OLD FELIXSTOWE NURSERY

An enclosed garden with a large canopy gives outdoor play a practical place in the day at OLD FELIXSTOWE NURSERY. Children can move between inside and outside through free-flow play, rather than having outdoor time depend entirely on a break in the weather. This is a small setting in the grounds of Kingsfleet School, with capacity for 24 children.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. The detail gives that judgement substance: children chose activities independently, talked readily about their discoveries and practised practical skills through play. Those observations belong to July 2023; the current offer is for children aged 2 to 5.

Attendance follows the school-term rhythm: 38 weeks each year, with morning and afternoon sessions and separately charged options around them. For parents, the combination of a small setting, outdoor access and shorter sessions is the central attraction.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning here, covering seven areas of development through the nursery's play-based provision. It is the required foundation for early education, rather than an extra programme. The practical emphasis is on purposeful play shaped around children's interests and needs.

Learning Journey records include Trackers linked to the EYFS, giving parents a way to follow their child's developing skills. This makes the framework more useful than a curriculum label alone: families can connect nursery learning with what their child is beginning to do at home.

In July 2023, staff planned activities around individual interests and identified children's next steps, sharing these with parents. Conversation was woven into play. Adults introduced vocabulary and encouraged exchanges in which children could talk about their experiences, while children also chose books and spent time looking through them independently.

Early writing preparation was practical. During July 2023, children manipulated dough with tools and practised cutting paper, exercising the hand movements that precede writing.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed garden and canopy are useful physical features: free-flow access gives children a choice of environment, while the cover supports outdoor play in wet weather. Outdoor space is part of the daily offer, rather than a separate occasional outing.

In July 2023, children searched for insects in the garden and talked about worms. Physical play included climbing a slide ladder and balancing across crates; wooden spoons and metal drums gave another way to explore movement and sound. Together, these examples show how the outdoor area supported curiosity, coordination and expression during that inspection period.

A community example comes from 2025, when the nursery joined Felixstowe Carnival with a float based on The Hungry Caterpillar and Dear Zoo. This was a dated event, not a weekly activity, but it provides a specific picture of nursery participation beyond its grounds.

Relationships with families are central to the nursery's approach. Practitioners take account of individual interests and needs, and the staff structure includes a Parent Partnership role alongside a SENCO and safeguarding responsibilities. These are identifiable points of responsibility for communication and additional support.

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported, with individual plans and cooperation between parents, staff and external professionals. That is a dated judgement about practice, supported by specific arrangements rather than a general promise of care.

In July 2023, staff exchanged information with families about children's home lives and offered advice. Communication about learning used an online system as well as conversation. Mealtimes also offered practice in independence: children selected snacks, poured drinks and cut fruit while adults supported table manners.

The nursery uses Learning Journey records to follow development. Its parent and grandparent group, Old Felixstowe Nursery Parents Page, also shares nursery activities and event information, providing another connection between home and the setting.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.50am until 11.50am; afternoons run from 12.20pm until 3.20pm. Lunch club occupies the interval, from 11.50am to 12.20pm, and carries a separate charge. This gives families distinct morning and afternoon booking patterns, with an additional lunchtime service.

Early drop-off starts at 8.30am and late collection finishes at 3.40pm, both at an additional cost. These extensions cannot be paid for with funded hours. The nursery opens on five days each week during its 38-week term-time year, so its calendar needs to fit the family's arrangements for school holidays.

Getting There

The address is Grounds of Kingsfleet School, Ferry Road, Felixstowe, IP11 9LY. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01394 275466 or by email to oldfelixstowenursery@btinternet.com.

Being on the school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process for a state-school place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid sessions are both offered. The funding options include 15 hours for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds and 30 hours subject to eligibility, with attendance following the term-time calendar. Funding should therefore be considered separately from the additional services around a session.

Consumables carry a separate per-session charge. Lunch club, early drop-off and late collection also have their own charges; a registration deposit is refundable when the child starts. Families should obtain a current written quotation covering their chosen pattern and extras, using the fees and funding information to identify the relevant categories.

• Term-time fit. The nursery operates for 38 weeks, with morning and afternoon sessions rather than an all-year calendar. Match these patterns to the care your family needs during holidays.
• Teaching feedback. In July 2023, the improvement priority was more precise feedback following staff performance monitoring. At a visit, ask how that feedback now helps practitioners improve their teaching.
• The full session cost. Consumables and the services around sessions are charged separately, and early and late extensions sit outside funded hours. A written quotation should distinguish each part of your chosen arrangement.
• Lunch arrangements. Lunch club bridges the morning and afternoon sessions and has a separate charge. Ask what children need to bring for lunch and how their dietary needs are handled.

OLD FELIXSTOWE NURSERY suits families seeking either morning or afternoon term-time care, with additional lunch and collection options to shape the day. Its enclosed garden, covered outdoor access and Learning Journey records give the offer practical substance.

The July 2023 judgement provides a positive assessment of that period, with a clear improvement priority around staff feedback. For today's decision, the strongest fit is between the nursery's small scale, play-based approach and the family's preferred session pattern, alongside a clear understanding of paid extras.