Welcome to Sunnybank Nursery
A warm, relaxed, and homely environment for your children
A big thank you to all our Critical Workers during these unprecedented times!
- Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
- If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
- Wash your hands as soon as you get home
Do not meet others, even friends or family. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.
Every day we are providing a range of exciting activities for our Nursery children to take part in at home.
These are displayed via our Facebook Pages and Tapestry accounts.
There are also story and song sessions provided by the Nursery staff to engage our children in our normal Nursery routines.
We encourage you to share these activities with your children and photograph these learning opportunities for their Tapestry journal.
These are displayed via our Facebook Pages and Tapestry accounts.
There are also story and song sessions provided by the Nursery staff to engage our children in our normal Nursery routines.
We encourage you to share these activities with your children and photograph these learning opportunities for their Tapestry journal.
"Elijah misses school and his friends so much! He facetimed a friend last week, that was nice for him to see someone his own age for ten minutes. He wants to know when the end of the weekend is? He watches all the videos, especially the stories with real excitement. Thanks for all you are doing!" - Beth Harrison
"Theo misses you all so much xxx" - Steph Castleton
"It's getting tough now, Sonny's little face asking if he can see you all! :( Thank you for putting a smile on their faces again! xx" - Laura Coleman
"Darcie and Harry miss you all so much xxx" - Natalie Thomas
"The boys miss Nursery so much (Sonny more so) he asks most days if he can see his nursery friends and if the germs have gone xx" - Laura Coleman
"It's nice for Sophie to see alll of your faces! She is missing you all and her friends so much xx" Laura Bennett
"Theo misses you all so much xxx" - Steph Castleton
"It's getting tough now, Sonny's little face asking if he can see you all! :( Thank you for putting a smile on their faces again! xx" - Laura Coleman
"Darcie and Harry miss you all so much xxx" - Natalie Thomas
"The boys miss Nursery so much (Sonny more so) he asks most days if he can see his nursery friends and if the germs have gone xx" - Laura Coleman
"It's nice for Sophie to see alll of your faces! She is missing you all and her friends so much xx" Laura Bennett
OFSTED Outstanding 2019
We had our most recent OFSTED inspection on 30th June 2019 and are delighted to announce our new grading across all areas is OUTSTANDING!
OFSTED say;
"The teaching and interactions between the staff and children are of consistently high quality"
"Staff have a secure knowledge of children's next steps in learning, which they identify accurately through high-quality assessments"
"Children make exceptional progress relative to their starting points."
"Children are visibly happy and well settled. They develop incredibly strong bonds with staff. Staff work highly effectively as a team and are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all children. Babies enjoy cuddles and comfort from kind, caring and nurturing staff."
"The dedicated manager and her well-qualified staff team demonstrate exceptional commitment to the continual improvement of the nursery."
"Staff provide an abundance of activities and experiences that provide challenge to all children. Their enthusiasm for teaching and nurturing of children's natural curiosity is apparent in every element of their practice."
Find our report here:
https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50104809
OFSTED say;
"The teaching and interactions between the staff and children are of consistently high quality"
"Staff have a secure knowledge of children's next steps in learning, which they identify accurately through high-quality assessments"
"Children make exceptional progress relative to their starting points."
"Children are visibly happy and well settled. They develop incredibly strong bonds with staff. Staff work highly effectively as a team and are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all children. Babies enjoy cuddles and comfort from kind, caring and nurturing staff."
"The dedicated manager and her well-qualified staff team demonstrate exceptional commitment to the continual improvement of the nursery."
"Staff provide an abundance of activities and experiences that provide challenge to all children. Their enthusiasm for teaching and nurturing of children's natural curiosity is apparent in every element of their practice."
Find our report here:
https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50104809
Latest News
This term we have been learning about the different people who help us! We decided to take a trip to Bolsover where we visited lots of different people who help us in and around our community. We LOVED meeting the firemen and looking around the fire engines! We also enjoyed visiting the library, butchers, bakers and vets!
We are very lucky to have our variety of pets at Sunnybank! We have Hughie the Hamster in the Baby Bunnies, Pedro the Hamster in the Minis, Ginny the Gerbil in the Hares and our large African snail, Sherbet! They are all very friendly and proud to be part of our Sunnybank family!
We are supporters of "Hungry Little Minds"
"Many little things light up hungry little minds. Kids take everything in, and even the smallest things you do with them can make a big difference.
They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you are, you can turn almost anything into a game.
And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school."
(Hungry Little Minds Campaign)
They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you are, you can turn almost anything into a game.
And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school."
(Hungry Little Minds Campaign)
About Us
Sunnybank Nursery was established in 1993 and has been in the Cannon Family ever since. Dr Peter Cannon and his wife Alison took sole ownership of the Nursery in 2008 and have led us to be a popular and well sought after setting.
Sunnybank Nursery is registered for children ages 0 - 8 years and provides holiday care for children who have previously attended the Nursery. The Nursery is open from 7am - 6pm Monday - Friday all year round except for Bank Holidays and one week at Christmas.
Sunnybank Nursery provides a warm, relaxed, inclusive and most importantly homely environment in which children can flourish to the best of their capabilities. We pride ourselves in our standards of care and positive relationships with our children, parents and wider families.
Sunnybank Nursery is registered for children ages 0 - 8 years and provides holiday care for children who have previously attended the Nursery. The Nursery is open from 7am - 6pm Monday - Friday all year round except for Bank Holidays and one week at Christmas.
Sunnybank Nursery provides a warm, relaxed, inclusive and most importantly homely environment in which children can flourish to the best of their capabilities. We pride ourselves in our standards of care and positive relationships with our children, parents and wider families.
Reasons to choose Sunnybank
Sunnybank Nursery provides a warm, relaxed, inclusive and most importantly a homely environment, in which children can flourish to the best of their capabilities. We provide fun, educational activities and experiences to aid development in all areas and to encourage confidence and independence. We pride ourselves in our standards of care and positive
relationships with children, parents and carers respecting diversity and
cultural beliefs. We have an open door policy where parents and carers can telephone or call in for a chat and a cup of coffee.
All the staff at Sunnybank hold a minimum Level 3 Qualification in Child Care and Development, with our Manager Christine being Level 3 qualified and holding an award in Team Leadership and Management. All the staff also take on extra curricular courses in order to develop their personal performances. All staff are trained in 1st Aid, Health and Safety, Food Safety, Fire Safety, Additional Needs and Equal Opportunities. The staff work in a manner which is open and honest. We understand that the
relationships which children establish with adults and other children are of
central importance in their development. We understand that children
need time and space to produce work of quality and depth and they learn
most effectively when they are actively involved and interested. Each member of staff
through their appearance, manner and general approach to colleagues, parents
and visitors will be able to reflect the high professional standards of the Nursery.
The nursery offers both full and part-time
placements as well as a flexible system. For 'settling-in' purposes and
continuity of care, we recommend a minimum of two sessions per week.
However, we are happy to discuss individual requirements. The nursery
prides itself on our ability to be flexible with all our families offering the
best service possible. We endeavour to ensure all our families’ needs are
taken into consideration and individual requirements are met.
Full/Part time
These placements are fixed and involve you choosing specific sessions and
having those sessions each week. Once they are agreed, they are
secured. However, should you need to alter a session then provided we
have a minimum of one weeks’ notice and availability, you are welcome to
change. We always endeavour to try to accommodate parents at short notice.
Flexible
These placements are designed primarily for parents who work shifts and rarely
have two weeks the same. They are limited and work on a first come, first
served basis. These sessions are only secured once booked and hence
advance booking is essential to ensure reliability.
The nursery is located in the small village of Calow that has a school, community centre and is very close to the town centre with numerous local schools. Our location within the village is on the main A632 road through Calow, but with ample farmlands and rural areas surrounding us providing an excellent short nature walk which the children frequently enjoy. We are also very close to the nearby village of Arkwright that has a small school with which we hold a strong relationship. Access is good from Chesterfield, Bolsover and the M1 Motorway. We have adequate car parking facilities to the rear of the premises.
We believe parents/carers are the most important educators for their children and that by working in partnership with you we can encourage each child to develop and progress. Therefore, from your first tour of the Nursery, we will assign you with a key person who is responsible for your child's well being, learning and development. Your key person will be able to support you with learning at home including toileting etc, discuss building relationships and confidence, prepare you child ready for school when necessary and much more whilst ensuring they are happy and motivated to learn.
At Sunnybank we are committed to promoting British Values. We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all our children and families and celebrate a variety of events and occasions. We promote values in many ways; by teaching children right from wrong at an early age, by teaching and encouraging decision making and democracy, by teaching respect for each others views and values, talking about our feelings and learning about sharing and taking turns during play.
The Nursery is focused on our Mission Statement and feel this reflects British Values.
Since the start of the food hygiene rating system was introduced, we have received the 5 star food hygiene rating awarded by the North East Derbyshire Environmental Health Authority. Our menus are carefully designed and can be viewed on this website.
Our latest inspection is dated 17th December 2018 and graded 5 stars!
Our latest inspection is dated 17th December 2018 and graded 5 stars!
What our customers have to say about Sunnybank
"To all the Wonderful Staff at Sunnybank Nursery,
Thank you for looking after Milla. Milla will miss you all dearly.
Sunnybank is such a wonderful place for children to grow and learn.
Lots of love,
Milla and her Mummy xx"
SEPTEMBER 2019 Cherie Jackson
"To all the Nursery staff,
Thank you for giving Oscar the opportunity to come and learn at Sunnybank Nursery!
Oscar really enjoyed attending and making lots of friends on his journey. Oscar really enjoyed spending time withh all the Nursery staff and will be sad that he will be leaving. He has bought a little gift to say thank you!
Lots of love from Oscar xxx"
SEPTEMBER 2019
Melissa Jakins
SUNNYBANK NURSERY
You welcomed me with a friendly smile when I was only '1'
You took my hand and cuddled me until I got used to everyone
Your reassured, encouraged me, watched that I didn't fall
You saw me grow in confidence and joined in with my play
You talked to me about the world and heard what I had to say
You helped me build first friendships to take turns and learn to share
You showed me the importance of trying to be fair
You laughed with me and shared my joy and joined me in a smile
You comforted me and listened if I was sad for a while
You taught me many of life's lessons amongst the paint and dough
You have been the best Nursery teachers and I do thank you so!
Thanking you all for looking after me and helping me grow - I will miss you all!
Maisie xx
SEPTEMBER 2018 Claire Taylor
"Thank you so much for taking such fantastic care of Izzy! She has absolutely loved every day at Sunnybank and all the staff and children.
We have no doubt in our minds that you have all played a massive part in her growing up into the kind and caring girl that she is today.
She will miss you all terribly but at least she will be able to pop in when we pick up Will!
Thank you! xxx
Love from,
Terry, Ben, Will and Isabelle!
xxx"
SEPTEMBER 2019 Terry Jones
"To Sunnybank Nursery,
Thank you for looking after me since I was a tiny little baby!
I liked painting, playing with cars, playing boats and trying to draw, playing in the mud kitchen!
My Mummy says I love coming into Nursery, I have made so many friends and I am always telling her about the fun things I have done in the day! You have been like a second family!
We will miss you lots and lots
Henry xxx"
SEPTEMBER 2019 Hayley Newman-Smith
"To all the staff at Sunnybank,
Thank you for everything you have done over the last 3 years, making Alfie the person he is today!
Lots of love,
Vikki, Rob and Alfie xxx"
SEPTEMBER 2019 Victoria Audis
"To everone at Sunnybank,
I can't believe its time for big school!
It doesn't seem like 2 minutes since Alice had to peel me off Mummy (and I still like an Alice cuddle now!) I wouldn't be who I am today without every single one of you! Thank you for teaching me wonderful things, helping me grow and giving me so many memories I will cherish forever.
See you in the holidays!
Love Cole xxx"
"We cannot thank you enough for the support not only for Cole but for us too. Nothing was ever too much trouble and although Cole has 'flown the nest' we can't wait to start the next chapter with Hallie.
Love you all!
Stacey, Jamie and Hallie xxx" Stacey Watkinson
"We moved our daughter to Sunnybank recently after a bad experience elsewhere and we absolutely love it! The staff are all so committed and caring it astounds us. They have gone above and beyond to support our little girl and are always tailoring her learning/play to what she is interested in at the time (which changes nearly every day!) She has transformed from a shy, nervous little girl who wouldn't communicate with others to a confident and clever individual! We could not be happier with the care provided and would recommend to everyone!" E.Knight - May 2017
"I had to find a new nursery at very short notice for my son and Sunnybank have been very accommodating. Although we still have a few tears at drop off time, the staff have been very supportive, finding ways to help settle my son, and put me at ease ( a stressing mum!!) and when it's time to pick him up he's always having lots of fun!" T.Smart - June 2017
"i just want to say thank you so much for all the staff team do...not least when we had forgotten ** bag of spare pants this week and Amber had to put him in girls' pants..when ** undressed him that night, he danced around singing 'ooh la la' and they fell about giggling..a happy moment! " R.Rice - Jan 2018
Snow day 2018
"Thanks for everything today. It was much appreciated. I don't know what I'd have done without the help. It was horrid and you all have to be commended for staying out in the cold to help. Well done!" L.Hawkins
"Well done everyone you’ve all done amazing! Thank you so much for staying open when you could and keeping everyone safe!" S.Watkinson
""Please can I thank the staff for last week when it was snowing. It was really helpful of you to bring the children out to us and Gemma in particular was doing a sterling job of shovelling the snow in the bitter cold! She just mucks right in! She even stopped the traffic for me bless her. I hope you all managed to get home ok that day!" L.Hopcroft
"Thank you so much to all the amazing staff. You have all been fantastic and we are lucky as parents to be able to send our children to such a lovely nursery with such committed and lovely staff. I know Toby loves you all. Hopefully he will be back in next week. Thank you x" H.Alcock
"Definitely agree with the stars of the week! I’m sure I speak for all the parents/carers and children when I say, your super efforts are very much appreciated :)" T.Smart
Louise Hawkins
We are so grateful for the families we meet through our setting, many of whom become lifelong friends!
Today we have received this lovely gift and card addressed to 'My Nursery Mommies' on Mothers Day - it's real reminder of how lucky we are to have the job that we do! Mothers Day
Testimonials
