Sunny Days Nursery

A detached house, a sensory room for babies and outdoor access for older children give Sunny Days Nursery a clear identity in Chester Green. This Derby nursery takes children from 3 months to 5 years, with Baby Unit, Toddler Unit and Preschool Unit providing separate stages as children grow. The building has two storeys. Its appeal lies in the combination of age-specific spaces and a care system that gives each child a main practitioner and a second familiar adult.

At its 14 April 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged Sunny Days Good and found children progressing well, while identifying two priorities: more use of children's home languages and greater challenge for the most able preschool children. Both points matter when weighing the learning offer. Positive relationships and enjoyable activities are valuable, but children also need language they understand and tasks that stretch their existing abilities.

Full Day, Morning and Afternoon bookings sit alongside an all-year opening calendar, with bank holidays closed. The practical distinction between those bookings deserves attention, especially because the Morning option runs into the evening.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Unit, for 3 months to 2 years, combines adjoining spaces for play and creative work with a separate sensory room and its own garden surfaced with artificial grass. That gives the youngest children different places to explore, rather than asking one room to accommodate every activity. The designated outdoor space also keeps babies' garden use separate from the older children's arrangements.

Toddler Unit, for 2 to 3 years, occupies the ground floor and links a playroom with a space for arts and crafts, allowing children to move between them and the large outdoor area while building independence. Choice is part of the room's routine. For children beginning to manage more for themselves, being able to select a space or activity makes that emphasis tangible.

Preschool Unit, for 3 to 5 years, sits at the back of the ground floor, combining play and art spaces with direct outdoor access and an emphasis on learning through play before the move to primary school. Children can choose between indoor and outdoor activities. Across the older units, outdoor play is therefore part of the room arrangement, rather than simply a separate destination in the day.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides learning through play, with its areas of learning used to plan activities and follow children's development. Here, children experiment, solve problems and make choices as they play. Practitioners use observations to adapt activities to how a child learns, giving the framework a practical role in the day rather than treating it as a label.

Art, dancing, books, messy play and early mark making feature in the daily activity plans. These provide different ways to join in: a child can explore materials, move to music or spend time with a story. Observation, photographs and children's artwork contribute to assessments completed each term, and parents can add their own observations and comments. Learning at home can therefore inform the next steps taken at nursery.

In April 2023, toddlers practised finger movements through dough disco, manipulating play dough to music. Babies explored books with staff, while preschool children used large construction bricks and stepping stones outside. These examples show how physical development and language were woven into ordinary play at that time. They also give families concrete activities to discuss when considering how their own child likes to learn.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a designated key person who handles personal care, follows development and discusses progress with parents. Their Learning Journey brings together work, achievements and observations, making it a record families can return to during consultations. Buddy Person is the continuity arrangement: an allocated practitioner works alongside the key person and takes over their role when they are absent. That gives the care plan a second point of contact.

Settling begins with a Meet and greet session, an introduction to the key person that also gathers details about routines, preferences and development. Children then receive two settling sessions lasting two hours each, and parents may stay. This provides time for staff to learn about the child before ordinary attendance begins, while parents can take part in the initial adjustment.

Feedback after each session covers food, rest, personal care and activities. Parent open evenings take place twice yearly, with opportunities to review the Learning Journey and discuss development individually; newsletters arrive each term. The combination gives families both a daily account of care and a longer view of learning. Parents are also invited to contribute observations to assessments, so communication runs in both directions.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to recognise concerns and escalate them. In April 2023, the nursery employed 12 childcare staff, and room leaders were undertaking leadership training. These are dated details about the team at that visit, rather than a description of today's staffing deployment.

During April 2023, staff used objects and visual prompts to help toddlers understand English vocabulary, but words collected from families were not consistently used to support home-language understanding. Everyday independence was also evident: babies practised feeding themselves, and older children selected food and poured drinks. Those examples connect care routines with learning, while the language concern remains a useful point for families whose children use another language at home.

Sleep arrangements include designated resting areas in both Baby Unit and Toddler Unit, with cots, blankets and snooze mats; practitioners work with parents on a suitable routine. Meals are cooked on site each day, following a 16-day rotating menu shaped by seasonal produce. Families declare allergies or dietary requirements through registration information or the key person, and the cook caters for these needs.

Sessions and Attendance

Sunny Days operates throughout the year at Severn House, 18 Alfreton Road, Chester Green, Derby, DE21 4AA. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with closure on bank holidays. That calendar is useful for families arranging care across the year rather than only during school terms.

The Full Day booking runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning finishes at 6pm, and Afternoon runs from 1pm to 6pm. The Morning label therefore needs to be read alongside its actual end time: it is not a booking that finishes before lunch. A Full Week booking is also offered, and additional hours can be purchased.

For enquiries or to register interest, families can telephone 01332 987686 or email info@sunnydaysnursery.com. Viewings can be arranged through the nursery. Assessment paperwork also accompanies moves between units and the eventual move to school, giving transition a place in the nursery's record keeping rather than leaving it until the final stage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible children from 9 months to 4 years. Qualifying families can apply for 30 hours, beginning in the term after their child reaches 9 months and continuing until school starts. Sunny Days also accepts Tax Free Childcare, alongside its paid childcare bookings. Eligibility remains a condition of using the funded entitlement.

Parents supply nappies and wipes where needed, milk for children who require formula or breast milk, and sun cream. Packing requirements also include spare clothing, outdoor footwear and a waterproof coat, with slippers for toddlers and preschool children. These are practical preparations for personal care, changing weather and active play. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the opening hours and fees page sets out the booking options.

• Morning booking. The Morning option finishes at 6pm. Check that this is the contract you want if you are seeking a shorter day, rather than relying on its label.
• Language and challenge. The April 2023 improvement priorities concerned home-language use and stretching the most able preschool children. During a viewing, ask for examples of how both now feature in daily interactions.
• Funded-hours costs. Sunny Days offers 30 hours for qualifying families, while parents bring specified personal-care supplies. Ask how the entitlement fits across the year and how meals and any additional charges sit within your proposed contract.
• Sleep and dietary routines. Babies and toddlers have designated resting areas, and dietary needs are discussed through registration or the key person. Use the viewing to discuss your child's sleep routine and, where relevant, confirm current allergy arrangements.

Sunny Days suits families choosing between Full Day and Afternoon care, as well as those whose schedule fits the longer Morning booking. Its strongest practical features are easy to picture: babies have a sensory room and their own garden, older children can move outdoors from their units, and the key person has a designated buddy for continuity.

The Good judgement from April 2023 provides a positive inspection position, tempered by specific learning priorities. Families seeking close communication have daily feedback, termly assessment and parent evenings to work with. The best fit is a family that values those care arrangements and wants play, outdoor choice and gradual transitions to shape the nursery years.