Curious Explorers Day Nursery and Preschool Crookham Village

A former village shop, a garden overlooking a farmer’s field and a working post box give Curious Explorers Crookham Village a character rooted in its surroundings. The postman calls three times a day. Alongside the garden’s play spaces, that offers children contact with everyday village life rather than an entirely self-contained nursery world.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 11 May 2023 inspection, with the same judgement across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. That is a dated assessment, and its detail matters more than the label alone: conversation, independence and preparation for children’s next stage were prominent features of the nursery day.

Children are accepted from three months to five years. Full-day, morning and afternoon patterns sit alongside a shorter daytime option, giving families several ways to organise attendance.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room uses an individual approach to care and interaction, with resources for early development and a personal-care area. Toddlers have child-led activities and their own personal-care facilities, while Pre-school combines children’s interests with planned activities and a toilet area to support growing independence.

Separate younger and older toddler leadership roles are part of the team structure. That distinction matters for families whose child is moving beyond baby care but is still developing the communication and self-care skills needed for preschool life. It gives the toddler stage its own identity rather than treating it simply as the interval between babies and older children.

The rooms are light and arranged for children to move between activities, with movement between indoors and outdoors encouraged. The physical setting is a converted shop and family home, so its character comes from the building and garden as well as the resources within each room.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care: here, children’s interests and play shape activities, with communication, social skills and increasing independence woven into the day. The important distinction is between that shared framework and the additional experiences children encounter alongside it.

Forest School, an approach based on learning through activity outdoors, runs twice a week for preschool children. French takes place on Thursdays, while Monday football includes older toddlers and preschool children. These are concrete additions to the nursery week, giving children opportunities to try a language and physical activities alongside their everyday play.

Boogie Beats is a Wednesday session for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Its timetable spans the age groups, so younger children are included in the scheduled activity programme too. Outings to parks and libraries take place through the week across babies, toddlers and preschool children, extending experiences beyond the nursery’s rooms and garden.

In May 2023, staff developed conversations during play and used questions while sharing stories to extend children’s understanding. Planning followed children’s interests, with communication and social interaction receiving close attention. This gives useful substance to the nursery’s child-led approach: an adult’s role included developing an idea or conversation, rather than simply setting out resources.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden is a substantial part of the offer. A climbing frame, mud kitchen and spaces for water and sand play sit alongside an open area used for bikes and cars; a vegetable patch introduces children to growing food. These spaces support different kinds of activity, from balancing and movement to pretend play and handling natural materials.

Babies have a dedicated secure garden space, allowing early movement and balance to develop in an area arranged for them. All age groups use the garden, with equipment and activities matched to their needs. This is a useful distinction for parents of babies: outdoor provision includes a space specifically for the youngest children.

The neighbouring field brings occasional views of sheep, cows or a tractor. Together with the post box, it makes the nursery’s village setting tangible. Outdoor life is not confined to a single scheduled session; play outside is encouraged in different weather, with Forest School adding a separate organised experience.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to follow children’s development, accessible to parents through the internet or an app. Daily connect provides updates for babies and toddlers, while preschool families receive verbal feedback each day. The two purposes are useful to separate: a learning journal follows development over time, while daily communication keeps parents connected to the immediate nursery day.

In May 2023, children formed close relationships with their key persons, and adults responded to individual needs. Self-care was introduced progressively: babies attempted simple tasks after snacks, toddlers received gradual support with toilet training, and the work continued into preschool. Parents were involved in agreeing approaches, helping home and nursery work towards the same next step.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children making excellent progress, including those with SEND and those learning English as an additional language. Those findings belong to that inspection date; they are not a substitute for understanding the arrangements a child would use now.

The safeguarding policy covering Crookham includes designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles, recruitment checks, induction and staff supervision. For children with SEND who need additional help with personal care, an individual plan is agreed with parents and staff. Children are not excluded because they have yet to learn to use the toilet, making that developmental stage something to support rather than an entry condition.

In May 2023, staff training and discussion of children’s learning formed part of management practice. The team included practitioners with recognised early-years qualifications and apprentices. For parents, the useful emphasis is on how adults understand a child and adapt their work, rather than treating a staff roster as a measure of daily group size.

Food is prepared by in-house cooks, with seasonal summer and winter menus. Menu planning considers different textures and tastes as well as sustainability, giving meals a place within children’s everyday experience of food.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Street, Crookham Village, GU51 5SG, and opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Attendance options include 7am to 6pm, 7am to 5pm and 8am to 6pm days, a 9am to 3pm day, mornings from 8am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. These are booking options, rather than simply the hours during which the building is open.

Care runs across the year, with bank-holiday closures and five working days over Christmas and New Year. Extra sessions require agreement with the manager or deputy. Ordinary agreed days cannot be exchanged casually, so the variety of starting patterns should not be mistaken for unrestricted changes after booking.

The Crookham branch can be contacted on 01252 988 040. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, with the fees and funding terms setting out how attendance, extras and payment fit together.

Funding and Paid Extras

Supported Two-year-old funding, Universal Three-and-Four-year-old Funding and Working Families Funding are offered, subject to the relevant eligibility conditions. Funding is stretched across 51 weeks, with weekly allocations of 11 or 22 hours. This spreads entitlement through the year rather than concentrating it into a term-time pattern.

Funding is allocated in 10-hour blocks beginning at the selected 7am or 8am start. For an eligible child attending at least two full days, the remaining hour of an 11-hour allocation goes onto the second day; with at least three full days, the remaining two hours of a 22-hour allocation go onto the third. Hours beyond the funded allocation are paid childcare.

Breakfast, snacks, lunch and tea are included in ordinary private fees until funding or a discount applies; once either applies, food charges are separate. For funded sessions, the additional meal and snack charge is non-mandatory, and packed meals are governed by the Packed Lunch policy, including delivery arrangements because storage is limited. Parents supply nappies, sun cream and wipes, including during funded attendance.

The group-wide payment terms used here spread charges calculated over 51 weeks into equal monthly instalments, payable in advance by the 28th. A deposit is credited to the first childcare invoice, and the non-refundable registration charge includes a welcome pack. Fees are not reduced for sickness or holidays.

Funded booking terms require a 12-month commitment when claiming 11 or 22 hours and describe liability at standard rates if eligibility is lost. Permanent funded-pattern changes take effect between terms, with at least a month’s notice before the new term. Working-family eligibility codes must be renewed every three months, and the funding declaration must be signed and returned before funding can be claimed.

• Funding ties attendance to a longer commitment. The 11- and 22-hour arrangements require a 12-month sign-up, with charges described if eligibility ends. Have the nursery explain how that condition would apply to your proposed pattern before signing.
• Several session choices, firm change rules. Morning, afternoon and different day lengths are offered, but agreed days cannot be swapped casually and permanent funded changes are restricted to term boundaries. Choose a pattern that fits the routine you expect to keep.
• Outdoor provision deserves a close look. Babies have a separate garden space and preschool children have twice-weekly Forest School. During a visit, ask how your child’s room uses these spaces and how outdoor activities fit the days you intend to book.
• Food arrangements need agreement for allergies. Funded meals are charged separately, with a non-mandatory charge and a Packed Lunch policy for food from home. Allergy-affected families should confirm current handling and packed-meal arrangements before starting.

Curious Explorers suits families seeking a village setting with substantial garden play, scheduled activities and a choice between full days, shorter daytime attendance, mornings and afternoons. The dedicated baby garden and preschool Forest School give outdoor provision substance across different stages.

Its May 2023 Outstanding judgement is a strong dated endorsement. The practical decision rests alongside it: the attendance range is useful, but funded commitments, change rules and separate food charges need to fit the family’s circumstances.