Wild Monkeys Nursery

Outdoor exploration and small steps towards independence give Wild Monkeys Nursery its character. Based at The Hub in Peacehaven, this is the setting known as Wild Monkeys Nature Nursery, with capacity for 40 children. Its nature school sessions bring bug hunting and making things with natural materials into the week, while outdoor activity continues throughout the year.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, with more precise teaching identified as the improvement needed. The practical distinction matters: activities engaged children, but their intended learning was sometimes less clear. Parents should weigh the outdoor offer alongside that teaching priority.

Children attending in April 2025 were aged two to four. Current attendance combines term-time opening with fixed or flexible hours, rather than an all-year childcare arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play and activities sit alongside support for communication, physical development and relationships, rather than being separate from them.

Nature school sessions add hands-on outdoor exploration several times a week in local natural areas. Bug hunts, making marks with natural objects and imaginative play using those materials give children concrete things to investigate and talk about. Outdoor use continues in different weather throughout the year, so this approach carries a practical clothing consideration as well as an educational one.

In April 2025, children's interests helped shape activities, and interactive storytelling drew them into the nursery day. Staff used pictures and hand signs to help younger children communicate. Older children, including those learning English alongside another language, took part in conversations, asked questions and talked about their learning. These are useful examples of how communication was woven into play rather than reserved for a separate lesson.

The teaching weakness was about purpose. In April 2025, some activities had an overall aim but did not make the intended learning sufficiently clear to children. Enjoyment alone was not the issue; the next step was to make teaching more deliberate so that an activity's learning intention guided what happened.

Outdoor and Community Life

Running, jumping and climbing apparatus formed part of the outdoor environment in April 2025. Staff also used outdoor space to explore the natural world. This gave physical activity and observation a place in the same day, rather than treating the outside simply as a break from indoor play.

Community experiences at that time included local walks, bus journeys and buying supplies in shops. Children also learned about people working nearby, including the police. These experiences brought everyday places and roles into their learning: a shop purchase or bus ride became something to discuss and understand.

In April 2025, settling arrangements were adapted for children who struggled with separation. Time spent getting to know adults before starting fully helped build familiarity. Parents shared information about existing routines and what their children already knew, giving staff a more useful starting point than a standard settling timetable alone.

Daily independence was encouraged in small, manageable ways during April 2025. Children looked after belongings, put resources away and attempted tasks such as pouring drinks or opening packaging, with help available when needed. Adults also supported sharing and waiting. For parents, these examples show the everyday habits that sat alongside planned activities.

At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities making good progress, supported by targeted help and participation in activities. This is a dated judgement about practice, rather than a promise about any individual child's experience.

The same month, staff supervision and additional training supported professional development. Eight staff were employed, six with childcare qualifications extending up to level 6. These figures describe the team at that time; they are not a statement about today's staffing or the number of adults in any particular group.

Dietary and medical needs were addressed through staff knowing individual children in April 2025. Parents were invited to contribute to learning and take part in nursery activities. The useful thread is the exchange of information: routines, health needs and interests informed how staff worked with each child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Hub, Piddinghoe Avenue, Peacehaven, BN10 8RJ. Opening hours are 8am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, during term time only. The annual pattern covers 38 weeks, with closure on Thursdays, bank holidays and school holidays.

Fixed hours and flexible hours are both offered. Flexible hours accommodate families needing different sessions from week to week and can extend funded attendance with paid hours. Session starts can be 8am, 9am or noon; finishes can be noon, 1pm, 3pm or 4pm. These are choices of start and finish, rather than a single compulsory day length.

Paid hours remain chargeable when a child is away on holiday or sick. Fees fall due at the start of each month, so families using changing sessions need to account for the payment timetable as well as their weekly attendance needs.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers up to 15 or 30 hours of early years funding, depending on eligibility, delivered during term time. Hours beyond the funded allocation are charged under the fixed or flexible contract chosen. Snacks are included with both funded and non-funded hours.

Uniform is an optional additional service. Costs for larger outings or events are discussed with parents beforehand. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the opening hours and fees page provides the practical starting point. No booking deposit is required at the Nature setting.

Getting There

Nature Walking Map and Nature Cycle Route provide walking and cycling routes, including connections from the Meridian Centre. These give families concrete routes to consider when planning their journey to the Piddinghoe Avenue setting.

Enquiries can be made by email to office.wildmonkeys@gmail.com.

• The term-time calendar. Thursday and school-holiday closures are part of the attendance pattern. Families needing care on those days should assess that fit before choosing their weekly sessions.
• Purposeful teaching. The April 2025 improvement priority concerned making intended learning clearer. On a visit, ask how a recent activity was planned and how staff recognised what children learned from it.
• Outdoor preparation. Nature school sessions happen several times a week and outdoor use continues throughout the year. Discuss the clothing children need for this routine.
• The full childcare quotation. Snacks are included and additional hours are charged. Ask what arrangements apply to lunch and non-food consumables within your proposed attendance contract.

Wild Monkeys suits families seeking term-time care with either a regular fixed-hours pattern or sessions that change from week to week. Its nature school activities give the outdoor offer substance, while the April 2025 account of settling and everyday independence supplies useful detail about children's experience.

The balance is clear: outdoor exploration and individual settling are reasons to consider it, while more precise teaching remains the dated improvement priority. The four-day opening pattern is equally important to the decision. A good fit depends on both the child's experience and the family's calendar.