Little Explorers Nursery

Garden insect hunts, shopping for cookery ingredients and shared books and stories at home give Little Explorers Nursery a practical, everyday character in its July 2023 account. This St Leonards-on-Sea setting has capacity for 28 children aged 3 to 60 months.

In July 2023, the nursery occupied a converted house. The garden added an outdoor setting for investigation, with logs providing places to search for insects. Those examples connect the premises with children's activities: the outdoor space was somewhere to explore living things, rather than simply a backdrop to play.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that children progressed well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment rather than a description of today's daily practice.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday activities help children build skills. In July 2023, babies experimented with buttons and flaps, while older children searched beneath garden logs for insects. These experiences gave different ages ways to explore cause and effect and investigate living things. For babies, an action produced something to notice; for older children, lifting a log opened up a search. The examples show how everyday materials could prompt exploration at different stages.

The July 2023 inspection also described a recent visit to a local Tesco. Children selected cookery ingredients from a shopping list and used money, connecting an outing with practical learning. There was a purpose to the shopping: ingredients were being bought for cooking, so choosing items was part of an activity extending beyond the shop. It linked a familiar community setting with decisions children could take part in themselves.

During that inspection, children also had opportunities to select activities and explore independently. Their suggestions for games drew staff into play, giving children's ideas a part in shaping what happened. Younger children heard and copied older children's vocabulary, giving conversation a role alongside planned activities. That language exchange mattered in ordinary interactions: words heard from another child could become words used to express a need. For parents, the account brings together adult-planned experiences, children's own choices and learning through contact with other ages.

In July 2023, children sought comfort from staff and invited them into their games. Practitioners encouraged sharing and turn-taking, helping children participate in play together. These were connected parts of daily care: children could turn to an adult for reassurance, then involve that adult in something they wanted to play. Taking turns with resources also gave children practice in making room for someone else's ideas and wishes.

At that time, staff used communication strategies following training to support children with SEND. The practical emphasis was on helping children express their needs. Alongside younger children picking up vocabulary from older children, this gives parents a concrete picture of the language support described in the dated account, rather than simply a general statement about inclusion.

The community library, described in July 2023, enabled families to share books and stories at home; staff shared learning and progress information with parents. The two arrangements served different purposes. Updates helped parents understand what their child was learning, while shared stories gave families an activity to enjoy together beyond nursery.

School preparation in that July account included conversations about the school environment and comparisons between the uniforms children would wear. Staff also encouraged discussion of what children anticipated and what worried them. This made the change something children could talk through, with space for both excitement and uncertainty. The practical details of school life sat alongside children's feelings about moving on.

The address is 30 Fern Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 0UH. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round opening and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. This gives families a clear operating window around which to plan attendance.

In July 2023, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. That historical participation should be kept separate from any current funded booking arrangement.

• Snack-time organisation. In July 2023, some older children waited after handwashing because snacks could not be served to everyone together, interrupting their activities. Smoother organisation was the improvement requested, making the balance between routines and uninterrupted play a useful consideration.
• Planning attendance and settling. With an age range of 3 to 60 months and an 8am to 6pm opening window, how would the proposed booking pattern and settling arrangements work for your child's age and family routine?

Little Explorers suits families seeking care for children aged 3 to 60 months within weekday opening hours. Its July 2023 account gives concrete examples of learning through garden exploration, practical shopping and shared books, alongside preparation for school. The Good judgement provides a useful historical quality marker; snack-time organisation is the specific improvement to weigh alongside it.