Sunflowers Day Nursery

Two neighbouring buildings give Sunflowers Day Nursery its character: babies occupy one, while older toddlers and preschool children use the other, with the preschool space opening directly into the garden. On Golf Links Road, at the Hull and Cottingham border, this is a nursery whose layout makes the different stages of early childhood easy to distinguish.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 13 June 2022. That judgement is dated, and the detail behind it matters: children practised early number work, developed language through stories and conversation, and learnt everyday independence through tasks such as pouring drinks.

Sunflowers has capacity for 54 children, accepting children aged two months to five years. Its weekday opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm. The strongest reasons to consider it are the stage-specific accommodation, preschool garden access and the inspection's account of individual settling and learning through children's interests.

Rooms and Ages

Building No. 4 accommodates the youngest children, with tiny babies downstairs and older babies and young toddlers upstairs. Building No. 2 houses the Big Toddlers room upstairs, while preschool children use a ground-floor space with direct access to the garden.

A secure gate connects the buildings. Upstairs accommodation also makes the movement between floors a useful subject for a visit, especially for a child beginning to walk. The room's position matters as much as its label.

Learning and Activities

The nursery works within the early years foundation stage, the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means everyday play is also an opportunity to develop communication, relationships, physical skills and early understanding.

In June 2022, stories and singing formed part of children's language learning. The Hungry Caterpillar gave children a reason to handle a book and turn its pages; conversation about an apple introduced the word core. These are small, recognisable examples of learning woven into ordinary moments, rather than confined to a separate lesson.

Number work was equally concrete in June 2022. Older children combined quantities, located the answer on a number line and practised writing it. The sequence connected counting with recognising a written number and controlling a pencil. It gave an abstract idea something children could do with their hands.

Children's interests shaped activities at that time. A large tray containing sand connected play with children's weekend beach experiences, while story ideas reappeared in imaginative movement. The useful point for parents is the connection between home experience and nursery activity: something familiar became material for further exploration.

Outdoor and Community Life

Preschool garden access is a clear practical strength of the current layout. Children have an indoor base at ground level with the garden directly accessible, allowing indoor and outdoor play to sit alongside each other.

In June 2022, cooperation also developed through shared construction. When a tower collapsed, older children discussed how to rebuild it higher. Small-group play and individual interactions with staff helped younger children begin to play alongside others. These examples show social learning through ordinary play: taking another child's idea seriously, trying again and learning to share an activity.

Individual relationships were central to settling in June 2022. Babies spent time with their key person, and settling arrangements were tailored to each child. For a family introducing nursery care, that is a meaningful example of how adults first learnt a child's habits and responses, rather than treating the start as a single fixed procedure.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, SEND support carefully planned with parents and other professionals, and children's learning progress rapid. The SEND arrangements included a coordinator supporting colleagues, while safeguarding knowledge was reinforced through daily staff questions about procedures.

Daily care in June 2022 included attention to privacy during toileting and changing. Older children practised managing tissues and disposing of them, and children took turns pouring their own drinks. These routines linked care with growing independence, giving children manageable responsibilities within the day.

Communication with parents also had a practical purpose in June 2022. Staff supplied activities for home that connected with children's interests, and an online platform helped maintain contact. For parents, the value lay in knowing what their child was learning and having a related activity to continue at home.

In June 2022, mealtime conversations covered the vegetables in children's home-made cottage pie and other healthy foods. A housekeeper was employed at the time. The nursery employed 17 staff in June 2022, a dated staffing count rather than a statement about today's room deployment.

Sessions and Attendance

Sunflowers opens from 7.30am until 6pm on weekdays and operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. The opening window gives families a concrete starting point for comparing nursery hours with work commitments; the Christmas closure also needs to fit the family's childcare arrangements.

The address is 2-4 Golf Links Road, Cottingham, HU6 8RA. The nursery sits on the Hull and Cottingham border. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01482 849108, by email to Cottingham@sunflowersdaynurseries.com or through the enquiry form, selecting the Cottingham setting.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2022, the nursery provided funded places for children aged two, three and four. That is an inspection-era description of participation, rather than a statement of current funding terms. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation, tailored to the proposed attendance arrangement.

• The youngest age group. Sunflowers accepts children from two months, and its youngest accommodation is in Building No. 4. On a visit, ask how your baby's feeding, sleep and settling routines would be handled in that space.
• Upstairs rooms. Older babies and young toddlers occupy an upstairs space, as does the Big Toddlers room in Building No. 2. Ask to see how movement between floors fits the day for a child at your child's stage of development.
• The attendance quotation. Weekday opening runs from 7.30am to 6pm, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. Ask for a written quotation setting out the booking pattern, current funded-hours arrangement, meals and non-food consumables together.

Sunflowers suits families looking for care from early infancy through to preschool, with accommodation that separates developmental stages and gives preschool children direct garden access. Its June 2022 examples of story-led play, hands-on number work and individual settling give parents concrete practices to discuss, rather than just a grade to rely on.

The best fit depends on the child's stage: downstairs baby accommodation and the preschool garden connection serve different needs.