Busy Bunnies Day Nursery

Daily toothbrushing, child-led play and preschool coaching sessions give Busy Bunnies Day Nursery a recognisable character. This family-run setting in Birch Vale combines practical care routines with opportunities for children to make choices, from the activities they pursue to the food they help serve.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That judgement comes with two important development points: more consistent help with behaviour and emotions, and better organisation of group activities for babies. Both matter when weighing how the nursery supports children at different stages.

Busy Bunnies has capacity for 37 children and accepts children from 3 months old. Flexible hours and term-time places sit alongside an opening window that spans the working day. For parents, the appeal is a combination of adaptable attendance, outdoor play and several ways to keep in touch about their child's day.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby and Toddler Room combines daily creative and messy activities with sand and water play, while outdoor access at least twice daily supports movement such as crawling and walking. Planning follows children's interests, giving the youngest children opportunities to explore through their senses rather than relying only on organised group activities.

The Pre-School Room brings children's ideas into planning, develops early work with sounds, numbers and writing, and provides outdoor play twice daily. Its emphasis on independence also connects with mealtimes, when older children pour drinks and use utensils sized for their hands to serve lunch.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; in everyday terms, play and practical experiences help children build communication, physical skills and independence. Busy Bunnies plans around what children are interested in, so their ideas influence the activities adults develop.

In June 2023, pretend care for dolls gave younger children reasons to talk, with adults adding vocabulary as the play developed. Older children used a familiar story as the starting point for imaginative play, which staff extended into sorting and counting wooden fruit. These examples connect language and early mathematics with something the children already wanted to do.

That same June, The Tiger Who Came to Tea prompted discussion about characters and events, followed by practice pouring from a teapot and describing the smell of tea. The value lies in the connection between listening, talking and doing. A story becomes a practical activity rather than ending when the book closes.

Preschool children also take part in Footy Totz, a coached session held every other week. Communication Friendly Setting status sits alongside the nursery's emphasis on children's speech and language; the practical classroom examples above show what language support looked like in June 2023.

Outdoor and Community Life

Both rooms use the outdoor area regularly, making physical play part of the day for younger and older children. In June 2023, children chose when to change activities outside and explored materials independently. That gave them practice expressing preferences and taking responsibility for their play.

A June 2023 example of an outing to Chinatown brought encounters with different foods, local people and chopsticks. It connected learning about cultures with direct experience. This was an example of the nursery's outings at that time, rather than a fixed trip schedule.

Relationships and Communication

For babies and toddlers, settling can involve repeated visits, allowing families to build familiarity before regular attendance. That is a useful starting point for discussing how a child's routine will carry across from home.

Communication has several layers: each child has a daily diary, Parent Hub provides an app connection, and monthly newsletters sit alongside emails and conversations with staff. Parents' evenings take place twice a year, while termly Stay and Play sessions give families another way to take part. Daily updates and longer conversations serve different purposes, combining immediate care information with time to discuss development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The manager holds the SENCO role, and designated safeguarding lead responsibilities are allocated within the leadership team. These are concrete responsibilities within the setting. School transition is also part of the preschool leadership role, including liaison with local schools to organise the move onwards.

In June 2023, staff discussed child protection regularly, refreshed their safeguarding knowledge through training and checked equipment and play areas each day. Children also practised using scissors and food-cutting knives safely. These are dated examples of how safety was approached in daily activities.

Smile4life, an oral-health initiative, adds a clear routine: children are encouraged to brush at least once during the day, using individual toothbrushes and a dry-brushing method intended to reduce the spread of germs. This gives oral care a regular place in nursery life rather than leaving it solely to home routines.

Meals follow a three-week menu rotation, with daily fruit and opportunities for preschool children to influence choices. Children also cook and bake to explore ingredients and quantities, while the nursery caters for dietary requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm on weekdays. Busy Bunnies offers flexible hours and term-time places, so the attendance offer includes different patterns rather than just one fixed day.

The nursery operates throughout the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. It closes on Christmas Eve and opens again on the first working day of January. Those breaks are useful planning points for families arranging care across working weeks and school holidays.

Getting There

The address is 39 Thornsett, Birch Vale, High Peak, SK22 1AZ. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01663 747350.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted, including 2- 4 year old funding and the funded 30 hours. Private childcare is also offered, and payment routes include bank transfer, standing order and Tax Free Childcare. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Support during group activities. The June 2023 development points concerned consistent responses to children's emotions and behaviour, and how babies were supported when their interest in group activities changed. On a visit, ask how staff now respond when a child needs a break or help to rejoin.
• Choosing an attendance pattern. Flexible hours and term-time places are offered within weekday opening hours of 7am to 6pm. Discuss how your preferred pattern would work alongside the Christmas and bank holiday closures.
• The complete cost of funded care. Funded hours are accepted. Ask for a written breakdown covering their delivery across the year, additional private hours, meals and non-food consumables, so the total arrangement is clear before joining.
• Dietary routines. Children influence menu choices and the nursery caters for dietary requirements. Families managing allergies should discuss current food preparation and serving arrangements alongside their child's individual needs.

Busy Bunnies suits families seeking flexible hours or term-time attendance, with daily outdoor play and regular communication through diaries, Parent Hub and face-to-face conversations. Smile4life and the preschool Footy Totz sessions give its everyday offer specific shape.

The June 2023 Good judgement provides a dated assessment of quality, while the development points keep the decision balanced. The strongest visit discussion will connect those points with the routines your child needs, especially during settling and group activities.