Running Rabbits Day Nursery

A garden with a mud kitchen, tipi dens and space to grow vegetables gives Running Rabbits Day Nursery its countryside character. Outdoor play runs through the offer, from a dedicated Baby Garden to gardening that connects planting with food. For parents who want nature to be part of an ordinary nursery day, rather than an occasional outing, this is the central attraction.

Based in Singleborough, Milton Keynes, MK17 0RF, the nursery has 61 places in total and accepts babies from three months, with rooms continuing through to school age. At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding arrangements effective. The practical offer includes full days and separate morning and afternoon sessions.

Rooms and Ages

Five age-banded rooms make the progression through nursery explicit. Babies Room, for three to 15 months, combines accessible play with an adjacent cot room and its own kitchenette, allowing sleep and bottle preparation to sit alongside the youngest children's changing routines.

Upper Babies Room, for 15 to 24 months, emphasises growing independence, turn-taking and movement, with messy play and garden time supporting children as their walking becomes more confident.

Toddlers Room, for 24 to 30 months, introduces more structure through activities tailored to individual development, while its own bathroom accommodates different stages of toilet training.

Upper Toddlers Room, for 30 to 36 months, gives greater attention to communication, concentration and mark making, with a changing unit and direct bathroom access supporting practical independence.

Pre-school Room, from 36 months to school age, combines increasingly structured routines with resources children can choose for themselves and a dedicated decking area that extends play outdoors.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for play-based learning, combining adult-led experiences with children's own activities. Planning follows their interests and next steps. The added emphasis on nature, nutrition and environmental awareness makes the garden a place to explore living things as well as play.

Every unit has weekly Sensory Room sessions. Bubble tubes, gentle lighting and tactile materials provide calmer exploration; a wooden light table supports early writing, patterns and fine motor activities.

In December 2023, staff used stories, songs and conversation to extend children's language, allowing time for them to listen and respond. Hand painting brought texture into that learning too: children explored how paint felt and drew adults into their play. These examples show how everyday activities can carry language and sensory learning together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden includes climbing frames, a construction area and an allotment as well as the mud kitchen. Children go outside at least twice each day, and separate sections allow age groups either to play together or use their own spaces. The gated Baby Garden has shade from trees and resources selected around babies' developmental needs, giving the youngest children an outdoor area planned for their stage.

Gardening has earned a Level 4 RHS – School Gardening Award, recognising the use of growing activities within the curriculum. Children plant, dig and use produce grown on site, making the connection between cultivation and food tangible. The Daily Mile is another strand: a scheme intended to support children's health and wellbeing through outdoor activity, with updates shared through Famly. Its stated aims should be read as aims, rather than measured outcomes for individual children.

Relationships and Communication

Settling sessions normally precede the start date. First comes one hour with a parent, usually 10am to 11am, followed by three hours apart, usually 10am to 1pm, including lunch. Children experience both their room and a mealtime before regular attendance.

Each child receives a key person who acts as the family's main staff contact and follows learning through observations and assessments. Famly brings those observations together with accident notes, invoices and a daily diary covering food intake and personal care. The practical value is continuity: parents have both a named role to speak to and a record of the child's day, rather than relying on a hurried conversation alone.

In December 2023, children had close staff relationships and understood routines such as tidying before snacks. Adults used consistent expectations and guidance when children struggled to manage their behaviour.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Sleep and feeding have specific arrangements in the baby provision. The cot room sits apart from the main room across the hall, while the kitchenette supports preparation of bottles and food as needed. Menus can be adapted during weaning to meet individual feeding needs.

An in-house chef prepares food from scratch, including plant-based dishes, and the nursery accommodates dietary requirements, including allergies. It also adapts food for individual weaning needs.

School preparation becomes more explicit in preschool. Children take books home in their own bookbags, and half-termly Learning Challenges connect activities at nursery with family involvement. Alongside choosing resources independently and following a more structured routine, these give parents practical ways to take part in the transition towards school.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. Full-day bookings cover that window; morning sessions run from 7.30am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Families can combine the patterns, but attendance must amount to at least four sessions or the equivalent of two full days each week.

Booked days and sessions form a fixed ongoing pattern. Changes require agreement with the manager and depend on availability; additional ad hoc sessions depend on availability and must be booked with the manager in advance. This is therefore a regular attendance model with scope for agreed extras, rather than a booking arrangement that changes freely from week to week.

The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and for a week over Christmas into New Year. The Christmas dates are confirmed annually, which matters when coordinating leave or alternative care.

Getting There

The address is Running Rabbits Day Nursery, Singleborough, Milton Keynes, MK17 0RF. There is ample car parking, a useful practical feature for families bringing children to this countryside setting.

Applications use a form that records preferred sessions and a start date. After an application is reviewed and a nursery booking confirmed, a non-refundable deposit is required. Enquiries use the telephone or contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 9 month old funding and provision for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. Private childcare is also offered. Eligibility conditions apply to funded places.

Meals and non-food consumables are charged through an optional package. It covers snacks and freshly prepared food alongside nappies, wipes, sun cream and other daily essentials; charges depend on attendance and are itemised on invoices. Parents can decline the package and supply alternatives that comply with nursery policies. This choice is separate from the childcare booking itself and is useful to consider alongside the child's dietary and care needs.

Fees are invoiced a month ahead and payment is due by the first day of that month. That advance payment timetable is another practical consideration when planning the start of childcare.

• Regular attendance. The minimum is four sessions or the equivalent of two full days weekly, with a fixed pattern thereafter. A show round is the place to discuss how a combination of mornings, afternoons or full days would fit your child's routine.
• Learning and staff development. In December 2023, improvement priorities were stronger mathematics support and more consistent coaching and study support for staff working towards qualifications. Ask how those priorities now shape activities and staff support.
• Food and everyday supplies. Meals, snacks, nappies, wipes and sun cream form an optional, separately charged package. Families managing allergies should confirm current dietary arrangements and discuss the package's suitability for their child.
• The youngest children's day. Babies have a cot room, kitchenette and their own outdoor space. During a visit, discuss how sleeping, feeding and movement between these spaces would work for your child.

Running Rabbits suits families who value daily outdoor play, gardening and care adapted from babyhood to preschool. The Baby Garden and separate cot room give the youngest children spaces of their own.

Full days, mornings and afternoons can be combined within the weekly minimum. Fixed bookings and advance payments need to fit family routines. The December 2023 Good judgement sits alongside specific improvement priorities in mathematics and staff development.