URN EY543801 · Inspected 2026-08-04 · Published 2026-09-10 · Inspector: Jennie O'Callaghan Rich LeRoy
Bunny Run Childcare Centre & Schools OutLimited Unique reference number (URN): EY543801 Address: Bunny Run Childcare Centre Ltd, The Drive, Hellingly, Hailsham, BN27 4EP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 22/03/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bunny Run Childcare Centre Ltd Inspection report: 4 August 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Strong standard Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Achievement Strong standard Children make impressive progress as soon as they start. Their social skills are excellent. For example, children speak with confidence to visitors and welcome them into their space. Children start to develop problem-solving skills and use their imagination from a young age. For example, they work together to work out how to build a train track through a large box. Children enjoy investigating and experimenting. They manoeuvre drainpipes so that they can catch water that they pour down the pipes. This helps to develop their teamwork and critical thinking skills. Children learn to be very independent as soon as they start. They enjoy mealtimes, where they serve their own lunch and help clean away their plates. Children make choices about what they would like to do and thrive in familiar routines. They transition between rooms with growing confidence, and this means that they are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff set high expectations for children's behaviour. They create a harmonious and respectful culture so that children can thrive. Children know the boundaries that staff reinforce clearly and consistently. For example, children happily walk around the area in the woodland and show where they cannot pass. Children respect the rules and treat their friends with kindness. Staff build positive and respectful attachments with each child. They establish routines, in collaboration with parents, that meet children's individual needs. This helps children feel very safe and secure. Children recognise that they are welcomed and valued as soon as they start. Leaders work hard to establish highly effective and consistent routines between each room. Staff encourage children to think for themselves and focus on their learning. They know when to intervene and offer support and when to let children use their critical thinking skills. Children enjoy the activities on offer, which ignite and excite their senses. This means that they remain focused and develop excellent attitudes to their learning and to each other. Leaders work hard to promote good attendance. They actively seek to remove barriers for parents so that their children can access the full curriculum on offer. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children develop strong and positive attachments with staff from the onset. Before children start, they spend time with their key person so that they can get to know them. They soon become a familiar face. Staff take time with those children who need support to settle through respectful and responsive actions. Children who are anxious to start soon arrive full of smiles and nestle into their key person for comfort and reassurance. Staff consider those children who sleep throughout the day. They organise the environment to provide a calm and relaxing space for children to nap. Staff gently pat their backs until they fall asleep. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging through well-structured routines. Children are extremely happy. They are proud of their achievements, which staff reinforce with plenty of praise. For example, when children clear rubbish from the nursery woodland, staff explain what an important job they are doing. They use litter pickers and talk about protecting the local wildlife. Children care for the environment and show great respect for and understanding about nature. Activities are adapted well so that all children are fully immersed in their learning. They thoroughly enjoy the time that they spend at nursery. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children. They aim for them to have the best possible early years experience. Leaders have a secure understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They consistently remove barriers to children's learning so that they make excellent progress from their starting points. This means that children can transition to the next stage in their learning with confidence and the skills needed to thrive. Staff access meaningful and specific training to support children when delays are identified. They then make changes to daily practices. For example, staff use eye contact and add images into the environment for children with language delays. They use simple sign language in all rooms. This helps children who are nonverbal to use words and interact with adults and their peers with confidence. This means that children can make choices about what they would like to do and immerse themselves in nursery life. Leaders rigorously monitor their impact on the experiences of children who are disadvantaged. They spend additional funding to make excellent adaptations for children. These focus on children's specific needs, wellbeing and emotional attachments. Leadership and governance Strong standard Leaders are very reflective. They are aware of the strengths of the setting and areas in which they would like to improve. They take a whole-team approach to improve outcomes for children. For example, leaders review and update policies in collaboration with staff. This Expected standard means that they can ensure they have an accurate overview of each room and that staff can embed procedures into their practice. Feedback from staff is overwhelmingly positive. They receive support in abundance so that they can do their jobs extremely well. There is a sharp focus on staff wellbeing, and they have access to trained staff when they need some extra support. Staff are very happy in their roles and feed back how much they enjoy working in the setting as part of the team. This benefits children as they are welcomed by staff who strive to do the best for them. Leaders build relationships with parents before children start. Parent meetings and settling- in sessions mean that families feel confident when they are separated from their children. They appreciate the safe and nurturing team that builds family cultures and customs into everyday activities. They feel valued and listened to. Staff share information about children's progress and provide information on how parents can help their children's development even further at home. This collaborative approach contributes to the excellent progress that children make. Parents of children who face barriers to their learning particularly value the targeted support their children receive. They report that the nursery has been instrumental in providing their children with specialist support. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have planned a thoughtful and well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children know and can do throughout their time at the nursery. The experienced staff team follows children's interests. Staff expertly weave different areas of the curriculum into their teaching. For example, staff use mathematical language as they role play with children. Children then use new words that they have heard. For example, they declare that their cup is now full and that they have too much. Staff aim to use their interactions to extend children's learning. However, some staff are not as confident as others to ensure that interactions are of a consistent high quality in order to always offer challenge. Language development is a focus throughout every room in the nursery. Children develop a love of books from a young age. Staff sit and share stories so that children hear a wide and varied vocabulary. Staff gently correct children when they mispronounce 'banana' and praise their attempts as they learn to communicate. Children are given time to be active every day. They access a well-designed and exciting outside space. Children climb on logs and explore the woodland, where they enjoy bespoke sessions led by a forest school leader. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive and are extremely happy at this well-organised and child-centred nursery. Leaders and staff put children first. They consider children's experiences and individual needs in everything that they do. Everyone has high expectations for children, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff build professional relationships with every family from the onset. This means that staff can identify when children need more support and work hard to remove barriers so that they can thrive. All children achieve extremely well. For example, the sharp focus on early language development helps children Inspectors: Jennie O'Callaghan Rich LeRoy develop into confident communicators. Children talk with their friends and initiate conversations. They make excellent progress from their starting points, supported by passionate and responsive staff. Children develop a love of nature and the outdoors from a young age. They have ample opportunities to be physically active and access fresh air every day. All children spend time in well-designed outdoor areas for their specific age. Classrooms lead onto woodland areas where children climb on logs and hunt for bugs. Children are very respectful of nature and thoroughly enjoy the time that they spend outside. Children also go out into the community with staff. For instance, they go to the local care home to meet older residents. Leaders organise for people who help us to come and visit the children. They learn about fire safety as they explore the fire engine. These experiences help children feel a strong sense of belonging and connection with their local community. Staff are extremely positive role models. Younger children, as well as those who need extra help, receive gentle but consistent support. Children's behaviour is excellent. They learn to take turns and respect other people's personal space. Mealtimes are a social occasion full of discussion and conversations. Staff sit and face children while they enjoy their nutritious meals. They encourage children to develop good levels of independence skills. Children pour water from jugs, serve their own food and clear plates after eating. They consistently learn about healthy lifestyles. Next steps Leaders should strengthen staff's interactions even further to enhance the quality of interactions to consistently extend children's learning. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers and children during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY543801 Address: Bunny Run Childcare Centre Ltd The Drive, Hellingly Hailsham BN27 4EP Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 22/03/2017 Registered person: Bunny Run Childcare Centre Ltd Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: East Sussex Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 4 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 5 Total number of places 148 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. 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