Shooting Box Day Nursery

Six babies at most in the Baby Unit, a cot room alongside it and woodland behind a converted manor house: Shooting Box Day Nursery has a recognisable shape. Its appeal is concrete. Babies have their own upstairs space, older children use ground-floor play rooms, and outdoor life extends from the garden into Cromers Woods.

The nursery takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 26 places in total. It sits on Broad Oak Road, Woodstock Park, Tunstall, Sittingbourne, ME9 8AE. That whole-setting capacity is separate from the Baby Unit’s daily maximum; it does not describe the number of children sharing an older room.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest details beneath that judgement were personal relationships, lively storytelling and practical independence, alongside improvements needed in creative work and support for children with SEND. Those findings describe that dated visit rather than today’s daily practice.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit, for children from 3 months to 2 years, is upstairs, takes a maximum of six babies per day and has an adjoining cot room with six cots plus a neighbouring changing room. Separating sleeping and changing spaces from the play room gives the youngest children a clear physical arrangement for different parts of their day.

For ages 2 to 5, the Large Play Room combines dancing space, smaller reading areas and a home corner, with main meals eaten alongside staff. The Second Play Room serves the same ages, opens straight into the garden and supports messy play, mark making and time with a smaller group of peers. These are different spaces within the older children’s provision, rather than separate age stages.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care here: children build skills through play, conversation and everyday routines. The useful question is how that framework becomes an actual day. Reading spaces, pretend play and materials for making marks give children several ways to take part, while the two older play rooms allow activities to happen in different surroundings.

In December 2022, stories prompted children to anticipate what would happen next, and staff used expressive voices to hold their attention. Familiar songs and conversations also encouraged children to use language. Practical tasks mattered too: toddlers tried spreading butter and pouring drinks, while older children practised putting on coats and finding their places for lunch. These examples connect learning with things children can increasingly do for themselves.

In December 2022, two areas needed improvement: adult-designed art tasks restricted children’s own creative choices, and staff needed better strategies to connect children’s SEND support with their interests and next steps, including support to have space for their play. For parents, that makes freely chosen creative work and individually planned support useful subjects for a visit, rather than assuming that a Good judgement settles every aspect of provision.

Outdoor and Community Life

Cromers Woods is directly behind the nursery, and babies as well as older children take regular walks there. The garden has a climbing frame, a large sand pit and a vegetable patch, with areas used by different ages. Weather permitting, the aim is outdoor time each day, either in the garden or on a woodland walk.

The combination gives outdoor play more than one setting. A garden activity and a walk through woodland offer different things to explore, while direct garden access from the Second Play Room links indoor and outdoor experiences. In December 2022, children also explored water, mud and sand, and shared ball skills with one another. That dated example adds substance to the account of outdoor learning.

Relationships and Communication

The Key Person approach assigns one member of staff responsibility for a child’s needs at nursery. This gives families a clear relationship around care rather than relying only on whoever happens to be present. Tapestry, the interactive observation and development system, lets parents see their child’s activities and contribute their own updates.

In December 2022, children had close relationships with their key person and other staff. Parents received information about care and achievements, including help with eating and toileting approaches and ideas for learning at home. These were practical exchanges about daily life, not simply a record of completed activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staff structure includes SENCO responsibilities and a designated safeguarding role. A manager and deputy manager are present throughout, and the team includes first-aid and safeguarding training. Room staff hold NVQ Level 3 qualifications or above. These describe the staffing arrangements; the dated inspection judgement provides the assessment of their effectiveness.

Fresh food is prepared daily by the nursery’s chef using a four-week menu, with meals and snacks depending on the child’s attendance. Its dietary provision covers lactose, gluten, egg and nut allergies; families affected by allergies should discuss how that provision works for their child.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. The nursery closes on bank holidays and during the week between Christmas and New Year. Those closures matter when arranging care across the year, especially for families whose work continues through holiday periods.

The address is Broad Oak Road, Woodstock Park, Tunstall, Sittingbourne, ME9 8AE. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, and appointments to view the nursery can be arranged through the same contact route.

Funding and Paid Extras

In December 2022, the nursery received funding for free early education for three- and four-year-olds. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery’s written quotation, keeping the agreed attendance and any additional charges together so that the actual arrangement is clear.

• Upstairs baby care. The Baby Unit has a six-baby daily maximum and a separate cot room. During a visit, discuss how play, sleep and the move into the older rooms are organised for your child.
• Creative choice and SEND. December 2022 findings called for more child-led art and better individual support strategies. Ask for examples of how children choose materials and how staff plan around a child’s interests and development.
• Attendance and costs. The opening window spans weekdays across 51 weeks, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures. What booking patterns and current funded arrangements can be agreed, and how do meals and consumables fit into the written quotation?
• Allergy arrangements. Dietary provision includes lactose, gluten, egg and nut allergies. Confirm current preparation and serving procedures for your child’s specific needs.

Shooting Box Day Nursery suits families who value a small baby provision, separate sleeping space and regular woodland walks, alongside older children’s access to two play rooms and a garden. Its strongest practical details are easy to picture and relevant to a child’s day.

The December 2022 Good judgement provides a positive assessment with meaningful qualifications. Creative freedom and individually planned SEND support deserve attention, while the Key Person approach and Tapestry offer clear ways for families to stay involved. The deciding fit is the combination of age-appropriate spaces, outdoor experiences and an attendance agreement that works for the family.