Bluebell Wood Children's Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Heathfield for babies from 9 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2011, with 52 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Government funding is available for children from the age of 9 months to 4 years.
Worth knowing. At Bluebell Children's Nurseries, we 'stretch' the funding across the 51 weeks a year that we are open.
What childcare usually costs in East Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
TN21 9BUWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 20 July 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 5 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all ages and abilities are happy, settled and confident at the friendly and welcoming setting. Staff have a secure understanding of how they successfully embed their chosen curriculum. This helps them to ensure that they motivate all children to learn. Children are eager to join in with the interesting activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, older children learn about what happens when they mix substances such as vinegar and bicarbonate of soda together. They are excited to see that they can make 'erupting' volcanos. Younger children enjoy exploring different surfaces to make marks on. They learn that they can create art on different textures, such as with chalk on the walls outdoors.
Staff are positive role models and all children know what is expected of them.
Children are polite and behave well. Older children 'buddy' younger children when they move up to their room. They kindly and proudly show them around and help them to settle. All children gain a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. This includes following thorough handwashing routines. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they confidently learn about the different ways they can move their bodies in yoga and football classes.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to organise changes in routines more effectively to fully engage all children during these times - provide staff with information and consistent ways to support children who speak English as an additional language even further.
- 5 April 2023Good
- 7 September 2017Good
- 8 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bluebell Wood Children's Nursery
- What it costs
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.