm food handling, substitutions and the packed-lunch arrangements with the team.

Banana Moon Day Nursery Stoke Poges suits families seeking either full-day or half-day attendance, with a further term-time funded-only option for children aged three and over. Its appeal is concrete: separate spaces for play and rest, monthly Wild Fangs visits, and baby care organised around a key person and familiar routines.

The November 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality assessment. Clear daily communication and help with reading at home remain sensible points to explore. Varied surroundings and a personalised start for babies are its strongest practical attractions.