Sunbeams Day Nursery

An old Victorian primary school building gives Sunbeams Day Nursery its setting; play, conversation and growing independence give it its character. On Hawkers Hill in Mitcheldean, it caters for children from 18 months to five years, with Busy Bees for toddlers and Learning Ladybirds taking children towards school age. Movement between the nursery groups takes account of each child's development.

Ofsted rated Sunbeams Good at its 14 November 2023 inspection. The practical appeal is a day built around children's interests, with outdoor play, accessible resources and time to make choices. Full-time and term-time contracts accommodate different family calendars.

There is a qualification to that positive picture. In November 2023, staff did not consistently take learning far enough for children ready for greater challenge, and supervision needed to do more to develop practitioners' work. That is a useful point to explore alongside the rooms and routines.

Rooms and Ages

Busy Bees, for children aged 18 months to two and a half years, combines equipment children can reach themselves with natural materials, sensory exploration and physical play, while stories, songs and outdoor time introduce a recognisable daily rhythm. Settling sessions take place before children start. Moving into the group takes account of their developmental stage, which gives families room to discuss readiness rather than relying only on age.

Learning Ladybirds, from two and a half years to school age, occupies two large rooms where construction, creative work and imaginative play sit alongside daily opportunities for children to choose what they do. Themes follow children's interests, with adults helping to develop their ideas. The emphasis is on children taking an active part in their learning, rather than simply completing an adult's activity.

Across the setting, children also use a messy play room, dining area and outdoor spaces. Those different environments give practical play and shared meals their own place in the day. The room arrangements and learning approach are described on the rooms and curriculum page.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning and care: here, children learn through play, conversation, stories, making things and exploring indoors and outdoors. It is the foundation for the day. Sunbeams builds its activity planning around children's interests, using their learning journeys to identify what to offer next.

Learning Ladybirds combines science experiments with independent play and time to develop friendships. Children can pursue their own ideas alongside adult-led activities.

In November 2023, everyday play brought language and number work together. An outdoor post office prompted conversations about invitations and posting letters, while garden crates became towers to build and knock down. Nursery rhymes introduced number, sequence and ideas about time. These were ordinary play situations with clear learning purposes, rather than separate lessons detached from children's interests.

In November 2023, some activities needed greater challenge, and staff supervision needed closer attention to practitioners' work. Engaging play also needs to extend learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Both groups include outdoor play in their routines. Children need practical clothing suited to the weather throughout the year; toddlers also explore natural and sensory materials.

In November 2023, toddlers explored a slide and tunnel, with staff nearby to offer comfort when needed. Older children's garden play included construction and shared pretend play. The outdoor space was therefore used for movement, conversation and cooperation, as well as a change of surroundings.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, giving families a consistent contact. Learning journeys record interests and development to inform subsequent activities.

Busy Bees combines verbal feedback with written information about sleep, meals and changes. For parents of toddlers, that connects the learning day with the care details that matter at home. Advance settling sessions also give children an introduction to the group before their usual attendance begins.

In November 2023, parents received online updates about learning and development, and staff used observations to plan subsequent play. Daily routines were flexible but recognisable, with consistent boundaries and opportunities to practise waiting and taking turns. These arrangements helped make expectations understandable to children.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND well supported through work with parents and external agencies, with targets reviewed regularly. This was a specific finding about how support operated at that time, alongside the overall Good judgement.

Current arrangements include child protection and first aid training for staff. For Learning Ladybirds, preparation for school includes practising everyday independence, such as managing clothing, using the toilet and serving drinks, with adult help when needed. Social development includes consideration for others and understanding differences. School preparation is woven into ordinary routines rather than reserved for a final leaving event.

Sessions and Attendance

Sunbeams is at Hawkers Hill, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0BS. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email at sunbeamsdaynursery@eygloucestershire.co.uk or by telephone on 01594 541054.

Full-time and term-time contracts are offered, alongside full and part-time childcare. The minimum weekly booking is five hours. Term-time attendance follows Gloucestershire school dates: school holiday periods carry no charges, while booked term-time days remain payable, including inset days. That distinction matters for families whose own working calendar includes school training days.

On a full-time contract, the fee-free holiday allowance is two weeks, adjusted to the child's attendance pattern. Stretched funding runs across 48 weeks for those contracts, accounting for that allowance and Christmas and bank holiday closures. Where a child joins in their final preschool year and will attend for less than a full year, the stretched calculation is adjusted proportionately.

Funding and Paid Extras

Sunbeams accepts two, three and four year funding and 30 hours funding, as well as Tax-Free Childcare. Funded entitlement can be used with term-time arrangements or stretched across the year on a full-time contract. Private childcare is charged by the hour; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the contract and charge structure set out on its fees page.

Lunch is freshly cooked on site and charged separately, with a five-week menu rotation; breakfast, snacks and drinks sit within the separately charged consumables package. The nursery's dietary policy provides for food intolerances, allergies and other dietary requirements through discussion with staff, while children may bring a packed lunch instead of buying the cooked meal.

Non-food charges cover shared care items, including seasonal sun cream, and resources for cooking and gardening; parents supply nappies. The package also covers outings, visits and celebrations including Easter, Christmas and the Leavers party. For funded children, families who choose to opt out of the consumables charge discuss this with management and provide the relevant items themselves. Funding and extras therefore need to be considered separately when comparing the cost of an attendance pattern.

• Challenge beyond enjoyable play. In November 2023, some children needed activities that extended their learning further, and staff supervision needed greater attention to practice. On a visit, ask how practitioners now adapt an activity for a child who has already mastered it.
• The contract calendar. Term-time contracts follow Gloucestershire school dates and include payment for inset days; full-time contracts have a proportionate holiday allowance. Compare these terms with your working year when discussing a booking.
• Funded hours and extras. Lunch and the consumables package carry separate charges, with an opt-out arrangement for funded children. Request a written quotation for your intended attendance, showing the funded hours, private hours and extras separately.
• Toddler settling and dietary needs. Busy Bees offers advance settling sessions, and menus can accommodate dietary requirements through discussion. Book a visit by telephone to discuss the settling timetable and, where relevant, confirm current allergy practice for your child.

Sunbeams suits families seeking either full-time childcare across the year or term-time attendance, with part-time care also part of its offer. Busy Bees and Learning Ladybirds give the provision a clear progression from toddler exploration to the practical independence needed for school.

Accessible resources, space for imaginative play, outdoor routines and key-person care strengthen its appeal. The November 2023 concern about learning challenge remains a useful consideration.