Early Years Nursery

Play, conversation and growing independence give Early Years Nursery its clearest character. Based at Bexhill College in Bexhill-on-Sea, it takes children aged two to five and combines indoor and outdoor spaces with learning built around children's interests. This is provision for toddlers and preschool children, rather than babies.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 17 April 2023. The useful detail behind that judgement is practical: children were learning to take turns, manage personal care and use language during shared activities. That gives families a picture of school preparation rooted in everyday habits.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and eligible children can use 15 or 30 hours of EYEE funding.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, learning through play and children's interests brings physical development, communication and social understanding into everyday activities.

In April 2023, a hedgehog story led to children making dough models and exploring new descriptive words. The connection matters: a story became something children could discuss and make, giving vocabulary a concrete meaning. Poems, songs and books also formed part of the day, with a comfortable reading corner offering a quieter option.

Early writing extended well beyond pencil and paper. In April 2023, children used water to paint walls, made tracks with toy cars through mud and sand, and experimented with marks in soil. Lists and recipes brought writing into pretend cooking. These examples connected movement, imagination and language with early writing.

There was also a clear development point. In April 2023, staff sometimes needed greater clarity about the intended learning for individual children. An appealing activity is only part of the job; planning also needs to establish what a child should gain from it and how to take that learning further.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor spaces are part of the current setting. In April 2023, physical play included an indoor soft-play area, balancing activities, bicycles and ride-on equipment. Children practised steering around one another, combining movement with awareness of other people.

Community experiences brought the wider world into nursery life. In April 2023, children explored cultural differences through stories and through clothing and food shared by parents and community members. A police visit included a look at a van and its equipment. These were concrete introductions to other people's lives and to a public service, rather than abstract discussions.

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effective, with staff involving families and outside professionals and using additional funding to support progress. The value lay in connecting nursery strategies with those used at home.

Relationships also shaped the daily routine. In April 2023, staff helped children discuss feelings when disagreements arose and consider how their behaviour affected someone else. Turn-taking during bubble play provided a small, useful example of children putting that understanding into practice.

Communication with families had several practical forms in April 2023: home learning bags, a lending library and information evenings complemented detailed updates and conversations with staff. These gave parents activities and reading material to use beyond nursery, as well as opportunities to discuss concerns.

Health and independence were woven into ordinary tasks. In April 2023, children ate a healthy diet and brushed their teeth after lunch. Preparation for school included looking after their own personal needs and responding to simple instructions, making the next stage about manageable routines as well as learning.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is on Hastings Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN40 2PU. It opens from 8am to 6pm on weekdays. That opening window is useful for families organising work and care, while the attendance arrangement needs to fit the child's routine too.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01424 223707 or by email at nursery@bexhillcollege.ac.uk. The accepted age range is two to five years.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible EYEE funding is accepted, including 15 and 30 hours. For families comparing childcare arrangements, that is an important starting point: funded entitlement and the child's actual attendance need to be considered together. Eligibility remains a condition of using the funding.

• Annual opening pattern. The nursery gives both 50-week and 48-week descriptions of its operating year. Confirm the closure calendar before matching attendance to work commitments.
• Learning intentions. In April 2023, curriculum planning needed clearer goals for individual children. During a visit, ask how staff now decide the next learning step and adapt an activity to achieve it.
• Attendance and funded hours. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm, and eligible EYEE funding includes 15 and 30 hours. Ask which booking arrangement fits those hours and what the written quotation includes for food and consumables.

Early Years Nursery suits families with children aged two to five who want play-based learning with indoor and outdoor activity, alongside a weekday opening window that can support working routines. The April 2023 examples of conversation, early writing and personal independence give its educational character substance.

The balance is straightforward. Everyday learning and family communication are strengths of the dated account; sharper planning for each child's intended learning was the development priority. The annual closure calendar and the proposed attendance arrangement deserve attention before a family commits.