ABC Day Nursery

A preschool Spanish visit built around The Hungry Caterpillar and a nature hunt among pond fish and ladybirds give ABC Day Nursery an identifiable Exmouth character. Learning reaches beyond indoor play. This Exeter Road setting welcomes children from 3 months to 5 years, with three rooms serving babies, toddlers and preschool children.

At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated ABC Good overall, judged safeguarding effective and found very good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through cooperation with families and other professionals. Those findings give parents a useful starting point, alongside specific improvements needed in language teaching and children's involvement in activities.

Flexible sessions and wraparound care sit alongside funded hours for eligible children.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and interactions support communication, movement, relationships and growing independence. ABC's practical examples make that easier to picture than a curriculum label alone.

In December 2024, children practised sharing through games that required them to wait for a turn. Younger children managed their own food and used open cups, while preschool children learnt a technique for putting on coats independently. These are useful steps towards managing everyday tasks at school, rather than preparation confined to formal learning activities.

Kidslingo, a visiting language organisation, introduced preschool children to Spanish through a ball game, storytelling and songs. The Hungry Caterpillar supplied familiar characters and food words for the session, giving children a recognisable story through which to encounter another language. This was a particular visit, rather than a promise of a weekly class.

Book sharing also featured in December 2024. Children selected books to enjoy with adults and friends, and families could borrow from the lending library to continue reading at home. That connects nursery experiences with something parents can share with their child.

During December 2024 book sessions, adults discussed illustrations and checked what children understood. Reading therefore involved responding to a story as well as listening to it, although the language improvement priority shows that these exchanges needed further development.

Younger children also enjoyed a fishing game during that inspection, expressing enthusiasm when invited to join in. It gave turn-taking a playful purpose. Babies and toddlers explored a Christmas sensory tray containing snowmen, baubles and lights. These objects offered something concrete to investigate, but the inspection's concern about children moving away quickly makes sustained adult engagement an essential part of assessing such activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

A preschool park outing included looking at bark, pond fish and ladybirds, as well as climbing and running. The walk combined observing living things with physical activity; children also practised staying together and road safety along the way.

In December 2024, spring flower planting around Exmouth connected children with their town. Community involvement had a concrete task attached to it, giving children something to contribute rather than simply somewhere to visit.

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified that children sometimes left activities quickly and that staff missed chances to develop conversation, vocabulary and fuller explanations. The issue was how adults extended the experiences already offered, including sensory activities and shared books. An interesting resource needs an equally thoughtful interaction.

Relationships supplied much of the reassurance in December 2024. Children sought comfort from their key person, and staff responded to overwhelming feelings with closeness or room to recover. That makes the adult's response as relevant as the activity being offered.

Communication with families had practical content too. In December 2024, parents received information about learning and development, alongside ideas for supporting toilet training at home. For families managing that change, consistency between nursery and home is a useful consideration.

The SEND arrangements described in December 2024 involved staff, parents and external professionals working together over resources and equipment for both nursery and home. The mechanism matters: support connected the child's different environments rather than stopping at the nursery door.

A nursery cook prepares daily meals using fresh produce. ABC also describes the group's shared menu arrangement as two seasonal menus, each covering four weeks, giving children changing food choices over the cycle.

Sessions and Attendance

ABC's address is 143 Exeter Road, Exmouth EX8 3DX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

Flexible sessions and wraparound care are attendance options. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01395 222808 or through the nursery's Famly form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours are offered for eligible children from 9 months old, with funding stretched across the year. Eligibility remains a condition of accessing those hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Language and sustained attention. The December 2024 improvement priorities concerned richer adult conversation and helping children stay involved in activities. On a visit, ask how staff now extend a child's comments and interests during books and play.
• Starting in the youngest room. ABC accepts babies from 3 months and separates its provision into three rooms. Ask how your baby's feeding, sleep and settling routines would be organised in their room.
• The cost of your attendance pattern. Funded hours are stretched, and flexible sessions and wraparound care are offered. Request a written breakdown for your chosen pattern, including the treatment of meals and non-food consumables.

ABC suits Exmouth families considering flexible sessions or wraparound care who value practical independence, books and experiences beyond the nursery. The Spanish visit and park exploration give substance to that appeal.

The Good judgement is balanced by clear teaching priorities. For parents, the decisive conversation is how today's staff sustain children's curiosity and develop language during ordinary play, alongside the relationship and SEND arrangements described in December 2024.