The Meadows Nursery School, Meadows Mere

Garden investigations and small acts of independence give Meadows Mere its character. In May 2023, children examined insects with magnifying glasses, younger children cleaned their snack crockery and older children put away their coats. Everyday tasks became opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its May 2023 inspection. The setting has capacity for 60 children aged 12 months to five years, at 1-2 Alfred Road, Kingsmere, Eastbourne.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the May 2023 examples included practical exploration: children used tape to divide garden spaces and talked about size, bringing early mathematical ideas into their play.

In May 2023, children spent extended periods outdoors, while a visiting dentist helped them learn about cleaning their teeth. Staff had also reduced the resources presented together after training about learning environments, making choosing an activity more manageable. These were concrete experiences rather than learning confined to adult-led groups.

Group activities were less consistent. In May 2023, some children drifted away and staff did not draw them back into the activity, limiting opportunities to practise attention and listening. Improving participation was an explicit priority.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that visual prompts supported children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, while assessments helped staff identify emerging needs and seek specialist support.

In May 2023, each child's key person built relationships with the family, and settling arrangements and preparation for school were adapted to individual needs. Staff shared books and ideas for learning at home. Conversations about emotions helped children consider how their actions affected others, alongside consistent expectations about sharing and taking turns.

Staff development also had a practical structure in May 2023: supervision covered workload, wellbeing and training, and colleagues reviewed one another's practice. Indoor and outdoor safety checks took place daily; visits from the fire service gave children another way to learn about safety.

The address is 1-2 Alfred Road, Kingsmere, Eastbourne, BN23 6TA. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In May 2023, the nursery received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of funding participation, rather than a promise about a family's entitlement today.

• Group participation. In May 2023, children who left group activities were not consistently brought back into them. Look for how staff adapt shared activities to different attention spans.
• Waiting between activities. In May 2023, preparations for garden time sometimes left children restless. The pace of these changes matters alongside the activities themselves.
• Attendance and funding. With an all-year opening schedule and funded provision documented in May 2023, which booking arrangement and funded-hours terms would apply to your child?

Meadows Mere merits consideration for families who value outdoor exploration, practical independence and individual settling arrangements. Its May 2023 examples give those priorities substance. The Good judgement sits alongside clear work to improve group participation and reduce waiting between activities, making those useful points to explore when assessing the fit for your child.