Cheeky Chimps Childcare

Six children a day is the ceiling in Baby Chimps, where a separate sleep area, decking and messy play give the youngest children spaces for different parts of their day. That small baby section is the clearest reason to look closely at Cheeky Chimps Childcare in Ryde. At its November 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective.

At 47a Monkton Street, the nursery has 50 places in total and accepts children from seven months to five years. Baby Chimps, Little Chimps and Pre-School divide the provision by age, rather than putting every stage into one shared group. Morning and afternoon bookings for younger children sit alongside full days and flexible preschool attendance.

The inspection picture has substance beyond the grade: practical independence, conversations around books and physical play all featured in November 2023. There were also two clear improvement priorities: making each child's next learning steps more precise and helping every parent understand the key-person arrangement.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Chimps serves children aged seven months to two years, with purpose-built, self-contained rooms in the clubhouse, sensory activities and a daily maximum of six; its decking, messy play area and separate sleep space allow different activities to occupy different parts of the setting.

For two-year-olds, Little Chimps has a maximum of 12 places and its own room and outdoor space, giving this age group somewhere to play separately from the older preschool children.

Pre-School takes children aged three to five and combines activities directed by adults with time for children to choose their own play, making room for both guided learning and exploration.

These are different kinds of size information. The six-child limit applies to Baby Chimps each day, while the nursery's 50 places describe its overall capacity. Neither figure tells a family how many children will attend another section on a particular day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, it connects play, conversation, physical activity and growing independence, rather than treating learning as a separate lesson timetable.

In November 2023, children practised cutting fruit with plastic knives, giving them practice in doing something for themselves. Books also prompted conversation: children recalled parts of stories and considered what could happen next. Cosy reading spaces gave that talk a physical home.

Role play with friends supported the curriculum's emphasis on communication and social and emotional development at that time. The limitation was in planning what came next: some practitioners were less sure which learning step an individual child needed. The improvement priority was therefore greater precision, rather than simply adding more activities.

Outdoor and Physical Play

During November 2023, babies practised standing using the sand tray for support, while older children used a large swing and balanced on beams and logs. Those examples show physical learning at different stages: finding balance before walking, then testing coordination through larger movements.

The swing also became a place to practise sharing. Children waited for turns and helped friends use it. Physical equipment was serving a social purpose too.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2023, children settled into familiar routines, and practitioners knew their individual interests and skills. Learning information was shared with families regularly. However, some parents did not know which practitioner was their child's key person or what that role involved, so strengthening this understanding was an explicit improvement action.

For a parent, that distinction matters. Receiving updates is useful, but knowing the person responsible for following a child's learning makes those conversations easier to connect over time. The practical question is how the named relationship works during the child's own attendance pattern.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received support adapted to their needs, with practitioners working alongside families and other professionals; sign-language training helped staff support children experiencing speech and language delay.

Baby Chimps has a separate area for sleep, so rest has an allocated space alongside active and messy play. Snacks and full-fat milk are supplied in the morning and afternoon for this section. The sleep arrangement is a useful physical detail for families comparing baby provision: it gives rest its own place within the room layout.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Baby Chimps and Little Chimps each offer a morning session from 8am to 1pm and an afternoon session from 1pm to 6pm, as well as full-day bookings. Additional hours for these sections require prior arrangement with the section manager.

Pre-School offers sessions throughout the day with a minimum booking of three hours. Its opening year covers 50 weeks; Little Chimps operates for at least 50 weeks. The nursery closes at weekends and on bank holidays, so those closures need to fit the family's wider childcare arrangements.

Private fees remain payable when a child is absent, including absence through illness or a family holiday. That is a relevant budgeting term for families whose attendance may fluctuate.

Getting There

The address is 47a Monkton Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2BB. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01983 562 414 or by email to chimpschildcare@hotmail.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts government childcare funding for children aged nine months and above, with no additional fees for funded hours. Preschool funded hours are allocated per term from the term after the third birthday, usually equivalent to no more than 15 hours per week. Families whose circumstances qualify may receive 30 hours per week, which can be spread across 50 weeks.

Private childcare hours are also offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, which is the useful basis for comparing the family's chosen attendance pattern with its funded entitlement.

• The baby section's daily limit. Baby Chimps takes no more than six children a day and has a separate sleep area. On a visit, ask how sensory play and rest are organised across those spaces for your child's routine.
• Individual learning and the key person. The November 2023 priorities were more precise next steps and clearer understanding of the key-person role. Ask how your child's key person will explain planned learning and keep you involved.
• The funded booking and its quotation. Funding begins from nine months, while Baby Chimps accepts children from seven months. Ask for a written breakdown of your chosen pattern, including the treatment of meals and non-food consumables.

Cheeky Chimps suits families choosing morning or afternoon care for younger children, full-day attendance, or preschool sessions of at least three hours. Baby Chimps gives the offer a clear identity: a six-child daily ceiling and separate spaces for sleep, sensory experiences and messy play.

The November 2023 picture combined practical learning and shared play with specific improvement needs around individual planning and parent communication. For families comparing this nursery, the most useful conversation is about how those two strands work together for their own child.