Rabbit Patch Day Nursery

Garden doors, sheltered decking and a preschool room beside a large willow tree give Rabbit Patch Day Nursery a clear outdoor identity. At Willow Cottage in Plummers Plain, the connection between rooms and garden is a practical part of the layout: younger children have sheltered space outside, while older children have access to decking and the larger garden. That matters for families who want outdoor play woven into the day.

The nursery has capacity for 55 children, with an overall age range of six to 60 months. Ofsted rated it Good at its May 2021 inspection. The room arrangements bring more useful detail than the headline capacity: Cherry Blossom serves younger children, Silver Birch supports the toddler stage, and Willow Tree combines preschool play with a sensory room.

Morning, afternoon, full-day and School Day bookings give families several attendance patterns, with a minimum of two sessions each week.

Rooms and Ages

Cherry Blossom Room takes children from 10 months, depending on their development, to two years, and connects directly with the garden through sheltered decking. For younger children, that covered space provides an outdoor area close to their room. Its play resources encourage exploration rather than requiring one fixed use, leaving children room to develop their own ideas.

Silver Birch Room serves children aged two to three, combining activities led by adults with play chosen by children, outdoor access through bifold doors, and its own toilets and changing area to support toilet training. Those facilities put a significant everyday transition within the room's routine. Children can move between indoor play and the decking rather than treating outdoor time as a completely separate part of the day.

Willow Tree Room, for ages three to five, pairs natural materials for imaginative and creative play with an indoor sensory room. The preschool environment also has bathroom cubicles dedicated to this age group. The emphasis is on children discovering possibilities in materials, alongside support tailored to their individual move towards school.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and development: communication, sharing and taking turns, and creative exploration form part of the day. Observations help staff plan what each child needs next. Rabbit Patch adds an emphasis on children's interests, creative ideas and learning outdoors. Natural materials are used inside too, connecting the indoor approach with the garden rather than reserving exploration for outdoor sessions.

Communication has a practical addition: staff use Makaton, a form of sign language used in early years. Visual timetables and prompts also help children understand the routine, including those who feel unsettled or do not speak English. These are concrete ways to make the nursery day easier to follow.

Food becomes an activity as well as a meal. Children cut fruit and vegetables for snacks and take part in making foods such as bread, butter and cream cheese. Each month, they select a country for a week exploring its culture, ending with a shared meal. This gives food preparation a place in learning, with opportunities to handle tools and encounter unfamiliar ingredients.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden includes a sensory garden, a construction and digging area, hills and a secured pond where children can help feed the fish. Rabbits, hens and guinea pigs add another connection with living things. These different spaces give outdoor play several directions: digging, tending plants, moving across uneven ground and observing animals.

Forest School adds exploration of nature and imaginative activities in the neighbouring woodland. Woodland, garden doors and decking give children several settings for outdoor exploration. Families drawn to nature-based play have more to consider than a single outdoor activity on a timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person before starting, with reassignment possible if another bond becomes stronger. This main parental contact plans individual care and learning with families, linking home and nursery.

Up to four settling sessions help introduce nursery life. Parents remain involved while separation is introduced gradually, with the settling period tailored to the child.

Tapestry, an online learning journal, lets parents securely follow learning from their own devices. Two annual parents' evenings and additional meetings allow longer discussions; children aged two to three also receive day sheets alongside verbal handovers.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCO, key person and parents assess needs and plan SEND support together. Progress and support plans are reviewed every four weeks, giving families regular opportunities to evaluate arrangements and agree next steps.

The building is on one level, with wide room doors and an accessible toilet; a small step separates the decking from the garden. These physical details matter alongside the support process for children with mobility needs. Planning can also involve relevant professionals and specialist resources.

Sleep arrangements allow babies' individual routines to be followed with guidance from parents. The sleep policy requires supervision and documented checks every 15 minutes. A safeguarding lead is contactable during opening hours, and recruitment arrangements include reference and DBS checks. These are care procedures, rather than a current inspection judgement on their effectiveness.

A nursery chef prepares fresh meals and snacks, with dietary requirements and preferences incorporated into the food arrangements. For children moving to another setting or school, staff share information with parental consent and, where possible, arrange a visit or photographs; room moves can include visits accompanied by the child's key person.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm, Mornings from 8am to 1pm, Afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and School Day from 9am to 3pm. Full-time attendance is five days a week, 8am to 6pm; personalised sessions can be discussed.

The minimum booking is two sessions per week. Early drop-off at 7.30am carries an additional charge. Rabbit Patch operates for 51 weeks annually, closing for bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year; new term-time sessions are not offered, although existing families on that pattern can retain it.

The address is Willow Cottage, Handcross Road, Plummers Plain, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6NX. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email to manager@rabbitpatchnursery.co.uk or on 01403 891976.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible younger children and for three- and four-year-olds. The preschool funding arrangement is stretched across the year: 30 hours extended funding becomes up to 22 hours weekly, while 15 hours funding becomes 11 hours weekly across 51 weeks. Additional private hours are charged separately.

Meals and snacks are included in the standard private session prices. During EYFE funded hours, meals, non-food consumables and activities each have a separate optional charge. The registration charge does not apply to families using EYFE-only hours. This distinction matters when comparing the cost of private attendance with funded attendance.

A month’s notice is required for leaving or changing sessions. Fees are paid in advance through equal monthly payments, and sickness, holidays and bank holidays do not attract refunds. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation; the fee breakdown sets out the session and charge categories.

• Youngest children's room. The overall age range starts at six months, while Cherry Blossom starts at 10 months depending on development. At a visit, ask which room and care arrangement would apply to a younger baby.
• Settling and separation. Up to four settling sessions sit alongside an individual approach to separation. Discuss how parental involvement would be organised around your child's needs and your return to work.
• Funded attendance costs. Meals, non-food items and activities carry separate optional charges during EYFE funded hours. Compare the written quotation for your chosen sessions, including the arrangements if you decline those extras.
• Year-round commitment. New term-time patterns are not offered, and there are no refunds for sickness, holidays or bank holidays. Families whose childcare needs follow school terms should weigh those terms before booking.

Rabbit Patch suits families who value garden access, natural play materials and a clear key-person relationship, whether they need morning or afternoon sessions, School Day attendance or full days. The decking, woodland and sensory room give that preference something concrete to rest on.

Its appeal is strongest for families comfortable with year-round attendance and a gradual settling process. The dated Good judgement provides the inspection position; the everyday decision turns on the room arrangement, attendance pattern and funded-hours quotation that fit the child and family.