Heywood House Children's Nursery

Heywood House Children's Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2787481
Address: Heywood House Childrens Nursery, 15 High Street, Brimington, Chesterfield, S43 1DE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 29/04/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Heywood House Children's Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 19 August 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
All children make clear and sustained progress during their time attending the nursery. They
develop high levels of confidence in their own ability. Older children use their own ideas to
develop their imaginative play alongside others. Children understand rules and kindness.
Babies are learning to manage their emotions, for example, while they wait for their turn on
the slide. Older children comment on how they need to wait and take turns as they use the
oven in the mud kitchen to 'cook' their pizzas.
Children develop strength and coordination in their hands and arms. Older children move
large objects in the outdoor area while younger children use spoons to scoop cereal into
containers. Older children are observant and draw pictures with details, such as rosy cheeks
on a picture of a face. Toddlers learn how to use both hands together to achieve a task of
building an animal pen using spring clothes pegs and lollipop sticks.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and staff set high standards for children to work towards and positively model good
manners and care for others. Staff securely understand how leaders expect them to teach
children about behaviour standards, and this is consistently applied in each room, using the
appropriate language and gestures for the age of the children. Older children demonstrate
their understanding of this as they play together in role-play scenarios, such as in a cafe.
Individual adaptations are made for children who need them to enable them to join in with
daily routines. For example, if children have difficulty joining in group activities, they may sit
close to the group but not in it, or have a special place or toy to help them to prepare to join
an activity.
Each room has an established routine for the children's day that follows a similar pattern
across the nursery. This helps children become confident and familiar with what to expect
next during the day. Babies and younger children begin to anticipate what is going to
happen next after lunch, before they go to bed. Children are curious. Staff encourage this by
introducing experiences, such as visiting building sites. Staff help children to try out new
challenges, and this develops children's confidence in their own ability. All children
persevere with their chosen activity, showing high levels of concentration. Children delight in
their play, and parents and carers make sure their children attend regularly to support their
development.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff positively support children's emotional development. They quickly identify
when children are becoming upset or are struggling to manage in the nursery environment
and respond effectively. There is an established quiet space in the garden for staff to use
with children on a one-to-one basis where they can sit and talk, experience the scents of
herbs or play while they prepare to return to their nursery room.

Children learn good hygiene habits, in particular around mealtimes and snack times. Older
children wash their hands without any hesitation before they eat. Leaders and staff
encourage parents and carers to support toilet training at home, so children can manage
independently when they move on to school. Babies' and children's privacy and dignity are
maintained when nappy changing happens or when they are using the toilet. Staff are visible
when nappy changing is being completed to provide an added level of safety to the process.
Staff pay close attention to children and make sure they are comfortable, for example wet
clothes from playing or toilet accidents are changed quickly.
Children have nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks at the nursery. These are
prepared daily. They often include the fruit and vegetables children have grown and
harvested themselves. This is developing their understanding of where food comes from
and what a healthy diet is. They learn about making healthy food choices, and older children
understand the impact of sugar on teeth. Staff talk to children about treats being special and
why they are not for every day.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders and staff have developed a nursery curriculum that has clear learning intentions for
each of the different nursery rooms. In each room, children learn how to be sociable,
independent and confident communicators. Staff carefully adapt what they are doing to meet
different needs or if children's interests take them in an unexpected direction. Activities are
always purposeful and delivered with a constant high level of skill by staff. Staff support
babies and younger children in their early language acquisition by responding to their
babbles, showing them that their voice is an effective communication tool. Toddlers use
familiar words, and staff extend what they have said to introduce the concept of stringing
words together. By the time children reach pre-school, they use full sentences and new
words they have learned in context.
Staff weave mathematical learning into many activities. They develop children's familiarity
with number names, shape and size, and the concept of counting objects. For example,
during an activity, staff divided one piece of dough, so all children could have a piece each.
Staff counted and reinforced 'how many?' when they put each piece down. Children heard
number names, experienced one-to-one correspondence and found out about 'one more'.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff are perceptive and notice children's individual needs. Their careful
attention to observing and monitoring children's development helps them to identify any
aspects where gaps may be emerging. They act quickly and with clear focus to work with
parents and carers to get children the help they need as soon as is possible. When help is
not immediately available, leaders and staff draw on their knowledge and experience to
devise learning plans for children in collaboration with their parents. The internally and
externally devised plans are embedded in staff's practice, and they have a high level of
impact on the children. Parents say that the personalised learning plans are highly effective,
and they credit them with having a significant positive impact on their children's progress.
This has been particularly successful in preparing children for their move to school.

Leaders and staff are actively working to reduce barriers to children's learning and
attendance at the nursery. They have introduced a swap shop for parents to share outgrown
clothes to reduce the expense of raising growing children. This is working well and is
enabling regular attendance because all children can have access to suitable clothing and
supplies of nappies.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders' and managers' oversight of the nursery provides them with clear information that
they use to plan how they want the nursery to develop. They know the area the nursery
serves well and make sure that any trends, such as an increase in domestic abuse, are
known about and understood by all staff. They have an ethos of promoting healthy lifestyles
that is highly visible in the curriculum and in children's routines and activities during the day.
They make sure staff understand their values and implement the curriculum intentions in
each room effectively.
Staff are routinely monitored and observed by managers and their peers and receive
productive feedback. Leaders consider that staff's development is an investment in the
future of the nursery. They have adopted an online training package that staff can access at
any time to boost or update their knowledge. When staff need specific training, such as
working with babies, or there is an identified gap in practice, leaders and managers seek out
training to meet their need. Apprentices and staff studying for higher level qualifications have
study time made available.
Leaders and managers have established positive and productive relationships with parents,
carers and other settings. The communication channels are open and honest. This helps to
provide children with comprehensive support at times of big transitions, such as the move to
school. Staff manage transitions carefully for all children. Children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities have a detailed 'handover' of information. If needed, additional
support from nursery staff is provided, for example supported transition visits so that school
staff are more aware of what is typical for the child and the strategies that support the child.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are welcomed into a well-managed, calm and safe environment. They develop
positive and trusting relationships with staff who they interact with and respond well to. They
seek comfort from familiar staff and confidently communicate when they want staff to join in
with their play. Children receive praise from staff that helps them to understand what they

Inspector:
Joanne Smith
have done well and encourages them to keep trying to achieve as much as they can. For
example, when babies are beginning to roll over onto their tummy, staff start to place objects
that attract their attention just out of reach to encourage different movements using their
arms and legs.
Throughout the nursery, children's physical development is a focal point. By the time
children are in the pre-school room, they can run and jump with good levels of balance and
control. The way in which staff use the nursery garden is a key contributor to children's
physical skills. Staff provide opportunities for children to dig, search for insects in the
ground, plant seeds and harvest their produce, propel themselves on wheeled toys, kick,
throw and catch balls and explore the smells and textures of nature. Children thoroughly
enjoy these experiences, which sustain their concentration and spark their interest. They
play with, and alongside, their peers and demonstrate increasing empathy towards each
other. Older children ask questions, such as, 'What will happen?' and staff support them to
find out, for example, by encouraging children to mix colours and observe the change.
Staff take time to find out about the children they care for. Children's personalities and needs
are respected by staff. They are valued and supported to be proud of who they are. All
children are supported skilfully by experienced staff members, and their progress is very
positive. Children's learning styles and preferences are clearly understood by staff. They
adapt their teaching to match the children's needs, whether this means breaking down
learning in to smaller steps or extending learning to maintain a child's rapid progress.
Next steps
Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove
barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all
children's achievement and wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders and managers, staff, parents, 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): 2787481
Address:
Heywood House Childrens Nursery
15 High Street, Brimington
Chesterfield
S43 1DE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 29/04/2024
Registered person: Heywood House Children's Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:15 - 18:00
Local authority: Derbyshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 19 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
62
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.
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