Safari Childcare Hutton

Torches in a toddler den and a number hunt across the garden give Safari Childcare Hutton a recognisable character: play that invites children to investigate. These were features of daily life in July 2022, rather than a description of today's activity timetable.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including babies, were progressing well from their starting points. The setting has capacity for 48 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing those elements together rather than treating education as a separate part of the day.

In July 2022, babies investigated textures through water play, while toddlers experimented with torchlight inside a den. Preschool children chose art supplies for dinosaur pictures and directed their own play. These examples show different ways of giving children an active part in their learning.

The garden supplied another learning space that month. Children searched for numbered paper plates among trees, bushes and play equipment, then matched their discoveries with numbers on the pavement. The task connected movement, searching and mathematical thinking. Imaginative play needed further development, however, with resources that better represented children's lives at home.

In July 2022, babies received cuddles after waking and practised feeding themselves at meals and snacks. Staff shared sleep and eating updates with parents; conversations, parents' evenings and open days provided further opportunities to discuss learning. That combination linked everyday care with children's development.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised developmental gaps, planned support and used additional funding for individual needs, including sensory resources for exploring sound and light or finding calm.

School transition work in July 2022 included teacher visits and sharing assessments about children's learning. Communication with other childcare settings attended by the same children was less developed. This distinction matters for families dividing attendance between providers.

The address is 664 Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Brentwood, CM13 1SJ. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except bank holidays.

In July 2022, session times ran from 7am to 6.30pm, and the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Those arrangements belong to that inspection date.

• Shared care. Communication between childcare settings was an improvement point in July 2022. Families using more than one provider should explore how learning and care information travels between them.
• Imaginative play. July 2022 findings called for play materials closer to children's home experiences. A visit offers a chance to look at how role play now reflects familiar everyday life.
• Attendance planning. The nursery opens throughout the year except bank holidays. Which booking pattern and current funding arrangements would fit your child's week?

Safari Childcare Hutton suits families seeking care across the year, with an opening window that can accommodate an early start. Its July 2022 strengths lay in investigative play, children's independence and communication with parents. The improvement points make shared-care coordination and imaginative-play resources useful priorities when considering it.