Hedgehogs Nursery School

Seven play zones give children choices at Hedgehogs Nursery School, with adult-led activities alongside them and a large outdoor play area extending the space for play. This Haywards Heath setting takes children aged two to four and has capacity for 26 children in total. Its character centres on play, individual development and a close working relationship with parents.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 23 March 2022. For families choosing it now, the practical strengths are concrete: a key person for each child, introduction sessions that can be repeated according to need, and learning journals that parents can access online. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance patterns sit within a term-time offer.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning here: children explore through play, develop communication and physical skills, and encounter activities involving literacy, mathematics, expressive arts and understanding their surroundings. Personal, social and emotional development receives attention too. The emphasis changes with children's development, with flexibility around when different areas receive more attention.

Choice has a physical structure. Children can select from seven play zones, while staff also lead activities that children can join. That gives families a useful picture of the day: opportunities to pursue an interest coexist with experiences planned by adults. A new topic runs each half term, with a different aspect explored each week, providing a thread through the activities.

Individual planning adds another layer. Observations inform each child's next steps, which are written termly and shared with parents. Activities can be adapted to make them accessible, with expectations adjusted for the child. The useful question is how those individual next steps connect with the shared topic, especially for a child whose interests take them in another direction.

Outdoor and Community Life

A large outside play area accompanies the indoor playrooms. More detailed accessibility arrangements include a paved area, a slope towards the garden and an indoor layout on one level. Child-height furniture and a visual timetable are further practical features, giving children accessible resources and a way to follow the sequence of their day.

Parents can contribute talents such as music, craft, languages or cooking, either regularly or through a single visit. Families are also invited to accompany walks and outings. These are opportunities for parents to participate directly in nursery life; the arrangements for an individual outing are discussed with families beforehand.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with introduction sessions for the child and parent together. There is no limit on how many a child may need. That flexibility matters for a child who takes time to become comfortable with unfamiliar adults and surroundings: the introduction can develop around their response.

Each child has a key person who maintains their Learning Journal and meets parents to discuss learning. Parents receive verbal feedback at collection and can access the journal online through an individual login. Termly conversations about next steps give those day-to-day exchanges a longer view of development, while information boards describe the activities children have been doing.

An All about Me checklist provides a starting point before attendance begins. It invites parents to contribute what they know about their child, so support can begin with family knowledge as well as staff observations. Parents can speak with the key person or a manager when needed.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Every Child A Talker (ECAT) is used to monitor speech development, with next steps discussed and agreed with parents. Where additional support is needed, the key person and SENCO work with the family on strategies. Individual Play Plans (IPP) are reviewed and updated as needs change, making the support process something families can discuss and revisit.

With parental agreement, specialists can contribute and parents can attend review meetings. The nursery welcomes input from speech and language services, health visitors and other specialist teams. Support decisions take account of the child's needs; attendance days and any additional funding agreed affect the support available.

The accessible layout includes a disabled toilet with hand rails and a toilet frame, alongside child-height sinks and toilets. Interpreters can be accessed where English is not the family's primary language. These are specific arrangements to discuss against a child's requirements, rather than a blanket promise about what support will suit everyone.

Sessions and Attendance

Hedgehogs is at the Albemarle Centre, Appledore Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2AQ. Attendance is term time only, with morning sessions from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm; all-day sessions are also offered every day. Lunch club runs from noon to 1pm.

Opening hours are 8am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3pm on Friday. These opening hours extend beyond the named morning and afternoon sessions, so families should distinguish the building's operating window from the attendance pattern they book.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts FE Funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, along with the 30 hours extended funding. Children attending the noon-to-1pm lunch session can bring a packed lunch. Snack time includes fruit and vegetables, with milk or water encouraged.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Term-time routine. Morning, afternoon and all-day patterns are offered during term time. Families needing care through school holidays will need an arrangement that covers those periods.
• Opening hours and booked sessions. The opening window begins at 8am, while the named morning session begins at 9am. At a visit, ask how the extended opening window relates to the attendance pattern you want.
• Individual support. Introduction sessions have no fixed limit, and Individual Play Plans can be reviewed with parents. Discuss how settling and support would work for your child, including the effect of attendance days and agreed additional funding.

Hedgehogs suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon attendance, as well as those wanting an all-day pattern. Seven play zones and a large outdoor area give the play-led day a tangible setting, while repeat introduction sessions and regular conversations with a key person make the parent relationship a substantial part of the offer. Its appeal is the combination of choice in play and a clear process for discussing each child's development.