Busy Lizzy Nursery

Play, conversation and outdoor exploration give Busy Lizzy Nursery its character. Based at Fant Hall in Maidstone, it takes children from age 2 to infant school age and has 32 places in total. Its outdoor play area adds space for physical activity alongside singing, stories and messy play indoors.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 11 October 2021 inspection. That dated judgement is useful background, with a clear practical point beneath it: children with greater confidence sometimes affected how much quieter children could participate. Giving children of different confidence levels a full part in activities was the improvement priority.

The nursery opens from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. For parents whose childcare needs follow the school calendar, that is a central part of the decision.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop through play, with experiences covering the areas of learning. Busy Lizzy uses a child-led approach, allowing children's interests to shape exploration. Messy play, storytelling and singing give children different ways to express ideas and join in.

Activities are adapted to individual needs, so how each child participates matters alongside the activity itself.

In October 2021, story sessions involved attentive listening, while staff used questions to extend children's thinking. Language work included introducing vocabulary and encouraging children to tell stories again in their own words. These are concrete ways of connecting books with conversation, rather than simply reading aloud while children listen.

Imaginative play also featured in October 2021. Children used role play, miniature play resources and creative activities to explore everyday situations and invented ones. Staff drew on experiences from home, including conversations about pets, to introduce activities about looking after animals. Familiar experiences supplied a starting point that children could contribute to themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

An outdoor play area supports the current offer of exploration beyond the indoor activities. It gives physical play a place in the day alongside the quieter demands of books and conversation.

In October 2021, children practised pedalling trikes and moving ride-on toys with their feet. Staff also helped them use bikes on slopes, combining encouragement to try a skill with instructions about doing it safely. Outdoor play therefore involved both movement and learning how to manage equipment.

Relationships and Communication

Close working with parents is part of the nursery's approach to meeting individual needs. Its emphasis on children's interests makes that exchange relevant to the day: knowing about a child's life beyond nursery can help staff choose activities that have meaning for them.

In October 2021, staff used information from home to shape experiences, and children built relationships with adults as they settled. Peer relationships were part of daily life too: children practised taking turns and drew staff's attention to other children's achievements. Those small interactions gave sharing and recognising others a practical place in play.

The team at that visit comprised five staff, with three holding level 3 qualifications and two holding level 2 qualifications. Staff worked together to maintain continuity for families and adapted teaching as individual and group needs changed. These are details of the October 2021 team, rather than a description of today's staffing.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified helpful support for children with additional needs, including communication through pictures, gestures and speech, alongside work with parents and other professionals. The practical detail matters: support involved changing how children could understand and communicate, rather than relying on spoken instructions alone.

The participation concern belongs alongside those strengths. In October 2021, staff did not consistently recognise when confident children's involvement reduced opportunities for less-confident children. For a parent of a quieter child, the important issue is how adults make space for their contribution during shared activities.

Meals and snacks are prepared daily on site, with local ingredients used where possible. The nursery's dietary policy includes accommodating allergies and specific needs, using allergen labels and working with parents.

Moving on to school also featured in October 2021: staff worked with local schools to support transition and used additional funding to help children prepare for their next stage. This describes preparation and cooperation around the child.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Fant Hall, Fant Lane, Maidstone ME16 8NN. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm on weekdays, with attendance following term time and closure during school holidays. Families should weigh that calendar as carefully as the daily hours when deciding whether the nursery fits their working arrangements.

Enrolment enquiries can be made by telephone on 07857 008437 or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Busy Lizzy offers the Early Years Education (EYE) scheme for eligible children aged 2 to 4. It also offers the Extended Entitlement of up to 30 funded hours a week for eligible children aged 3 and 4. The nursery operates during term time, so the calendar is relevant when considering how funded attendance fits family routines.

Self-funded childcare is offered to families who do not qualify for government-funded provision. Eligibility remains part of the funding statement: the entitlements should not be read as an unconditional offer to every child.

• A quieter child's participation. The October 2021 improvement priority concerned opportunities for children with different confidence levels. During a visit, ask how staff help a quieter child contribute when others are keen to lead.
• A term-time timetable. The nursery opens from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and closes during school holidays. Families needing care beyond those hours or through the holidays should weigh that practical boundary before choosing it.
• The complete childcare cost. Both funded provision and self-funded childcare are offered, and meals and snacks are prepared on site. Request a written quotation explaining the treatment of food and consumables for the attendance you are considering.
• Dietary arrangements. The nursery's policy accommodates allergies and specific dietary needs. Families affected by allergies should confirm current food preparation and handling arrangements for their child.

Busy Lizzy suits families seeking play-led provision for children from age 2 to infant school age within a weekday, term-time routine. Outdoor exploration, creative activities and conversation give its offer a clear shape, while funded and self-funded routes serve different family circumstances.

The October 2021 Good judgement provides a dated assessment, and the participation concern gives parents a precise issue to explore. For a quieter child, the quality of adult attention during shared play is an especially useful deciding point.