Sevenoaks Day Nursery

A charitable nursery behind the Bat & Ball Centre, Sevenoaks Day Nursery combines an inclusive daily fee with a day built around play, shared meals and rest. Its strongest appeal is practical: meals are included, the same daily rate applies across age groups, and funding can be used alongside paid childcare.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and disabilities positively, while identifying weaknesses in links with other settings, recognition of children's cultural backgrounds and identification of additional funding. Those improvement points matter alongside the grade.

The nursery accepts children aged two months to five years and has 52 places in total. Regular attendance is across the year, with a minimum of two days each week; a separate fully funded morning pattern operates on Thursdays and Fridays.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, exploration and activities that develop communication, movement and relationships alongside early literacy, mathematics and creative expression. This is the common framework for early years provision, rather than an extra programme unique to Sevenoaks.

In March 2024, activities connected children's interests with their next steps in learning. Babies practised colour vocabulary while stacking towers. Older children played games involving turns and explored what happened when they combined paint colours and worked with shapes. These examples give parents a useful picture of learning woven into ordinary play.

Group activities had a place too. In March 2024, younger children joined songs through clapping and actions, while games and sport gave older children opportunities to listen and cooperate. Staff adjusted resources and their involvement as children's needs changed during the day. Older children also had choices about activities, giving them a part in shaping their play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Climbing frames featured in the March 2024 account of outdoor play. Children learnt to keep their hands free while climbing and to pay attention to their footing, with peers reminding one another to take care. The emphasis was on learning to manage a physical challenge with guidance.

The nursery's charitable purpose is to provide affordable childcare and early education for the local community. That purpose has a concrete expression in its fee structure: there is no age-based price difference, and meals sit within the daily fee.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2024, the key person system gave children a familiar adult relationship, and children sought staff out for affection and play. Consistent routines helped younger children anticipate what would happen next. Together, those observations describe care based on knowing individual children and making the day understandable to them.

Behaviour support was practical. In March 2024, adults used calm language during disagreements and pictures to help children recognise others' feelings. Older children were forming friendships, with adult relationships providing examples of respectful behaviour. For a child learning to share space and attention, that everyday guidance matters as much as the planned activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In March 2024, additional support included manageable individual targets and an adult's physical reassurance to help children take part. The weakness was coordination with other settings attended by the same children. Families using more than one provider therefore have a specific continuity issue to discuss, rather than a general question about whether support exists.

Sleep follows age and individual need: babies keep their own sleep routine, while toddlers and children from the classroom rest after lunch. This allows the youngest children's rest to follow their pattern rather than requiring everyone to sleep together.

For longer-term medical conditions, risk assessments include parents' contributions and may involve health or social care professionals. Collection arrangements also require named authorised adults; a change needs parental authority before a child can leave with someone else. These are concrete arrangements for sharing responsibility between home and nursery.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Rear Of Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road, Sevenoaks, TN14 5DN, behind the Bat & Ball Centre. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year, closing for a Christmas week and bank holidays.

Regular bookings require at least two days each week throughout the year. Term-only attendance and general sessional bookings are excluded from this model, with the specific exception of fully funded places on Thursdays and Fridays from 8am to 1.30pm. The distinction matters: a regular year-round booking and the funded morning arrangement serve different family schedules.

Applications record preferred days, the intended start date and how flexible each is. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01732 460384 or by email to nursery.admin@sdn.org.uk. A reserved place requires a signed contract and a non-refundable deposit equivalent to two weeks' fees, credited towards the first invoice.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes the universal entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, Working Parents funding and Early Learning for 2 year olds. Universal funding can be spread across 51 weeks or used over 38 weeks; Working Parents funding is also expressed as a stretched weekly allocation. Funding participation does not guarantee a particular place or attendance pattern.

Funding Loop handles parental declaration forms online, with a completed, signed declaration required at each term's start. Working Parents eligibility also needs reconfirmation every three months. These administrative steps are part of keeping funded hours in place.

The daily fee excludes nappies and wipes. The daily fee includes three meals, including a two-course lunch; staff prepare the food on site, following the principles of the Children's Food Trust's Eat Better, Start Better guidance on food and drink for young children. Special diets can be accommodated.

Fees are paid in advance and invoiced monthly, with funded hours deducted before the paid balance is calculated. A Monthly Payment Plan can spread payments evenly across an agreed period, useful where the number of booked days changes between calendar months. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the fees page explains the inclusive daily charge.

• Attendance commitment. Regular bookings require two days each week across the year; the Thursday and Friday funded mornings are a separate arrangement. Match the pattern to your working week before applying.
• Continuity and inclusion. March 2024 improvement priorities covered cooperation with other settings, children's home cultures and identification of additional funding. Ask how these now work for your child's circumstances.
• Visit before applying. A nursery visit is required before submitting an application. Use it to discuss how your child would build a relationship with their key person during settling in.
• Reserving a place. The deposit is non-refundable and equivalent to two weeks' fees, credited towards the first invoice. Include that commitment when deciding whether to sign the contract.

Sevenoaks Day Nursery suits families seeking full days across the year, and those whose eligible funded arrangement fits the fully-funded places on Thursday and Friday mornings. Included meals and an option to smooth monthly payments give its charitable purpose practical value. The March 2024 assessment provides a positive basis for considering it, with clear questions about coordination, cultural inclusion and additional funding to carry into the required visit.