Okewood Nursery

Oak trees, outdoor play and a village setting give Okewood Nursery its character. Its purpose-built premises in Walliswood have enclosed grounds with grass, tarmac and soft-play surfaces, giving children different spaces for movement and exploration. Outdoor learning has a substantial physical setting here.

Okewood has capacity for 25 children aged one to five. Ofsted rated it Good at its June 2022 inspection. That dated assessment sits alongside a current offer built around flexible term-time hours and some holiday care during Easter and summer.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and practical exploration support their developing skills. In June 2022, activities connected these elements rather than treating them as separate tasks. A story about space prompted children to construct paper telescopes, exchange materials and help one another find the moon. It was an example of a story becoming a shared project.

Language also had practical uses. In June 2022, younger children counted construction bricks, while older children drew on recently learned words to describe shapes. Recognising their names and making marks on different surfaces brought early literacy into everyday activity. These examples show the kinds of small, purposeful experiences that help children prepare for later learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The grounds allow indoor activities to extend outside, with oak trees sheltering several types of play surface. This matters for children who enjoy learning through movement as well as quieter exploration.

In June 2022, a mud kitchen equipped with china crockery gave pretend play real objects to handle, while a fort offered supervised climbing. An outdoor music area supported imaginative play, and tin can alley involved aiming, taking turns and waiting before rebuilding the target. These were concrete opportunities to practise coordination and cooperation.

A morning dance fitness session also featured in June 2022, including the youngest children. Breathing and calming exercises were also part of the June 2022 account, giving children opportunities to practise both movement and calm.

At its June 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received tailored support through collaboration between staff, parents and other professionals. For families needing additional help, the important detail is that support involved people working together around the child.

In June 2022, staff comforted younger toddlers who needed help separating from their parents. Adults modelled considerate interactions, and children shared materials and worked together during play. These observations give a concrete picture of how relationships supported participation at that time.

Communication with families was another part of the June 2022 account: parents received information about daily experiences and learning. Fruit snacks and reminders to drink water featured in the nursery day, alongside attention to sun hats, shade and sun cream. Older children practised helping with their own sun protection, linking care routines with growing independence.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Old School Gardens, Walliswood Green Road, Ockley, RH5 5RD, opposite the Scarlett Arms public house in Walliswood. Opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.

Families can choose their hours rather than paying for time they have not requested. This is a flexible-hours arrangement, with monthly invoices for privately paid time. Some holiday care runs during Easter and summer, providing a separate option beyond the usual term-time nursery pattern.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes FEET Funding (Free Early Education for Two-Year-Olds), Universal 15 Hours Funding and Working Parents – Funding Entitlement. Eligible two-year-olds may receive 15 hours for 38 weeks; universal funding provides 15 term-time hours for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday. Eligible working parents may access up to 30 hours for 38 weeks, subject to income and employment criteria and a valid eligibility code.

Funding is used during term time and does not cover holiday sessions. Families can choose when to use funded hours within the week; hours beyond their entitlement are charged privately. A separate daily consumables contribution is voluntary. Tax-Free Childcare and most employer childcare voucher schemes are accepted, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The funding and fees page explains the charging structure.

Okewood describes itself as a feeder for schools including Rudgwick Primary School and Ewhurst C of E Infant School. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Adult questioning and outdoor literacy. In June 2022, adults sometimes moved through questions too quickly for children to formulate answers, and outdoor play offered fewer opportunities to encounter print. On a visit, ask how staff now allow thinking time and bring letters and reading into the grounds.
• Term-time funding and holiday care. Funded hours apply during term time, while holiday sessions sit outside that arrangement. Families needing care across the year should weigh both parts of the offer together.
• Food arrangements. When discussing the flexible-hours pattern, ask how meals fit the hours your child would attend and which food costs your quotation covers.

Okewood suits families drawn to village surroundings, substantial outdoor space and hours chosen around their needs. Its offer accommodates flexible term-time attendance as well as some Easter and summer holiday care. The June 2022 picture includes imaginative shared play and practical independence, balanced by specific weaknesses in questioning and outdoor literacy. Those are useful points to explore alongside the appeal of the grounds.