Handprints Day Nursery & Before, After and School Holiday Club

Two enclosed outdoor areas, playrooms across two levels and a baby room capped at 17 children give Handprints a clear physical identity. Nursery care spans three months to five years, with capacity for 59 children in total. Its separate school-age club extends the service beyond the preschool years, making this a useful option for families whose children are at different stages.

At its April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with effective safeguarding, while identifying weaknesses in parent communication and support for children's home languages. That balance matters: the positive judgement sits alongside specific work needed on how families contribute to learning and receive updates.

Willow, Ash and Sycamore organise the nursery years; Oak provides the school-age club. Attendance choices include normal days, longer days and half days, alongside before-school, after-school and holiday provision. The appeal is the combination of age-based care, outdoor access and several ways to fit attendance around family life.

Rooms and Ages

Willow accommodates up to 17 babies and young children between three months and two years, combining sensory exploration, messy play, books and age-appropriate resources with an emphasis on movement, language and social development. The cap deserves attention when comparing baby provision: it describes the room's maximum, rather than how many children attend on a particular day. It is separate from the nursery's total capacity.

Ash serves children aged two to three, using group discussion, dressing practice and toilet learning to develop communication and independence through play. Sycamore takes children aged three to five, building on those earlier skills through literacy, mathematics, creative expression and exploration of the world. These are different stages of a child's development, rather than interchangeable rooms with different names.

The EYFS sets the foundation for this learning: children develop language, physical skills and relationships through play, then extend their experiences into early reading, number and creative work. Activities respond to children's interests and needs. For parents, that means looking at both the experiences offered and how staff connect them to their own child's next steps.

Learning and Activities

In April 2023, toddlers practised making marks with paintbrushes and chalk, while counting was introduced within play. Staff encouraged younger children to try words and invited older children to explain their ideas. Familiar songs and stories created opportunities for children to supply a missing phrase or anticipate the next part of a story. These examples put everyday conversation and early learning together, rather than treating language as a separate lesson.

During the same period, children developing crawling skills were encouraged with rolling balls. Older children tackled outdoor challenges, with adults encouraging them to extend their movements. The useful detail is the adjustment of an activity to a child's stage: a ball could prompt a baby to move, while a jumping challenge gave an older child something more demanding to attempt.

Outdoor and Community Life

The building's two enclosed outdoor areas connect with the playrooms, supporting movement between indoor and outdoor play in different weather. That connection makes outdoor experiences part of the nursery day rather than a wholly separate destination. The two-level layout also gives families a concrete feature to explore when considering how their child will use the building.

Oak offers school-age children choices including baking, board games and craft activities, with outdoor space for creative play. School transport serves Aire View Infant School, Pied Piper Pre-school and Hothfield junior school. These are collection and drop-off arrangements, rather than an admissions pathway into any of those settings.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a primary key worker and a second worker to provide continuity when the first is away. Settling is gradual: a free introductory period usually involves a week of visits, increasing the time spent at nursery, with a home visit offered during the process. This gives staff an opportunity to learn about the child before attendance becomes routine, while giving families a named relationship within the team.

Iconnect holds observations, photographs and other media in a secure child profile, and parents can contribute material from home. Daily diaries and parent information sessions provide further routes for sharing children's experiences. A Saturday play-and-learn session takes place once a term, includes breakfast and links activities to an area of learning. It gives parents a way to take part in nursery experiences themselves.

In April 2023, daily conversations covered children's routines and activities, but the online assessment system had fallen behind and progress information was shared inconsistently. Staff also needed fuller information about children's interests and starting points. The issue was the usefulness and regularity of the exchange, rather than simply whether a communication system existed.

Staffing pressure was part of that April 2023 picture. Managers were frequently working directly with children to maintain staffing cover, and staff lacked sufficient time for tasks such as updating assessments. Recruitment was continuing. These are dated findings, but they make the organisation of staff time a relevant discussion alongside the nursery's current communication arrangements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and good support for children with SEND, including collaboration with physiotherapists, changes to the environment for children needing help with walking, and equipment bought through additional funding. The practical examples matter: support involved both professional advice and changes that helped children participate in activities.

In April 2023, children's home languages were not routinely used, and conversations with parents did not sufficiently explore using them alongside English. Children were nevertheless developing an understanding of English, with gestures and objects helping communication. Families using another language at home should give this point particular attention when discussing their child's routines and learning.

The staff team attends continuing training, and management includes safeguarding lead arrangements and SENCO expertise. Positive behaviour support uses praise and recognises achievements; when further help is needed, strategies are developed with parents. In April 2023, children also practised everyday independence through feeding themselves, putting on outdoor clothing and helping tidy away toys, connecting care routines with preparation for school.

Sessions and Attendance

Handprints occupies The Old Police Station, 8 Bolton Road, Keighley, BD20 0JY. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm. Nursery places are allocated on a first-come basis, and families can make an enquiry by telephone, email or the contact form.

Normal days run from 7.30am to 4.30pm or 8.30am to 5.30pm. The long day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Half days run from 7.30am to 12.30pm or 12.30pm to 5.30pm, giving families a materially different choice from a full day. Other attendance hours may be accommodated by agreement at an additional charge.

For school-age children, before-school care runs from 7.30am to 9am and after-school care from 3.30pm to 6pm. Holiday-club half days run from 7.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 5.30pm; full holiday days are also offered. A midday school collection or drop-off arrangement includes lunch. The nursery-day and holiday-club afternoon patterns differ, so the distinction belongs in the booking agreement.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15-hour provision for eligible two-year-olds, 15 hours from the term following a child's third birthday, and 30-hour provision for eligible children from nine months. Funding is stretched across 47 weeks: the 15-hour entitlement becomes 12 hours each week, and the 30-hour entitlement becomes 24. Three weeks each year are charged at the full private rate.

The 15-hour arrangement uses six funded care hours within 9am to 3pm; the 30-hour arrangement uses eight within 8.30am to 4.30pm. Time beyond those windows, or after the weekly funded allocation has been used, attracts private charges. This structure matters as much as the headline entitlement when matching funded care to working hours.

Private fees include meals, snacks, milk, nappies and wipes. For funded attendance, parents supply nappies and wipes; food arrangements can be discussed, but packed lunches are not accepted because of allergy management. Food is prepared fresh each day, with local purchasing where possible. New starters pay a refundable deposit, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Charges are spread over 12 months using a 50-week basis, with two weeks free each year. Illness-related absence remains chargeable, and late collection may incur an extra charge. These terms belong alongside the chosen sessions when assessing the overall commitment.

• Parent communication. April 2023 findings included delayed online assessments, inconsistent progress updates and insufficient information about children's starting points. Ask how Iconnect, daily conversations and parent contributions now work together, and how staff time is protected for updates.
• Home languages. In April 2023, home languages were used too little and discussion with parents needed strengthening. Families using another language should explore how familiar words and home experiences will enter their child's day.
• Funded attendance and food. Meals and snacks are included in private fees. Funding is stretched over 47 weeks, with three weeks at the full private rate and limits on daily funded windows. Confirm the written arrangement for your chosen pattern and, where allergies matter, current food practice; packed lunches are excluded.
• Willow and the building. Willow has a maximum of 17 children, while playrooms occupy two levels with adjoining outdoor areas. During a visit, ask how the baby room's day is organised and how children move between their room and outdoor play.

Handprints suits families seeking either full nursery days or half-day attendance, with school-age care adding a practical option for older siblings. The baby-room cap, connected outdoor areas and primary and secondary key workers give parents concrete arrangements to weigh.

The April 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, but communication and home-language support deserve close attention. For funded families, the stretched allocation, privately charged weeks and consumables arrangements are central to whether the chosen attendance pattern works.