Sunflowers Day Nursery

Three outdoor areas, a tree house and little dens give Sunflowers Day Nursery plenty of space for physical exploration and quieter play. Its purpose-built setting in Pateley Bridge sits within the grounds of Nidderdale High School. Gardens with growing areas, dens and water play bring the rural surroundings into children's daily experiences.

At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Sunflowers Good and found safeguarding effective, with strong communication support and parent partnerships, while identifying inconsistent extra challenge for the most-able children and missed opportunities to develop activities further.

Sunflowers cares for children aged 3 to 48 months and has 50 places in total. Full days, mornings and short days are offered, with both year-round and term-time attendance options. The strongest reasons to consider it are the outdoor space, detailed settling arrangements and practical mechanisms for supporting individual needs.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room serves the youngest children, while the 2deloos Room caters for children aged 1 to 2 and the 3bees Room for those aged 2 and 3. A Pre School Room provides the next stage.

Art and craft feature in the 2deloos Room. Room changes are supported through information and discussion with parents, so the move involves the family as well as the child. Each child has a drawer and coat peg, giving belongings a consistent home.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, communication, physical activity and relationships form part of the everyday educational experience. Sunflowers' SEND policy adds a concrete planning mechanism, with suggestions for making activities easier to access and for extending their difficulty. That matters for children who need a different starting point or a further challenge.

NDNA’s Maths Champion Programme adds staff development around mathematical language, resources and children's understanding. The work includes reviewing staff confidence and comparing children's mathematical confidence before and after new activities and resources are introduced.

In January 2022, mathematical ideas appeared in ordinary play: paper planes prompted discussion about position, while cars travelling through a tube encouraged problem-solving. Conversations allowed children thinking time, and books prompted babies to recognise familiar objects.

Outdoor and Community Life

Across the three outdoor areas, children can explore Mud Kitchens, digging and growing spaces, sand and water play, quiet seating, little dens and a tree house.

Outings include the library, park and Millenium Green, with additional staffing allocated to trips. The sustainability policy connects everyday routines with care for resources through recycling and reuse, while a food bank collection point links the nursery with the local community. Its chosen charity changes annually.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with free sessions spent getting to know the child and family, followed by independent attendance when the family feels ready. Trial sessions usually extend over two weeks, with the child's needs determining the arrangement. A key person acts as the main contact, and an individual development file brings observations and memories together to inform planning.

Daily report sheets cover eating and sleeping, with bottle feeds and nappy changes recorded for younger children. Families can also use a communication book to share changes in routine, interests and experiences from home.

In January 2022, staff responded to babies' signs of tiredness and hunger, including helping them rest in a quiet, comfortable area. Children also practised recognising emotions, sharing and resolving disagreements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Access has been considered in the building itself. Entrance ramps, wide doors, an accessible toilet and accessible outdoor play space support families with physical access needs. Five staff have nursery SENCO training, and the support arrangements include liaison with specialists and individual plans that are monitored and updated.

Where a child needs additional support, parents contribute to planning alongside the key person and SENCO. Individual learning plans identify short-term targets, provision and review arrangements; formal reviews take place at least three times a year. Medical interventions involve consultation with health agencies and a care plan. Admission remains dependent on whether the nursery can meet the child's needs, a material condition for families seeking specialist care.

A nursery cook manages the kitchen and develops menus. Individual bedding, cups and facecloths form part of the health policy, while the Leuven Scale is used to monitor wellbeing.

When children move to school, the nursery communicates with the receiving setting and supplies transition documentation. For children with SEND, information sharing requires parental agreement, and a SENCO or key staff member will usually visit the new setting with the child. That offers a practical bridge between the two settings.

Sessions and Attendance

Sunflowers is on Low Wath Road, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5HL, and opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm. Attendance can cover 51 weeks or 38 term-time weeks. The nursery closes between Christmas and New Year and remains open for the five spring and summer bank holidays, which is useful for families working in farming, hospitality or tourism.

Private booking patterns are a full day from 7.30am to 6pm, a morning from 8am to 1pm and a short day from 9am to 3pm. Funded arrangements also include an afternoon from 1pm to 4pm and a full day from 8am to 6pm using five funded hours. The minimum booking extends across two days each week, with each day lasting at least three or five hours according to the booking.

Initial enquiries can be made by telephone on 01423 712555. If a waiting list operates, existing children's additional sessions take priority, followed by siblings or relatives, then full-time attendance, full-day bookings and part-day attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible children can use 15 or 30 funded hours, delivered over 38 weeks; ordinary private charges apply during periods outside funding. Private fees include meals, snacks and the consumables covered by the Sunflowers Supplement, including nappies, wipes and sun cream. On funded full-day and morning arrangements, meals and snacks carry separate charges, while the three-hour afternoon contains no meals.

From the term after a child's third birthday, the optional Sunflowers Supplement covers consumables and wider provision; it can be waived where it is unaffordable or the child receives EYPP. Swimming is an optional, separately charged activity for children aged 3 and 4. Families obtain current prices through a written quotation, with the charge structure explained on the fees page.

Absence through illness or holidays remains chargeable. Monthly invoices are paid in arrears. For onward schooling, being on Nidderdale High School's grounds does not guarantee a school place; families still follow the relevant school admissions process.

• Notification compliance. On 15 October 2025, Ofsted found that significant events had been notified outside the required timescales. The published outcome states that the nursery remained registered; it does not record a later resolution. Discuss how notification responsibilities are managed now.
• Challenge and progression. In January 2022, activities were not consistently extended as they developed, and the most-able children needed greater challenge. During a visit, ask how the current activity planning translates its extension suggestions into practice for your child.
• Your booking and written terms. The minimum spans two days, and funded meals and the optional supplement need to be separated from private hours in your quotation. Withdrawal notice is expressed as one month in the fee terms and four weeks in the admissions policy; establish which wording will apply to your agreement.
• Settling and individual needs. Visits are arranged for 6.15pm, after the children's nursery day. Use that discussion to agree the trial-session pattern, room transition and any care plan, especially where admission depends on the nursery being able to meet specialist needs.

Sunflowers suits families choosing between full days, shorter school-hour days and mornings, with both term-time and year-round patterns. The gardens and maths staff development give it substance beyond its opening hours. Free settling sessions, detailed daily communication and individual support planning strengthen the practical case.

The January 2022 teaching concerns deserve attention, alongside the October 2025 notification finding. For parents, the decision turns on how today's planning delivers challenge and how the nursery manages its responsibilities, as well as whether its attendance and charging arrangements fit family life.