Little Monkeys Day Nursery

A sensory room, a lending library and daily walks around Horsham give Little Monkeys a character that extends beyond its playrooms. This nursery on London Road accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and occupies two neighbouring buildings. Its appeal lies in the combination of spaces for quieter exploration, outdoor activity and contact with the surrounding community.

At its March 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged leadership and behaviour and routines to be Strong standard, with achievement, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion at Expected standard, while identifying occasional unevenness in teaching and a need for stronger support for less experienced practitioners.

Children progress through named rooms according to readiness and development. Full-day attendance has a minimum booking of two days a week, making the practical fit as important as the learning offer.

Rooms and Ages

Bush Babies welcomes babies from 3 months in the nursery's bright, airy playrooms. Cheeky Chimps serves younger toddlers, with movement between rooms guided by individual development rather than a single timetable for everyone. Groovy Gorillas accommodates older toddlers alongside preschool children. Amazing Apes is the preschool class for children turning 4 before September.

Across the two buildings, the sensory room provides textures, lights and sounds to explore, while the library gives books and storytelling a dedicated space. These are useful alternatives to active group play. The garden has AstroTurf and play equipment, providing another setting for movement and imaginative play throughout the year.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: everyday play, conversation and routines contribute to their learning. Alongside that framework, Little Monkeys uses the Curiosity Approach, with learning led by children's interests and what engages them in the moment.

Grandir UK's group-wide Educational Programmes, Pathways to Foundations and Foundations to the Future, also guide learning. The branch adds art, baking and singing, giving children different ways to participate rather than relying on one kind of activity. Yoga involves coordination, flexibility and opportunities to practise being calm; sports activities give children further opportunities to develop movement skills.

ProTots makes weekly visits for preschool children. Sing and Sign, Boogie Mites, Molly Moo Cow and Early Years PE are also included among the nursery's enrichment sessions. Those names sit within the Everyday Essentials charging structure, so they matter to the financial decision as well as the nursery day.

In March 2026, babies explored water play by washing dolls and squeezing sponges, and staff used number songs and conversation to introduce counting and vocabulary. Shared reading gave children opportunities to discuss stories and use their imaginations.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily walks connect the nursery with Horsham Park and the Town Centre, while outings also include the library and Jasmine Court. The park's duck pond, sensory garden and children's play area add different things to discover nearby.

Eco Schools recognition sits alongside teaching children to care for their surroundings. The annual Easter chick-hatching activity introduces life cycles through a concrete experience. In March 2026, community outings also included teaching road safety, linking exploration with the practical routines children need outside nursery.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2026, children turned to their key person for comfort, babies received cuddles and reassurance, and staff drew on knowledge of children's home interests when planning activities. Changes between activities and rooms were supported by adults. For a young child, those familiar relationships give daily routines a personal point of contact.

Parents receive updates through the nursery app, and parents' evenings take place twice a year. Stay and Play sessions bring families into activities, while the lending library allows books to travel home.

Settling-in sessions and a settling-in pack form part of the administration arrangements. In March 2026, families also received progress reports and daily information, and parents valued the support around moving on to school. That transition work concerned children's preparation for the next stage, rather than an admissions advantage.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding standards met and described individual learning programmes, work with external agencies and specialist referrals supporting children with additional needs, who made progress from their starting points. Current staff roles include SENCOs, designated safeguarding leads and Mental Health First Aiders; the management team also includes a qualified teacher and an early years teacher.

In March 2026, visual prompts and timelines helped children understand upcoming routines and communicate, while targeted resources included calm spaces for children who felt overwhelmed. Sleep was monitored, and staff had received safer-eating training.

The catering package covers breakfast, cooked tea and lunch, plus snacks, with vegan and vegetarian choices and menu planning for dietary needs. In March 2026, coloured plates and photographs were used to distinguish food restrictions, giving staff practical reminders during meals.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Monkeys is at Rex House, 18 London Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1AY. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays. The full-day booking model requires at least two full days each week; families can build a part-week routine or attend throughout the working week.

The nursery operates for 51 weeks, closing for bank holidays and a week over Christmas, with a 4.30pm finish on Christmas Eve. These closures matter when matching childcare to work commitments. Enquiries can be made through the branch's question form or by telephone on 01403 230404.

Swan Walk Car Park is opposite, with The Rec Car Park behind the nursery. Horsham is the nearest railway station, providing a named public transport option for commuting families.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside privately paid hours. The term-time entitlements are 15 hours per week for eligible children aged 2 to 3 receiving additional government support, the universal 15 hours per week for children aged 3 to 4, and up to 30 hours per week for eligible working families with children aged 9 months to 4 years. Here, those hours are stretched across 51 weeks.

Funded hours pay for the agreed education and care. Catering, non-food consumables and Enrichment Experiences are separately charged through Everyday Essentials, including during funded hours; the total monthly childcare bill incorporates that package. Care Products include nappies, wipes, suncream and hand sanitiser.

Fully funded sessions can be taken without additional charges, with arrangements for declining Everyday Essentials discussed with the manager. Funding runs in continuous blocks. Access also requires a separate Parent/Carer Agreement Form returned within the local authority's deadlines.

A non-refundable administration charge applies to privately paid places and covers enrolment processing, settling sessions and a settling pack. For families accessing only funded hours, a deposit replaces that charge and is credited back within a month of the child's start. Annual costs are divided into equal monthly payments; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Teaching consistency. The March 2026 improvement priority concerned support for practitioners earlier in their professional development. During a visit, ask how coaching now helps them deliver the intended learning consistently across rooms.
• Full-day commitment. The minimum is two full days each week. Consider whether that routine and the Christmas closure match your family's working pattern before committing.
• Funded hours and extras. Everyday Essentials separates catering, care products and enrichment from funded education and care, with a route to sessions carrying no additional charges. Ask for a written quotation showing the arrangement you intend to use.
• Your child's daily care. The sensory room and SENCO roles offer concrete discussion points for additional needs; the March 2026 meal arrangements used visual reminders for dietary restrictions. During a visit, discuss how individual plans and any allergy requirements would work for your child now.

Little Monkeys suits families seeking either part-week full-day attendance or a full working-week routine, with community walks, interest-led learning and spaces for both active and quieter play. The sensory room, lending library and Horsham outings give parents tangible reasons to consider it.

Its March 2026 strengths in leadership and routines deserve weight, alongside the priority to make teaching more consistent. The best fit is a family comfortable with the full-day minimum and clear about the separation between childcare hours and Everyday Essentials costs.