Sunrise Nursery

A single classroom, direct access outdoors and a mud kitchen give Sunrise Nursery a clear identity: preschool learning with room for both busy play and quieter moments. Within the Broomfield Primary School complex in Chelmsford, it caters for children aged two to five and has capacity for 28 children. The classroom was purpose-built for preschool education. Its own washing facilities, practical activity areas and adjoining outdoor space make everyday independence part of the setting's design.

Ofsted rated Sunrise Nursery Good on 1 May 2024, finding effective safeguarding and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The strengths were concrete: confident conversation, children managing everyday tasks and staff working with families and other professionals. There were also two clear priorities for improvement: sharper learning aims in adult-led activities and better information for parents about children's development.

Attendance follows school terms, with shorter sessions and a longer session priced separately. That makes the nursery relevant to families planning preschool around a school-year routine, rather than assuming that every child needs the same length of day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework: children develop through play, conversation, practical exploration and experiences suited to their stage of development. Sunrise's approach places active learning within that framework. Trying equipment, testing ideas and working alongside other children are ways to practise persistence and cooperation, rather than activities added simply to fill the day.

The main classroom divides those experiences into recognisable areas. Drawing and writing materials support early mark-making; blocks and small-world toys invite children to build and invent; practical maths equipment gives them objects to handle as they explore mathematical ideas. A science area encourages investigation and observation. This gives children different ways to pursue an interest, from constructing something to testing how it works.

Creative work includes clay, paint, dough and collage materials. Role play provides another route into expression, allowing children to invent situations and explore feelings through pretend play. Mess is expected here: aprons are supplied, but families are advised to choose clothes that can tolerate paint and glue. Nursery clothing is available to buy, although wearing it is a choice.

In May 2024, children were confident enough to explain a card game's rules and describe their discoveries outdoors. Staff extended conversations and repeated words sensitively so children could hear their pronunciation. Those examples show how language practice fitted into play, rather than being confined to a separate activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Immediate outdoor access connects the classroom with a fenced play space. A separate section for wheeled toys gives moving play its own space, while the mud kitchen, water and sand activities support experimenting and imagination. Gardening and a play house add different reasons to spend time outside. For children who enjoy learning through movement and handling materials, this is a substantial part of the offer.

In May 2024, outdoor play included pedalling ride-on cars, balancing on tyres and practising ball skills. Children also investigated a slug and used muddy puddles in their play. These are useful examples of physical activity and curiosity happening together. They describe the nursery day at that time, rather than a fixed activity timetable.

A quieter option sits indoors. Comfortable seating, books and a listening station occupy a sensory area away from the busier classroom activities. Children can pause, look at a book or rest. That matters in a shared classroom where children will not all want the same pace throughout the session.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with an induction lasting around an hour. Parents can remain with their child or step away briefly, according to their judgement; further induction sessions can be arranged when a child needs them. The approach allows the first separation to be gradual, rather than treating the same starting routine as suitable for everyone.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to share written observations, photographs and videos with families. Parents can respond and contribute observations from home, giving staff another view of a child's interests and development. Access is restricted to authorised users. The practical value is a two-way record of learning, rather than simply a collection of nursery photographs.

In May 2024, the online updates covered children's experiences, but information about developmental progress reached parents inconsistently. Improving that distinction was an action point: knowing what a child enjoyed is useful, while knowing their next learning step helps families extend it at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked closely with parents and external professionals, using additional funding effectively to address individual needs. This provides a specific account of support in practice: coordinated help and resources directed towards the child, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Everyday independence also featured in May 2024. Children managed their coats and shoes, poured drinks and washed their hands before eating. These small tasks give preschool children repeated opportunities to do things for themselves. Current classroom facilities include children's toilets and wash basins, keeping those routines close to their activities.

Before starting, families complete an allergy questionnaire; lunch can be brought from home or bought separately as a hot meal prepared in the school kitchen. Sunrise publishes a nut-free policy and provides fruit and vegetable snacks during the day.

Parents supply nappies when needed, a change of clothes and a labelled water bottle. Sun cream should be applied before attendance. Following vomiting or diarrhoea, children must remain away for 48 hours, a practical rule to include in family childcare planning.

Sessions and Attendance

Sunrise Nursery is at Broomfield Primary School, School Lane, Broomfield, Chelmsford, CM1 7DN. It opens Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 3.30pm, during school terms and closes for school holidays. The attendance options are three-hour, four-hour and seven-hour sessions. Families can therefore choose between a shorter preschool session and the longer session, rather than treating the opening window as the only booking option.

Days cannot be swapped during a term. Fees are payable in advance, and absence does not trigger a refund; charges also continue during unforeseen closures. Leaving requires one term's notice. These terms matter when choosing an attendance pattern, especially if work commitments change from week to week. A registration charge applies, with a book bag supplied alongside it.

Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form. Collections are restricted to authorised adults, and staff must be told when another adult will collect a child. A child cannot collect a nursery child.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours each week across 38 weeks for children eligible from the term following their third birthday. Eligible working parents may qualify for an additional 15 hours, subject to earnings, while two-year-old funding is offered to families receiving financial assistance. Private childcare sessions are also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page explains the charge structure.

For funded children, Sunrise requests a voluntary additional contribution towards snacks, drinks, educational materials and the Christmas party and entertainment. It also helps cover extra opening weeks outside the funded allocation. There is no additional consumables charge, although families supply their child's nappies. Lunch is separate from the funded entitlement: a hot meal costs extra, or parents provide a packed lunch. This distinction helps families compare the attendance cost with what they will need to send from home.

Sunrise describes strong links with Broomfield Primary School to support the move into primary education. Being on the school site and attending the nursery do not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The relationship concerns transition, rather than an admissions entitlement.

• Learning aims and progress updates. In May 2024, adult-led activities needed more precise learning goals, and parents needed clearer developmental information. During a visit, ask how these goals now shape activities and how Tapestry communicates the next steps for your child.
• A school-term attendance pattern. Three-hour, four-hour and seven-hour sessions offer different lengths of day, but holidays are closed and days cannot be exchanged mid-term. Choose a pattern that fits the family's regular commitments.
• School-site transition. Sunrise describes links with Broomfield Primary School, but nursery attendance does not guarantee Reception admission. Treat the nursery decision and school application as separate decisions.
• Settling and dietary needs. An appointment is recommended for a visit, with lunchtimes best avoided so activities can be seen. Bring your child, discuss the induction arrangements and, where allergies affect them, confirm current food-handling practice.

Sunrise suits families seeking either shorter preschool sessions or a seven-hour session within school terms. Its strongest practical features are the connected indoor and outdoor spaces, opportunities for independent everyday tasks and an induction that can be extended to suit the child. Tapestry gives parents a route to contribute to learning as well as follow it.

The May 2024 priorities remain useful points to test: purposeful adult-led activities and progress updates that explain more than what happened that day. Families comfortable with the term-time calendar and fixed attendance days have a clear offer to assess, with school transition links that should be understood separately from Reception admission.