Sunny Days Childrens Nursery Calne

A baby garden, a dedicated dining room and a toddler construction area give Sunny Days Childrens Nursery Calne a recognisable character: play, rest and meals each have their own space. Based on Lickhill Road in Calne, it has capacity for 44 children from birth to 36 months. The whole-setting total is not a measure of the number sharing a room.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with education, behaviour, personal development and leadership receiving the same judgement. That assessment provides a useful starting point, alongside two specific improvements concerning children's independence and participation in organised activities.

Full days and shorter morning or afternoon sessions give families different ways to use the nursery, with an Early Club for an earlier start.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room combines tactile, open-ended materials for movement and coordination with cots, an outdoor baby garden and a separate space for messy play, giving babies opportunities to explore and then rest. These are practical features for the youngest children: the environment accommodates different kinds of activity rather than expecting the whole day to happen in one play space.

Toddlers have an area of their own, with books in a cosy reading corner, materials for building, a messy table for artwork and a space for malleable play. Construction and creative activity sit alongside language, early maths and stories. Children can investigate what materials do, make something themselves or choose a quieter activity.

A dedicated dining room separates mealtimes from play, while a quiet area accommodates naps. For families balancing a child's need for stimulation with their need for downtime, those separate spaces are useful elements of the layout.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS sets the shared requirements for early learning and care: children develop through play, conversation, movement and exploring their surroundings. It is the foundation for the nursery day, rather than an extra programme unique to Sunny Days.

In February 2023, toddlers joined staff in songs with actions and clapping, while imaginative games included caring for dolls and playing doctors. These activities connected language with movement and pretend play. Children could also choose materials and activities that interested them, giving them a part in shaping their play.

During that same month, children experimented with car ramps in the construction area and watched balls travel downhill. Outdoors, they worked together on bridges for balancing, counted their steps and discussed size. These examples show how practical play can introduce mathematical ideas through a problem children are trying to solve.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Lickhill Road outdoor space includes the baby garden, extending exploration beyond the indoor room. In February 2023, the larger outdoor area supported cycling, climbing and running, as well as the bridge-building activity. Physical activity and conversation happened together: children moved, tested ideas and talked about what to try next.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements, close relationships between children and their key persons, and effective communication with parents. The safeguarding assessment included staff's understanding of referrals and checks on adults working with children; it is a dated judgement, alongside the nursery's wider inspection outcome.

In February 2023, staff helped older children talk about feelings and supported sharing and turn-taking during play. Comfort and reassurance were part of those interactions. The key-person relationship gave children a familiar adult connection, an important consideration for parents thinking about the emotional side of nursery care.

Communication has both a daily and a developmental purpose. Online learning journals and daily reports are part of the Lickhill Road offer, allowing parents to follow what their child has been doing. In February 2023, staff also used an app and direct conversations to discuss children's care and progress. That combination gives families more than a record of activities alone.

The independence finding deserves equal attention. In February 2023, children practised washing their hands and finding their belongings, but adults sometimes helped too quickly with tasks such as pouring drinks or wiping noses. The issue was consistency: children needed more opportunities to attempt manageable tasks themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 38-40 Lickhill Road, Calne, SN11 9DF. Opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. The nursery has a large car park, useful for families travelling by car.

A Full Day runs from 8.30am to 5.30pm, and a Morning Session from 8.30am to 1.30pm. Afternoon sessions run from 1.30pm to 5.30pm; Early Club covers 7.30am to 8.30am. Full fee-paying sessions are booked across the year, so the shorter sessions are attendance choices within that year-round model.

For under-threes using Flexible 30 funding, the full-day choices start at three days a week. Flexible 15 includes full-day choices from two days, or morning and afternoon patterns from three sessions. These booking patterns matter when matching funded hours with the time a family actually needs.

The Calne enquiry form and telephone number, 01249 815307, provide contact routes. A visit can also be arranged using a form that lets families select Calne.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through 30-hour and 15-hour options for eligible under-threes. Flexible funding can be stretched across 51 weeks, with the allocation depending on attendance and the term in which the arrangement starts. A Just 15 afternoon pattern also runs across 48 weeks. Parents must supply an eligibility code for checking before taking up the extended offer.

Private session fees include applicable snacks, meals, supplies and Additional Services. For enhanced funded arrangements, food and consumables are charged separately within Additional Services, alongside activities and enhancements; Flexible offers also involve buying private hours beyond the funding. The two charging structures need to be kept separate when comparing costs.

The funding and fees information brings together the Calne schedules. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, matched to the chosen attendance pattern.

• Independence and participation. In February 2023, adults sometimes intervened before children could finish manageable tasks, and organised activities did not consistently include or challenge everyone. During a visit, ask how staff now support self-care and adapt an activity for children at different stages.
• Funding and paid hours. Flexible funded arrangements combine entitlement with additional private hours and service charges. Compare a written quotation for the exact days and sessions you need, including food, consumables and activities.
• Baby play and rest. The baby room has cots, messy-play space and access to the baby garden. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how your baby's own sleep and feeding routine would fit into the day.

Sunny Days suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with Early Club adding an earlier start. Its separate spaces for baby exploration, toddler play, meals and naps give the practical offer substance.

The Good judgement from February 2023 sits alongside clear areas for improvement. Families should weigh the relationships and communication described at that time against the need for consistent self-care opportunities and activities that involve every child. The funding choices also reward careful comparison of the complete attendance arrangement.