Artemis Nursery St Leonards

A Victorian house, a maximum of 31 children and learning that reaches into woodland and onto the beach give Artemis Nursery St Leonards its character. The house remains the base; the April 2025 nursery day also drew on gardening, local outings and practical tasks. This is a setting to consider for families who value a smaller whole-nursery scale and experiences beyond indoor play.

At its 24 April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. There were two clear improvements to make: giving children more opportunities to practise independence at mealtimes, and making staff explanations about learning and safety more consistent.

Artemis cares for children aged 3 to 59 months at 29 Chapel Park Road, St Leonards-on-Sea. Its 31-place capacity describes the whole setting, rather than the size of any child's daily group. Full-day and part-day attendance provide different ways to use the nursery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and practical experiences become opportunities to develop communication, movement and relationships alongside other skills. In April 2025, activities followed a planned learning sequence, with changes made to accommodate children's individual needs. The important detail for parents is how an activity builds on something a child already knows.

Gardening provided a clear example that month. Children remembered earlier seed planting and brought that knowledge into their next activity. Handling small seeds and working dough also exercised their fingers. These were practical tasks with a learning purpose, rather than activities chosen simply to fill the day.

In April 2025, children's efforts were recognised through opportunities to perform and celebrate their achievements. Activities were adjusted so children could participate. For a parent weighing the daily experience, that combination matters: children had chances to attempt something new, while staff took account of their different starting points.

Outdoor and Community Life

Woodland visits were regular in April 2025, and beach outings introduced children to marine life. Staff connected those experiences with environmental questions, including how plastic affects creatures in the sea. The local surroundings became something children could investigate and discuss.

Other experiences that month included zoo trips, train journeys and a visit to a castle. These offered different ways to explore the wider world, from animals to transport and local places. No particular frequency should be assumed for those individual trips.

The garden also supported physical challenges in April 2025. Some older children jumped from low walls, while staff encouraged children to try manageable risks. This is also where the improvement about explanations matters: children needed more consistent help to recognise potential hazards and understand how their actions could affect someone else.

Relationships and Communication

A home visit before starting gives a child the chance to meet a practitioner in familiar surroundings. That makes the relationship part of preparation for nursery, rather than something that begins only after attendance starts. It also gives parents an opportunity to share their child's interests and needs before the daily routine takes over.

Parents can take part in stay and play sessions, spending time alongside their child during nursery activities. Two parents evenings each year provide another opportunity to discuss development. The two formats serve different purposes: one lets families share an experience, while the other allows time for a fuller conversation.

In April 2025, children sought comfort from staff and invited them into their games. They also showed consideration for friends with different needs. Those observations give parents something concrete to weigh alongside the nursery's smaller scale: the relationships between children and adults were visible in ordinary play.

Family involvement that month extended to joint cookery courses for parents and children. Home learning bags helped with changes such as a new sibling. This connected nursery activity with situations a family might be managing at home, giving learning a practical use beyond the setting.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that collaboration with other professionals supported children's progress and that teaching activities were adapted to include children with different needs. This is a dated judgement about practice, rather than a promise about the support any individual child will receive.

The St Leonards manager holds a Level 3 childcare qualification and Level 3 SENCO training. That gives the branch's leadership training relevant to additional needs.

Food is cooked on the premises each day, and the menus change twice yearly for summer and winter. Hot meals are part of the week, making eating a regular element of nursery life as well as a care arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The St Leonards application offers all-day bookings on those weekdays, plus morning attendance from 8am to 1pm and afternoon attendance from 1pm to 6pm. Bookings are organised by weekday and session.

The application also includes all-year and term-time funding options. These are different choices from morning, afternoon or all-day attendance: one concerns the period of the year, the other the shape of a nursery day. Keeping those choices separate helps families identify the arrangement that matches their own routine.

Getting There

The address is 29 Chapel Park Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 6HR, near Warrior Square train station. The nursery occupies a large Victorian house, a useful physical detail when considering the setting's layout and how it might work for a child.

Enquiries can be made on 01424 461188 or through the application form, selecting St Leonards. This keeps the request attached to the Chapel Park Road branch.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare options include disadvantaged funding for two-year-olds, universal funding for three-year-olds and working-family options. The application includes both 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements, alongside a 25-hour stretched offer. Eligibility determines which option applies; these choices do not guarantee a funded place or a particular attendance arrangement.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. For a family comparing morning attendance with full days, the useful comparison is the complete arrangement for the requested days, including how funded and privately paid hours fit together.

• Mealtime independence. In April 2025, some meals gave children fewer opportunities to practise skills such as using cutlery. During a visit, ask how the routine now lets children serve themselves and build those skills.
• Explaining safe choices. The April 2025 improvement action concerned consistency in staff explanations about learning and keeping others safe. Ask how practitioners explain boundaries during garden play and other physical challenges.
• A house-based setting. The nursery occupies a Victorian house and has capacity for 31 children overall. Use a visit to consider the layout for your child's needs and ask how their daily group is organised.
• Your attendance quotation. Morning, afternoon and all-day bookings sit alongside all-year and term-time funding choices. Request a written quotation for your proposed attendance pattern.

Artemis Nursery St Leonards suits families considering morning or afternoon sessions as well as those seeking full-day attendance. Its Victorian-house setting, home visits and opportunities for parents to share activities give it a recognisable character. The April 2025 learning examples add substance, especially the links between gardening, outdoor experiences and remembered knowledge. The two improvement actions are practical points to explore: independence should carry through mealtimes, and safety explanations should be consistent.