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Honeycroft

Ofsted: Good
(Dec 2024)
·
5.0(13 Google reviews)
·St. Barnabas Hall, Sackville Road, HOVE, BN3 3WF · Brighton and Hove
Number of places
59 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Dec 2024
Local authority
Brighton and Hove

About this day nursery

Honeycroft operates as a registered charity, eliminating profit motives and director remuneration. Instead, a dedicated team of volunteer trustees oversees the day nursery's operations.

This structure allows Honeycroft to offer transparent and budget-friendly pricing, ensuring that families can fully utilise their funded childcare hours between 8 am and 6 pm, distributed across all open days and weeks. The day nursery prides itself on its commitment to providing nutritious meals, prepared fresh on-site without unnecessary additives or processed ingredients, a practice highlighted in their 2024 Ofsted report which notes children learn about oral health and receive healthy food.

Honeycroft also ensures that children develop healthy eating habits through its detailed Food Culture & Healthy Eating Policy. The nursery is committed to making healthy food choices an enjoyable experience for all children, preparing all food from scratch onsite.

5 weeks the nursery is open annually, rather than being confined to term-time only. There are no registration fees, deposits, or upfront payments required, with invoices sent monthly.

The nursery requires four weeks written notice for cancellations, but changes to booked sessions can be made for the next invoicing period, subject to availability.

What it's like

Children are individually greeted by attentive, friendly staff, fostering conversations about personal significance. Staff expertly create an environment and activities that ignite children's interests, introduce new ideas, and promote individual learning, resulting in motivated and sustained engagement. The staff team prioritises understanding children's individual personalities, cultural heritage, and family backgrounds to provide personalised care and learning experiences.

Charity-run establishmentTransparent and affordable pricingOn-site freshly prepared mealsFlexible use of funded hours

Pricing & funding

Fees vary by age group across three bands and session types, which include morning, afternoon, and full days. Additional hours are charged on an hourly basis. A voluntary food contribution is requested for funded options, and specific after-school play sessions are offered.

Funding accepted

30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare

Good to know

  • No deposit, registration fee, or up-front payment is required.
  • A voluntary food contribution of £3.00 per day is requested for specific 15 and 30-hour funded sessions.
  • Additional hours and late pick-up fees are charged hourly, varying by age group.

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for most of the year.

Food

All food prepared on-site from scratch, ensuring nutritious meals and healthy food choices for children.

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Honeycroft

Last inspected 10 December 2024

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are individually greeted by attentive, friendly staff, fostering conversations about personal significance. Staff expertly create an environment and activities that ignite children's interests, introduce new ideas, and promote individual learning, resulting in motivated and sustained engagement. The staff team prioritises understanding children's individual personalities, cultural heritage, and family backgrounds to provide personalised care and learning experiences.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders and staff are dedicated to providing the best care and learning possible and prioritise staff well-being and development.
  • Staff have a secure knowledge of the curriculum and skilfully adapt learning experiences to support individual children's stages of learning.
  • Children have opportunities to learn about oral health, are provided with nutritious meals, and have ample opportunities for physical development.
  • Staff have a calm and consistent approach to supporting children's behaviour, empowering them to learn about and resolve conflicts.
  • Staff provide high-quality, purposeful interactions that promote communication and language skills, especially for children who speak EAL.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen arrangements for the organisation of mealtimes to ensure children have what they need to consistently learn behavioural expectations and support their growing independence
  • 2review the organisation of some group times to ensure that staff fully engage children to help them remain focused in their learning.
Inspection #10363433 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

parents report their children make good progress, particularly in their communication and language skills, as well as developing their self-confidence.

Furthermore, parents particularly value the dedicated staff, who they describe as an 'extension to their own families'.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff ensure children receive personalised care and learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND.

Outdoor space

Staff ensure children have ample opportunities to develop their physical skills. They gravitate to the indoor ball pit and use the outdoor space as they run, jump and balance, developing their core muscles.

Google Reviews of Honeycroft

5.0
(13 Google reviews)
Al Mac
a year ago

Cannot praise this setting highly enough, and have experience of three others. Started our youngest here in an emergency as his existing nursery had no capacity for extra days, we knew of it as our oldest had previously enjoyed the holiday clubs they offer older kids over school holidays. The staff here make the place and truly care for the children, and have built a stronger relationship with both him and us as a family over the past three months than his last nursery had over two years. We've now moved him over completely as he said how much he loves the grownups. The fees are also much more reasonable than many other settings in the area.

Read on Google
Steve and Jess
a year ago

We haven't used the nursery, but have used the holiday club and other services offered by Honeycroft. We have found the team there are excellent, really accommodating, great levels of safety and understanding, especially for those with SEN, and the services they provide is incredibly good value. The facilities are great, with a nice range of activities offered, our kids have really enjoyed their visits. We would highly recommend choosing Honeycroft!!

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Charlotte Dubois-Berto
2 years ago

We absolutely love Honeycroft. Our son started attending when he was 15 months old and he is thriving there. The staff is so caring and nurturing, it feels like a second family. The children are so happy when they go and very well looked after. We love that they provide tasty homemade food. Amazing nursery.

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Марина Ново
2 years ago

I've chosen this nursery based on a couple of recommendations from other families. And the option to have 15 or 30 funded hours without the need to pay extra was quite attractive. There's also their own kitchen with french chef. And a spacious hall with very high ceilings. And I can say I am surprised how smooth, warm and friendly my son's journey in Honeycroft is. He loves it. Sometimes on weekends he asks with hope if it's the day to go to the nursery))

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Bianca McKee
3 years ago

I would highly recommend Honey Croft Nursery, my little boy started here when he was just a baby and they have looked after him right the way through to school leaving age. I cannot stress enough how amazing the staff are, they are so kind, understanding and incredibly knowledgeable. Percy has learnt so much, during his time at nursery and I truly believe without their support and incredible work they do he would not be where he is now. If you have a child with additional needs, I feel that this nursery is absolutely brilliant for the amount of support they give you as a parent and your child. The encouragement, support, consistency throughout Percy’s journey has filled me with immense happiness and I am so proud of him. He absolutely adores all of the staff, the food is incredibly healthy and so affordable. The prices I would say are the best I’ve seen in the area I’ve had an older child who attended a different nursery. Percy is now transitioning into school, the amount of work that these guys put into making sure it happens as smoothly as possible is just excellent. I highly recommend, I’m so very sad that Percy’s time here is coming to an end. As seeing how happy he is and how much he has progressed despite his additional needs. Has just filled my heart with happiness. Truly excellent, outstanding, great value for money, I wouldn’t recommend anywhere else. Thank you so much for all you do Honey Croft

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Honeycroft. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: June 2004

  • January 2025Good
  • December 2024Good
  • March 2019Good
  • February 2019Good
  • April 2016Good
  • March 2016Good
  • July 2010Outstanding
  • May 2010Outstanding
  • June 2007Good
  • June 2004Good

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