Manor Twiglets Nursery

A mud kitchen, walks through Manor Primary School’s grounds and a nursery day built around play give Manor Twiglets Nursery a clear character. Its purpose-built premises on Downsview Crescent in Uckfield accommodate children from their second birthday, with capacity for 60 children in total. This is a setting with practical links to school life, rather than a school place secured by nursery attendance.

At the 1 July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and identified younger children’s independence as the area needing further attention. That last point matters: older children were managing food and belongings themselves, while younger children sometimes needed more encouragement to attempt everyday tasks.

Families can combine morning, afternoon and additional early or twilight sessions, with term-time and holiday care offered across 50 weeks.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage organises learning across communication, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Here, those areas translate into play with materials, stories, construction and pretend scenarios. Children’s interests and observations of their development inform their next steps.

The activity areas give children different ways to explore. Paint, cornflour, sand and water provide messy play; magnets and blocks support construction; crayons and stencils encourage mark-making. A play kitchen, dressing-up materials and dolls supply the ingredients for role play. Threading, sorting and puzzles sit alongside computers, beebots and talking tins, so hands-on problem solving and technology both have a place.

In July 2025, children helped choose books, joined familiar actions and phrases, and discussed characters with staff. The Very Hungry Caterpillar introduced butterfly development and new vocabulary, connecting stories with learning about the natural world.

Other July 2025 examples connected language with practical activity. Children making a mixture of flowers and leaves explored ideas about how full a container was, while vegetable grating exercised small hand movements. Older children collaborated on car ramps, negotiating turns and sharing construction ideas. Play provided opportunities to practise both words and cooperation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Grass, tarmac and hard surfaces give outdoor play several settings, with a mud kitchen for mixing and experimenting. Forest school activities add outdoor learning alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage.

In July 2025, physical play included a tyre swing and pallets used as an imaginary boat. Adults offered help with movement and extended the pretend play through conversation. Children could test their balance, confidence and ideas within the same activity.

Walks include Manor Primary School’s grounds. Families can participate through the annual Christmas bazaar, which welcomes relatives and friends, or a parent rota helping with everyday jobs.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who follows their progress and is a family contact. Settling includes time with a parent or carer, while the manager or deputy gathers information to help the child adjust.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, includes an introductory form covering likes, dislikes and preferred support. Parents can contribute information and photographs from home, helping staff connect what happens at nursery with the child’s wider life. Learning Journey records are passed to families when children move on to school.

In July 2025, everyday conversations and termly consultations involved parents in planning next steps, with staff offering ideas for learning at home. Families could discuss progress and contribute to it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adapted activities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, using additional adult support and links with speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and paediatricians. The current support process involves the key person and SENDCO, with family meetings to agree developmental targets and referrals to other professionals made with permission.

Visual timetables, small-group activities and cards showing what happens now and next help make routines understandable. Makaton signing is used during sessions as another communication tool. These mechanisms are useful details for families considering how their child will follow instructions, express needs or manage changes in activity.

The physical arrangements include accessible toilets, wide doorways and a ramp to the playground. Care discussions before starting cover sleep and nappy routines. Prescribed medication requires a permission form, and one member of staff witnesses another administering it. Collection by someone other than the usual adult uses a previously agreed password; children cannot be collected by anyone under 16.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery address is Downsview Crescent, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1UB. It opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 6pm, and offers term-time and holiday care across 50 weeks. Bank holidays are closures.

Bookings comprise an Early Session from 8am to 9am, a Morning Session from 9am to noon, an Afternoon Session from noon to 3pm and a Twilight Session from 3pm to 6pm. Flexible sessions are also offered, allowing shorter sessions or combinations extending the day.

The After School Club runs during term time, from 3pm to 6pm, for children aged 2 to 11, with collection from Manor Primary School. Holiday Club also caters for ages 2 to 11 and opens from 8am to 6pm on weekdays during school holidays. These services may be useful where siblings need care around the school day or during breaks.

A registration form is collected from the nursery before starting. Contact is through 01825 765487, including enquiries about open mornings. Nursery fees are paid termly, extra sessions are paid for when booked, and fees remain payable during a child’s absence. Withdrawal requires four weeks’ notice, so the commitment extends beyond the sessions a child actually attends.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through term-time and stretched arrangements. The options are 30 Hour Funding or 15 Hour Funding over 38 weeks, 22.8 Hour Funding over 50 weeks, and 12 Hour Funding over 47 weeks with six hours in the 48th week. Eligible two-year-olds can receive funded provision, but this site takes children only from their second birthday. Eligibility conditions still apply.

Funded attendance falls between 8am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. Hours beyond the entitlement are charged privately, and extra school-term days can be booked and paid for separately. Families can obtain current prices in a written quotation and use the nursery fees page to understand the structure before comparing attendance choices.

Snacks are included in morning and afternoon session fees, breakfast is included in the Early Session for children arriving before 8.30am, and the 5pm to 6pm portion of Twilight includes a snack. Zebedees supplies separately charged hot lunches for children staying through lunchtime into the afternoon; children starting at noon eat beforehand or bring a packed lunch, as hot lunches are not ordered for that start time.

Parents provide nappies and wipes when needed. Spare clothes, wellies and a sun hat are also part of the practical preparation for messy activities and outdoor play. Easily managed clothing supports children attempting dressing and toileting for themselves.

Moving on to School

The nursery describes a close partnership with Manor Primary School, including school visits beginning in October before children start school. Key people share learning information with receiving teachers, including support plans where relevant. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Younger children’s independence. The July 2025 improvement point concerned opportunities to attempt simple tasks. During a visit, ask how adults now encourage the youngest children to manage food, clothing and other routines themselves.
• Funded hours and later care. Funding is taken between 8am and 3pm, while Twilight continues until 6pm. Compare the funded pattern with the private hours and lunch arrangements your family would use.
• School connections. Visits and information sharing with Manor Primary School support familiarisation, but they confer no guaranteed Reception place. Plan the nursery choice and school application as separate decisions.
• Starting together. A settling session is expected to last approximately an hour, with longer allowed where needed. Use that time to discuss your child’s routines and, where relevant, how the SENDCO and key person will coordinate support.

Manor Twiglets suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, including combinations with early or twilight care. Outdoor learning, flexible attendance and preparation for school are its attractions, alongside the key-person and SENDCO support processes. The July 2025 concern about younger children’s independence deserves a specific conversation.