Forest Park Day Nursery & Pre School

A separate baby sleep room, an indoor nursery gym for toddlers and gardens used throughout the year give Forest Park a clear practical character. Its spaces change with children's development: babies have low-level resources, toddlers have room to practise movement, and older children can move between indoor play and the garden. The physical arrangements deserve attention alongside the inspection grade.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found effective safeguarding, exceptional progress including for children with SEND, and strong support for communication and independence. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of today's staffing or daily practice.

Forest Park has 82 places in total at Birchlands Business Centre in Tunbridge Wells. It cares for babies, toddlers and preschool children, with individual room entrances and accommodation on a single level. The emphasis is on a child's stage of development, rather than simply moving everyone through identical activities.

Rooms and Ages

Acorns combines resources within babies' reach, sensory exploration and space for children who are crawling or already moving confidently, with a separate sleep room and a kitchen for bottle and snack preparation. Keeping rest separate from active play is a useful physical arrangement for families weighing how nursery will fit their baby's routine. Home routines are followed, and staff spend time learning about both the baby and their parents.

Saplings serves toddlers who are becoming confident movers and starting to communicate and play alongside friends, with an indoor nursery gym, daily group singing and stories, and low beds for rest. Movement need not depend on the weather. Its potty space and small toilet also accommodate children at different points in learning to manage their own toileting.

Little Oaks and Preschool brings rising preschoolers and preschool children into two open-plan spaces with garden access, imaginative role play, cooking and opportunities to serve their own snacks. Planning follows children's interests. The preschool school-readiness plan emphasises practical independence, willingness to try and learning through play, with numbers, shapes and letters introduced through everyday activities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, observation and a child's interests inform the next steps staff plan. A key person assesses development with parental input, so learning plans can respond to an individual child rather than becoming a fixed sequence for the whole room.

Weekly French lessons add a language activity for preschool children at no extra charge. Everyday learning also includes group conversations about emotions and manageable challenges. These give children opportunities to put feelings into words and practise tackling something that takes effort.

In March 2023, babies explored water and instruments while staff introduced vocabulary connected to their play; older children created books using characters and ideas of their own. Those examples make the educational approach concrete. Early communication grew from shared activity, while storytelling gave older children opportunities to make choices and express themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden has an outdoor covered learning lodge, climbing equipment, tunnels and a slide, alongside wheeled toys and a wendy house for pretend play. There is also a separate area for the youngest babies. Different spaces allow movement and imaginative play to sit alongside places where babies can crawl and explore.

Outdoor access extends across the seasons, including wet weather. In March 2023, children practised jumping, climbing and throwing balls, while babies explored steps and sensory activities with staff nearby. These were opportunities to develop both larger movements and the smaller movements used in handling objects.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is each family's main contact for their child's care and development. Joining includes a minimum of five settling sessions, during which parents and the key person complete information about the child's needs. The All about me pack covers matters such as sleep, toileting, allergies and comforters. That makes settling a process of sharing useful knowledge, rather than expecting a child to adapt immediately.

Communication has a defined rhythm. Development summaries are completed twice a year, with an opportunity to discuss progress with the key person; next steps go home every six weeks, alongside a Parents voice response. Learning journeys are also shared with families. This gives parents regular opportunities to contribute what they see at home and raise concerns about development.

In March 2023, daily conversations with parents and home-learning bags containing games, pictures and recipe books connected nursery activities with home life. Staff also used signs to support children's understanding. These examples show how communication operated at that time, beyond the formal assessment schedule.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support includes setting-based plans, parental involvement and access to outside professionals with permission. SENCOs contribute to Education health and care plans alongside the local authority, and specialist input can include speech and language therapists, health visitors and Portage workers. Support is planned around the child's needs rather than a general promise of inclusion.

The building is arranged for wheelchair access, and the environment is assessed against an individual child's requirements when they join. Specific medical needs can lead to a medical care plan. Key people also oversee their children's wellbeing and toileting routines, giving families a consistent point of contact for these everyday care matters.

Moving to another setting or school involves a transition form prepared by the key person with parents. It passes on information about the child to their next setting. The preschool emphasis on self-care and trying new things complements that practical handover.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, with the nursery operating for 51 weeks each year. It opens Monday to Friday and closes for bank holidays and Christmas. These details matter for families matching childcare with work and arranging cover during closures.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email to manager@forestparknursery.co.uk or by telephone on 01892 512313. The form includes space for a child's date of birth and the family's message.

Getting There

The address is Units 3 & 3a, Birchlands Business Centre, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5JH; the nursery's entrance address also identifies Benhall Mill Road. A large car park and a lobby where families can leave a pushchair or car seat provide practical support for transporting young children.

• The attendance and cost agreement. Opening runs from 7.30am to 6pm across 51 weeks, while weekly preschool French lessons carry no extra charge. What session pattern can your family book, and what does the written quotation cover for funded hours, meals, consumables and closures?
• Settling takes planned time. Children have a minimum of five settling sessions, with parents contributing information for their key person. Build that process into the move to nursery, and use a visit to discuss how it will fit your child's routine.
• Development shapes room moves. Saplings is intended for children becoming confident walkers and communicators, while preschool concentrates on independence and preparation for school. Discuss how staff decide a child is ready to move and how familiar care routines carry across.

Forest Park suits families who value practical independence, regular outdoor play and a defined relationship with a key person. Its strongest tangible details are the separation of babies' sleep space, indoor movement opportunities for toddlers and older children's access to the garden and everyday cooking.

The March 2023 Outstanding judgement provides a substantial quality reference. The current arrangements for settling, parent communication and individual support give families concrete matters to weigh alongside it. For those matching care to a working week, the opening hours and annual closure pattern are central to the decision.