Sunrise Community Nurseries

A baby garden, a dedicated sleep room and an outdoor classroom give Sunrise Community Nurseries a practical identity: space for children to rest, explore and move as their needs change. This not-for-profit community nursery on Brockley Way in Brockley, London, takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 94 children. Its purpose-built setting brings different kinds of play into the same nursery day.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 3 August 2023. That dated judgement provides a useful starting point, while the current offer gives families concrete arrangements to weigh: an online learning journal, gradual settling sessions and meals prepared in an on-site kitchen. Full days and funded morning sessions serve different attendance needs.

Rooms and Ages

Little Explorers serves babies from 3 months to 2 years, with a maximum of 12 children and an emphasis on sensory discovery, early language and relationships. The baby environment includes individual cots, a dedicated sleep room and direct access to a secure baby garden. Separating sleep space from active play is a useful practical feature for families whose child still needs daytime rest.

Busy Builders caters for children aged 2 to 3 years, with capacity for 16, emphasising self-help skills, playing alongside others and creative activity. The toddler environment combines construction resources, a home-and-shop role-play corner, books and independent toilet facilities. Children can practise making choices through resources they can reach themselves, while quiet corners give them somewhere to pause between more active experiences.

School Readiness takes children aged 3 to 5 years, with a maximum of 26, concentrating on early reading, number work and confident communication. Writing resources, an investigation table and a library area give preschool children different ways to pursue an interest. This is preparation through activity: handling materials, trying ideas and working with other children, alongside more structured learning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning, development and care, with play supporting language, movement, relationships and early understanding of the world. Sunrise also follows Birth to 5 Matters guidance, using purposeful play and a balance of child-chosen and adult-guided activities. The approach is set out on its learning and curriculum page.

Activities change with age. Babies have treasure baskets, songs, picture books and opportunities for movement; toddlers explore cooking, construction and imaginative play. Preschool children tackle investigations, collaborative projects and early reading activities.

The timetable makes room for outdoor activity, stories, individual attention and time with a key group. Multi Sports takes place on Mondays within the afternoon outdoor period. The routine can change with the weather, children's needs and special activities, so its sequence supplies a rhythm rather than an identical day for every child.

In August 2023, children practised balancing on timber equipment and crossing an unsteady bridge, while younger children explored wheeled toys. Other experiences included searching beneath a log for insects and mixing paint with cornflour.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Nature Discovery Garden has raised beds and opportunities to observe wildlife, while the Covered Outdoor Play Space provides sheltered space for sensory activities. An outdoor classroom and vegetable-growing areas add places for practical exploration. Outdoor provision therefore includes quieter discovery as well as energetic movement.

Indoors, the Sensory Room combines lights and soft play areas for exploration and calm. The Multilingual Library contains books in different languages, giving stories and cultural experiences a physical place within the setting.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key worker responsible for their development, wellbeing and relationship with the family. Settling begins with short visits alongside a parent, followed by longer sessions and regular feedback over a gradual introduction. That gives families a defined process for building familiarity with both the setting and the person who becomes their main contact.

Communication continues through eyWorks, an online journal carrying photographs, observations and development updates. Parents can contribute observations from home and comment on their child's profile. Individual Parents Evenings and a quarterly Parent Forum create separate opportunities for discussion, rather than leaving all communication to brief conversations around the nursery day.

In August 2023, development assessments were shared with school teaching staff when children moved on. Passing on that information helped connect the child's nursery experience with the next stage.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, children with SEND receiving useful targeted support, and children generally progressing well across their learning. Those findings belong to that inspection date. The current facilities include wheelchair access, adapted toilet and changing facilities, and equipment supporting visual and hearing needs; these describe practical arrangements rather than guaranteeing suitability for every child.

An in-house cook prepares meals and snacks in the nursery kitchen using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced locally. The nursery's dietary policy asks families to supply documentation for intolerances and accommodates dietary needs and allergies, with religious dietary restrictions followed where within its control.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day bookings run from 8am to 6pm; the Morning Session for the 15-hour entitlement runs from 8am to 1pm.

Funded hours can be taken in uninterrupted blocks on days the nursery opens, subject to availability. Stretched funding is offered across the year, while term-time-only funding is offered for eligible 2-year-olds receiving 15 hours and preschool children receiving 15 hours, also subject to availability. The annual closure pattern includes bank holidays, three inset days and a Christmas closure lasting one week.

Admissions enquiries go to admissions@sunrisechildren.uk or 020 7639 1802. Applications include a preferred start date and attendance preferences, plus medical, dietary and emergency information. A waiting list provides monthly updates, first consideration when a suitable place arises and the option to defer an offered start by up to 3 months. These are booking rules, not a promise of a place.

Getting There

The address is Brockley Way, London SE4 2LW, with free on-site parking in limited spaces. Brockley and Honor Oak Park are the named nearby rail stations; bus routes include 171, 172, 484 and P4.

Funding and Paid Extras

Sunrise accepts 15 Hours Universal (3-4 years), 30 Hours Extended (3-4 years), 30 Hours (2 year old), 15 Hours Early Learning (2-Year-Olds) and 30 Hours (9-23 months), with eligibility conditions applying to the relevant schemes. Private childcare and additional sessions beyond funded entitlement are also offered. The fees and funding page explains the charge structure; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Meals, snacks and drinks are supplied without a separate charge for every child, including children using funded hours. Parents supply nappies, wipes, formula milk and specialist dietary items, including for funded attendance; the nursery does not charge for consumables.

A registration charge and deposit apply to paid places only. Trips, outings and enrichment experiences are voluntary, with parents able to opt out. Permanent withdrawal requires one month's written notice, and fees are paid monthly in advance.

• Baby-room arrangements. Little Explorers has a maximum of 12 children, with dedicated sleeping space and garden access. During a visit, ask how sleep routines and time outdoors are organised for your baby's needs.
• Teaching and parent updates. In August 2023, some staff were unclear about the next learning intended in activities, and detailed information was not consistently refreshed and exchanged with parents. Ask how planning and information-sharing now work alongside eyWorks and key-worker conversations.
• Attendance and funding. The full day lasts from 8am to 6pm, while the funded morning ends at 1pm. Match the written booking arrangement to your child's entitlement and the collection time your family can manage.
• Dietary requirements. The nursery requests documentation for intolerances, and specialist dietary items come from home. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice and responsibilities before their child starts.

Sunrise suits families seeking full-day childcare as well as those considering shorter funded mornings, including eligible term-time arrangements. Its strongest practical attractions are the baby sleep space, outdoor learning areas and a communication system parents can contribute to. The dated Good judgement sits alongside specific questions about teaching consistency and parent updates. For families choosing on the substance of the nursery day, the balance of rest, active play and gradual settling gives this Brockley setting a clear character.