Kidaroo Childcare

Natural light, neutral colours and materials children can rearrange give Kidaroo Childcare its character. Its curriculum takes inspiration from The Curiosity Approach®, a child-led approach using authentic objects, recycled materials and loose parts. The emphasis is on investigating and trying ideas, rather than reproducing a school classroom.

Based at Ravenhurst County Primary School on Ravenhurst Road, Leicester, LE3 2PS, Kidaroo accepts children aged 6 to 60 months and has 64 places in total. At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that staff worked with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Part-day and full-day sessions sit alongside additional hours, holiday care and breakfast and after-school clubs. That makes the attendance offer broader than a single working-day timetable, although term-time and holiday closing times differ.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports communication, physical development and social learning. Kidaroo's inspiration from The Curiosity Approach® sits alongside that framework. Real objects, reusable materials and loose parts give children things to examine, combine and use in their own play.

Natural resources and seasonal and cultural themes shape activities. The surroundings have neutral tones and natural light, giving the materials and children's investigations prominence. This is a concrete expression of the nursery's preference for exploration: children have opportunities to try their own ideas rather than simply follow a finished example.

Daily yoga and mindfulness sessions, cooking, baking and gardening add different experiences to the day. Maintaining the vegetable patch connects growing with food, while animal care brings living things into children's learning. These activities sit within the additional-services charge structure, which matters for families choosing funded-only attendance.

In April 2022, younger children used old telephones for pretend conversations, while dressing and changing dolls gave them practice with small hand movements. Staff repeated words during play and explained unfamiliar vocabulary during drawing activities. These examples show how conversation and practical tasks were combined, rather than treating language as a separate lesson.

Outdoor and Community Life

In April 2022, children built outdoor obstacle routes from crates and pieces of wood, practising jumping and balance. A worm discovered in the garden prompted counting and discussion of textures as children collected ingredients for a mud pie. Draco, the pet lizard at that time, also gave children a reason to learn about animal care and handwashing.

Trips include excursions to parks, gardens, museums and libraries, as well as bus journeys. World Book Day is one of the themed days, and celebrations include Santa's visit, birthdays marked with melons or other treats, graduation ceremonies and leaver parties. These experiences extend the nursery day beyond its usual activities, but trips and celebrations have their own charge category.

A key person works closely with each child, providing a consistent contact for parents. Online learning journals let families follow progress and add comments at a time that suits them. Regular conversations about development complement the journal, giving parents both a written account and opportunities for discussion.

Stay and Play sessions let parents participate in their child's learning. Workshops, information sessions and focused weeks offer other ways to become involved. This is useful for families who want to understand activities through participation as well as updates.

In April 2022, staff gathered information about children's home lives and observed their play to plan subsequent learning. Sign-language training helped staff communicate with children needing additional help. Children sought comfort from familiar adults, and shared meals provided opportunities to practise conversation and table manners.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified two improvements: learning sometimes needed greater challenge, and some children needed more help to handle emotions, share materials and settle disagreements. These are meaningful qualifications to the Good judgement, concerning both how far learning stretches a child and how adults support difficult moments in play.

Food for additional meal services is freshly prepared on site; staff eat with children, and baby-led weaning is supported in partnership with parents. The nursery's dietary policy covers allergies and preferences, while its standard part-day and full-day arrangements require families to supply a balanced packed lunch.

Sessions and Attendance

Part Day Session runs from 8.45am to 2.45pm; Full Day Session runs from 7.30am to 4pm. Additional hours can be booked as needed, extending care until 6pm during term time. A shorter session therefore has a different starting point as well as an earlier finish than the full-day option.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays during term time, changing to 7.30am to 5pm outside term time. Kidaroo operates for 51 weeks annually and closes at weekends and on public holidays. Holiday Club runs from 7.30am to 5pm, with families booking the hours they need during school breaks.

Breakfast Club operates from 7.30am to 8.45am. After-school care starts at 2.45pm, with finishes at 4pm, 5pm or 6pm. Term-Time Only places are also offered for 38 weeks, providing a separate attendance option from year-round care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including the 15/30-hour funding described for children aged two to four. Term-time-only delivery is offered over 38 weeks. Funded-only attendance follows an opt-out policy and takes place outside prime session hours, so the funded-only timetable is a significant part of the choice.

The funding and charges page separates additional private hours from food, consumables, events, trips and an IT package. During funded hours, breakfast, snacks and tea carry separate charges, as do consumables; families can decline additional services under the opt-out policy. Daily provision charges, weekly event charges and activity charges are separate categories rather than a single inclusive funded-hours package.

For the standard part-day and full-day sessions, breakfast, snacks and tea are included, while parents provide lunch. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, which should reflect the chosen session and additional services.

Getting There

The address is Ravenhurst County Primary School, Ravenhurst Road, Leicester, LE3 2PS. Enquiries and visit bookings can be made by telephone on 0116 289 3777. Kidaroo occupies school grounds, but attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Funded-only timing. Funded-only attendance sits outside prime session hours, and additional services can be declined. Ask how that timetable and the opt-out arrangement would work for your proposed attendance.
• Challenge and emotional support. The April 2022 improvement points concerned stretching learning and supporting feelings and sharing. On a visit, ask for examples of how adults now adapt activities and help children resolve disagreements.
• Holiday finishes. Term-time opening ends at 6pm, while holiday opening ends at 5pm. Families working through school holidays need to plan around that earlier finish.
• Food and allergies. Standard sessions include breakfast, snacks and tea, with lunch brought from home; funded-hours food has separate charges. Families managing allergies should confirm current food-handling practice and the packed-lunch arrangements.

Kidaroo suits families drawn to child-led exploration with real objects, natural materials and practical experiences such as gardening and cooking. It also serves different attendance needs: part-day sessions, full-day sessions, term-time-only places and wraparound care all have a place in its offer.

The Good judgement from April 2022 gives a dated quality assessment, qualified by specific improvement points about challenge and emotional support. The practical decision turns on matching the session timetable and funded-hours charge structure to family needs, especially where holiday finishes or funded-only attendance matter.