Sunflowers Tree Day Nursery

Double doors from the baby room to its own garden give Sunflowers Tree Day Nursery a clear practical attraction: outdoor space belongs to the youngest children as well as the older ones. This detached Brough property also has a large garden, with preschool children downstairs and toddlers upstairs. The layout makes the different stages of early childhood easy to picture.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 21 February 2024. The detail behind that judgement matters more than the label: children’s interests shaped learning, familiar songs supported early language, and everyday tasks gave children opportunities to act independently.

There are 55 places in total, for children aged 2 to 60 months. For parents comparing settings, the strongest combination here is the current indoor and outdoor layout alongside the detailed account of care and learning from February 2024.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room occupies the ground floor, with double doors opening onto a garden area reserved for babies, so their outdoor play has a space of its own. Preschool children are also downstairs, with free-flow garden access supporting movement between indoor and outdoor activities. Upstairs, the toddler rooms provide space for activities suited to children’s developing curiosity and skills.

These are different environments within one detached property. The ground-floor garden connections are especially relevant to families choosing care for a baby or a preschool child; the upstairs toddler accommodation is a useful part of the layout to explore during a tour.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and ordinary routines become opportunities to practise communication, movement, relationships and early number skills. In February 2024, learning was planned around what children enjoyed and what they needed to practise next, using both parental information and staff observations.

At that time, in-the-moment planning meant staff built learning around children’s interests as play unfolded. The practical examples were small and purposeful. Babies explored flour with containers and spoons, combining sensory exploration with scooping and sound. A daily singing routine used wooden spoons chosen from a bag to indicate a song, giving babies a way to participate before they could explain their choice in words.

Number work also fitted into familiar situations in February 2024. Toddlers counted the children sitting together for lunch, while preschool children worked on number order, written numerals and shape names. Learning did not depend solely on a separate adult-led task. Lunch itself became an opportunity to practise counting.

Achievement had a tangible form: preschool children received proud cloud certificates to take home in February 2024. That gave families something specific to share and celebrate, connecting a nursery achievement with conversation at home.

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND well supported, with prompt requests for intervention, individual support plans and a SENCO working alongside parents. Family support meetings formed part of that work, giving parents a place to discuss their child’s needs and the help being sought.

Relationships began with information from home. In February 2024, new children settled readily and developed close relationships with staff; parental knowledge of their child contributed to the experiences staff planned. For families, the useful point is the connection between care and learning: information about a child was used to shape what happened next.

Emotional understanding received practical attention in February 2024. Staff paired a story with coloured props to help children talk about feelings, including sadness and anger. Adults discussed what made children happy and modelled considerate behaviour. Simple rules were part of this work, rather than being treated as a separate discipline exercise.

Food was prepared at the nursery in February 2024, with meals and snacks adapted for dietary needs, including allergies. Children also practised independence at the table: toddlers served pasta bake, and preschool children selected snacks and peeled oranges.

Staff development had an organised structure in February 2024. Managers observed interactions with children and used supervision meetings to discuss development targets and safeguarding knowledge. The nursery employed 13 childcare staff at that time; that is a dated staffing total, rather than a description of today’s room deployment.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens on weekdays from 7.30am until 6pm. It operates throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. Those closures matter for families whose work continues through the festive period.

Enquiries can be made through the Brough contact route or the enquiry form. The address is Prescott Avenue, off Skillings Lane, Brough, HU15 1BB; the telephone number is 01482 665668 and the email address is Brough@sunflowersdaynurseries.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery’s written quotation, with the costs matched to their intended attendance.

• Different floors for different stages. Babies and preschool children are downstairs, while toddler rooms are upstairs. During a tour, ask how toddlers’ outdoor time and movement between floors work in practice.
• Care beyond the Christmas closure. The nursery closes for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. Families working through those periods will need another care arrangement.
• Funding and the total bill. Funded early education formed part of the February 2024 offer. Ask for a current written breakdown covering entitlement, attendance patterns, meals and non-food consumables before committing to a place.

Sunflowers Tree suits families seeking weekday care across the year who value garden access and separate spaces for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Its February 2024 Outstanding judgement came with concrete examples of responsive learning, emotional support and growing independence. The baby garden and preschool free-flow access give that account a useful physical setting. The upstairs toddler rooms and holiday closures are the practical details to weigh against your child’s stage and your working pattern.