Wrap Around Care and Snug Bugs Nursery

A dedicated building, gardens beside woodland and an emphasis on learning through play give Wrap Around Care and Snug Bugs Nursery its rural character. The setting occupies The White Barn within the grounds of Northbourne CE Primary School, near Deal, with its own gated entrance. It combines preschool provision with care before and after school and during school holidays.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The current nursery has capacity for 20 children, with provision starting at age two. That whole-setting figure is a capacity, rather than the number of children sharing an activity or attending on a particular day.

Children's interests shape activities, while preparation for school emphasises independence and social development. Flexible hourly attendance sits alongside a term-time nursery day and the surrounding clubs. The practical attraction is the ability to choose hours rather than buy a fixed session.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play helps children practise communication, movement, social skills and early understanding of numbers and language. Activities are adapted to children's interests and needs, giving their own enthusiasms a place in the nursery day.

In June 2022, children explored counting, number sequences, size and quantity through play. Books were used independently and shared with friends, while animated storytelling encouraged children to remember and try new vocabulary. These examples connect early literacy and mathematics to experiences children can take part in, rather than treating them as separate formal lessons.

Language also threaded through everyday routines in June 2022. Staff emphasised useful words in conversation and used signing at snack time to help children express preferences and understand what came next. Older children brought objects from home and talked about their experiences, creating opportunities to speak in front of others and listen to different stories.

Early writing was the weaker element. In June 2022, drawing and mark-making were accessible, but support for pencil grip was inconsistent and some writing tasks exceeded children's understanding. Staff development also needed a sharper connection to improving curriculum teaching. Those are specific development points alongside the positive account of reading and communication.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gardens belong to the setting, and established woodland lies beside them. This gives outdoor play a clear physical setting of its own within the school grounds.

In June 2022, children used obstacle courses and climbing equipment to practise balance and coordination. A rope swing and nature watch lookout offered further opportunities to judge manageable risks and explore their surroundings. Outdoor time involved purposeful movement as well as discovery.

Relationships and Communication

Daily communication with families is part of the nursery's approach, and experiences are adapted to each child's interests, strengths and needs. For parents, that puts knowledge of the individual child alongside the day's activities.

In June 2022, settling-in conversations gathered information about what children could already do, which staff then used when planning. Observations and assessments were shared with families, alongside feedback at collection and ideas for supporting learning at home. This connected what happened in nursery with children's lives beyond it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood individual needs, worked effectively with outside agencies and provided additional support that helped children with special educational needs and disabilities make progress. A Special Educational Needs and Disability coordinator (SENDCO) role forms part of the current team structure. All staff hold paediatric first aid certificates, giving the care arrangements a concrete training basis.

Independence is an explicit part of preparation for school, especially for children aged three and four. In June 2022, children washed their hands, served snacks and prepared themselves for outdoor play. These ordinary tasks gave them opportunities to take responsibility for themselves. Sharing, turn-taking and choosing their own play also featured in that dated account.

The services include breakfast and a cooked meal of two courses after school, arranged beforehand. These belong to the surrounding club provision, so families planning a nursery day should distinguish those arrangements from their chosen preschool hours.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. The wider service operates for 48 weeks each year, with a Holiday Club for children aged two to eleven during school holidays; the nursery itself offers term-time attendance.

Snug Bugs Nursery runs from 9am to 3pm, with families able to select hours within that day. Charging is hourly, with no fixed sessions to purchase. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 9am, and After School Club from 3pm to 5.30pm. This separates the preschool day from the care that can surround it and makes the attendance model relevant to families needing shorter periods as well as a term-time day.

Getting There

The address is The White Barn, Northbourne CE Primary School, Coldharbour Lane, Northbourne, Deal, CT14 0LP. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01304 613753 or by email to admin@wrap-aroundcare.co.uk. Private transport to and from local schools can be arranged through the club provision.

Although the setting occupies school grounds, nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. School preparation and the school admission decision are separate matters.

Funding and Paid Extras

The term-time nursery offers funded early education: 15 hours for children aged three and four, 30 hours for eligible children of those ages, and Free for Twos funding for eligible two-year-olds. Eligibility conditions remain important when planning attendance.

Private childcare is charged by the hour, allowing paid attendance to follow the hours chosen. Families can therefore consider the funded entitlement and any privately paid hours separately when planning their week.

• Early writing and teaching development. In June 2022, pencil-grip support, the suitability of writing tasks and the targeting of staff development needed improvement. Ask how these areas now work in the nursery day.
• Term-time and holiday plans. Snug Bugs Nursery provides term-time care, while Holiday Club serves children during school holidays. Families needing both should plan around the two arrangements rather than treat them as one attendance pattern.
• School admission. The setting has its own building within Northbourne CE Primary School's grounds. This does not guarantee a Reception place, so a nursery decision should sit alongside a separate school application.
• A visit and written quotation. Visits can be made without advance booking. Use the visit to discuss your chosen hourly pattern and ask what the quotation covers for meals and non-food consumables on funded and privately paid hours.

Wrap Around Care and Snug Bugs Nursery suits families seeking a rural preschool setting with its own gardens and attendance that can be shaped around their needs. Both a term-time nursery day and shorter, flexibly chosen hours fit its model; breakfast and after-school clubs add further options.

The June 2022 judgement gives a dated quality benchmark, with concrete examples of communication, reading and outdoor activity, alongside specific weaknesses in early writing and staff development. The strongest reasons to consider it are the physical setting, interest-led play and the practical choice of hours.