The Little Bears Nursery

A Learning Hub with outdoor access, a private hall and a story space called The Bear Forest give The Little Bears Nursery its character. This Hatfield Peverel setting combines shared play with separate spaces for quieter moments and preparation for school. The layout matters: movement, stories and rest each have somewhere to happen.

The nursery welcomes children aged two to four and has capacity for 60 children in total. At its 12 November 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assessment of today's practice.

Full and sessional care are both offered. For parents choosing between a shared learning space and more separate activities, the balance here is worth understanding: children of different ages interact in the Learning Hub, while preschool learning also has its own room.

Rooms and Ages

The Learning Hub is an open-plan space for shared activities, with access to the outdoor area so children can explore inside and outside. Older children act as examples for younger ones within this shared arrangement. For a child who enjoys learning alongside others, that mixed-age interaction is an important part of the nursery's approach.

The Bear Forest centres on books, storytelling and conversation, with exposure to phase one and two phonics as part of its emphasis on early language and reading. It gives stories a named place in the day.

Pre School / Dining Room combines a separate classroom-style learning space with a place for meals, helping children experience different routines away from the main hub. The Hall provides room for open play and PE activities. These spaces give the nursery more than one way to organise group experiences, rather than placing every activity in the shared hub.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, with emphasis here on movement, communication and children's social and emotional development. Literacy, mathematics, creative expression and exploring the world also form part of the learning programme. The framework is the foundation; the named spaces show how this nursery organises activities around it.

Children's own imaginative play sits alongside tasks led by adults. Individual planning takes account of each child's needs, while preparation for school is an explicit aim. That combination makes the balance between adult direction and uninterrupted play a useful point for parents to explore.

In November 2021, children worked play dough with their hands and added sticks and feathers to their creations. Outdoor demonstrations of erupting volcanoes prompted excited conversation and requests to repeat the activity. These examples show the hands-on character of learning at that time: children could manipulate materials, watch something happen and talk about what interested them.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Outdoor Classroom provides space for exploration and messy learning outside. Its connection with the Learning Hub makes outdoor activity part of the nursery's physical layout, rather than a wholly separate destination. Alongside the hall, it gives children places for active experiences beyond the main indoor learning space.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker who gets to know the child and family, uses observations to shape planning, and works with parents on learning. Settling sessions help the key person understand the child's individual needs, interests and abilities. Parents also complete an introductory document about their child, giving staff a starting point for understanding interests, abilities and support needs.

An online learning journey allows families to share experiences from home, which staff can use when planning nursery activities. Termly meetings provide another opportunity to discuss development. This gives communication two purposes: keeping parents involved in the nursery day and helping staff understand the child beyond it.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A nursery SENCO coordinates additional support, with individual plans and meetings to review targets with families. With parental consent, the SENCO can liaise with Early Years Inclusion Officers, Health Visitors and Speech and Language Therapists. The practical value is a defined route from a concern about development to discussion, planning and professional advice.

At the November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that children needing additional help, including those with SEND, received good support through cooperation between staff, families and other professionals. This finding belongs to that visit; the current support arrangements centre on the SENCO, key worker and individual planning.

The Bear Cave (Nap Room) provides a calm space with sensory items to help children relax. It gives rest its own place alongside shared activities.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Maldon Road, Hatfield Peverel, Essex, CM3 2HS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closure on bank holidays. Full care and sessional care are separate attendance options; the opening window describes the nursery's operating day.

Joining enquiries can be made through the contact form, which asks for the child's age and required days of care. Telephone enquiries can be made on 01245 381 200. These routes provide a straightforward starting point for families considering either attendance option.

Funding and Paid Extras

In November 2021, the nursery received early education funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Current prices should come in a written quotation from the nursery. The funding and fees page provides access to its fee information.

• Time to finish playing. In November 2021, routines sometimes interrupted activities children wanted to continue. The improvement point was to give children more opportunity to develop their chosen play; ask how staff now handle transitions between activities.
• Shared ages and separate learning. The Learning Hub brings younger and older children together, while Pre School / Dining Room offers a separate learning space. On a visit, explore how your child's day moves between these arrangements.
• The attendance and cost agreement. Full and sessional care are offered. Before joining, request one written explanation covering session times, funded entitlement and its delivery pattern, private hours, meals and non-food consumables, so the arrangement fits both your schedule and budget.

The Little Bears Nursery suits families seeking either full care or sessional attendance for children aged two to four, with shared play and preparation for school both important to them. The Bear Forest, hall and separate nap space give those aims practical form. Its Good judgement dates to November 2021, and the question about protecting children's chosen play deserves attention alongside the appeal of the layout.