Carousel Nursery School

Woodland visits, food growing and a toddler classroom that changes from play space to dining area give Carousel Nursery School a clear practical character. This St Leonards-on-Sea nursery combines outdoor experiences with activities back indoors, rather than treating the two as separate parts of the day. There is substance behind the outdoor emphasis: children build dens, work with natural materials and learn to handle real tools.

Ofsted rated Carousel Outstanding on 20 September 2024. The useful detail beneath that judgement was the connection between experiences: children explored growing outdoors, then returned to activities that developed the same ideas, with older children using tools to investigate further.

Children can attend from birth to five years. Alongside the woodland programme, flexible induction and an individual key person give families a gradual route into nursery life. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings serve different attendance needs.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room and Older Babies are named parts of the nursery's organisation. For the youngest children, the practical emphasis begins with their individual routines: parents of under-twos spend time discussing preferences with the key person, so these can be documented before attendance begins.

The toddler classroom contains building materials, art resources and spaces for stories, with furniture that can be rearranged between shared meals and play. That flexibility gives different activities room to happen in the same space, rather than requiring toddlers to spend the whole session around one fixed layout.

In September 2024, babies explored ice and reflective metal objects, noticing faces and expressions as they played. Toddlers squeezed and poured scented water during pretend lemonade-making, with staff introducing vocabulary through the activity. Some also spent time with preschool children to practise skills in another group.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, planning starts with children's interests and next developmental steps, using observation to decide what experiences should follow. For parents, that means the starting point is what their child can already do, rather than simply their age.

Forest School adds repeated woodland learning to that framework. Children visit the woods three to four times each week, with a trained leader supporting risk-assessed outings. Den construction, weaving natural materials and making marks with mud or clay offer practical reasons to cooperate, experiment and solve problems.

A dedicated area inside the nursery supports the woodland programme between visits. The Forest School programme includes learning to judge risks as well as using tools safely.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children help develop snack menus and grow ingredients used at snack time. Weekly cooking adds another practical connection between ingredients and the food they eat.

In September 2024, local walks included growing food and flowers, followed by related nursery activities. Families also took part in a town festival, encouraging their children during the procession. These inspection-time examples connect learning with the surrounding community and give children experiences to discuss afterwards.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is deliberately gradual. Families attend a series of induction sessions, and parents can remain with their child for as long as they feel helpful. Sessions vary in length and introduce different parts of the nursery day, giving children time to become familiar with routines before their preferred attendance pattern begins.

The key person and manager use those sessions to discuss individual needs. Parents share developmental information, interests and preferences, which become a starting point for planning. Babies receive additional settling time so staff can learn their routines; this makes the induction especially relevant to families whose child has specific feeding, comfort or daily habits.

Communication continues beyond induction. Tapestry is an online learning journal through which parents view their child's experiences in an app, using a secure login. It gives families something concrete to discuss with their child and key person, alongside conversations at collection.

Learning Journey sessions, parent information evenings and play and stay sessions provide other ways to participate. Parent forums run twice each term, creating a recurring opportunity for families to contribute to the nursery's development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support highly effective, with early identification of developmental gaps and close work with professionals such as speech and language therapists. That dated assessment is supported by a current, clearly described route for raising concerns: parents speak with their child's key person or a SENCO.

Two SENCOs and a full-time teacher with SEN experience are part of the support arrangements. Staff observe children during the first six weeks to establish a developmental baseline. Where a support plan is needed, reviews take place every six weeks with parents, the key person, the SENCO and any outside agencies involved. The practical benefit is a scheduled opportunity to assess progress and adjust support together.

Carousel can apply to the Early Years Inclusion Support Fund (EYISF) to help children access their early-years experience when additional support is needed. This is an application route, rather than an assurance of funding. For the move to school, staff liaise with the family's chosen school to arrange a gradual transition, including for children with SEND.

Zebedees prepares lunches and teas off site, with lunch menus changing on a three-week rotation and refreshed each half term. Children eat together, with practitioners joining them and supervising babies; families can choose purchased food or provide food from home under the charging arrangements below.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 1 Westmoreland Close, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9LF. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays, with closure at weekends, bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Telephone enquiries use 01424 854725, and a viewing can be requested through the booking form.

Morning choices run from 8am to noon or 8am to 1pm. Afternoon choices run from noon to 5pm, noon to 6pm, 1pm to 5pm or 1pm to 6pm. Full-day options are labelled 8-4 day and 8-6 day, while Early birds is a breakfast club from 7.30am to 8am. Flexible sessions and full-time attendance are also offered.

Funded hours can combine morning, afternoon and full-day sessions.

Funding and Paid Extras

Carousel offers 15 hours for eligible two- and three-year-olds and 30 hours for eligible three-year-olds. Funding can be used term-time or stretched: the 30-hour entitlement has a 23-hour weekly pattern over 50 weeks, alongside use across 38 weeks. Eligibility remains a condition of the offer.

The provision fee is optional. For funded attendance, it pays for breakfast and a morning snack, or an afternoon snack and light tea, and also covers Forest School and its additional staffing. Parents can decline it, give breakfast before nursery and supply the other food themselves, with no charge for their funded hours.

Lunch and a more substantial hot tea are charged separately when purchased from the nursery. Wipes and nappy sacks are provided. Additional hours beyond funding are paid childcare; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure explained on its fees and funding page.

• Woodland participation. Forest School involves woodland visits three to four times a week, including tools and practical outdoor activities. At a viewing, discuss how participation works for your child's age and support needs.
• Food and funded attendance. The optional provision fee and separate lunch choices create different arrangements for families. Agree which food you will supply and which you will purchase when choosing sessions.
• A gradual start. Induction sessions vary in length, and parents may remain with their child. Allow time for that process, especially for a baby whose routines need detailed discussion.
• Individual support. Support-plan reviews run every six weeks and can involve outside agencies. Families already working with professionals can discuss how that existing support will fit into nursery planning.

Carousel suits families who want morning or afternoon sessions as well as those choosing full-day attendance, with repeated woodland learning a substantial part of the offer. The flexible induction, Tapestry journal and scheduled support-plan reviews give parents practical ways to stay involved. Its September 2024 Outstanding judgement provides the dated quality assessment; the decision for families is how the outdoor programme, settling process and food choices fit their own child and routine.