Happy Days Club and Nursery School

A courgette-cutting activity, rhyming games and help with peeling an orange give a clear picture of Happy Days at Hermitage Drive: practical independence and language learning share the day. These were February 2025 experiences, with children taking an active part rather than having adults complete tasks for them. Small routines mattered as much as planned activities.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding on 7 February 2025. Happy Days Club and Nursery School caters for children aged two to five at Hermitage Primary School in Holmes Chapel. Its school-site setting makes preparation for Reception a relevant part of the offer, although nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

Full-day care sits alongside after-school provision at Hermitage Drive. In February 2025, conversation, practical tasks and familiar stories were central to learning, with individual support and regular communication with parents.

Rooms and Ages

Twinkles and Stars and Sunbeams both have key worker roles at Hermitage Drive. The nursery caters for children aged two to five.

Within Stars and Sunbeams at Hermitage Drive, reading and exploratory Tuff Tray activities are staff interests. Twinkles has a key worker role, and the setting also has a practitioner leading provision for two-year-olds. These roles give families identifiable points of contact for their child's care.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In February 2025, shared curriculum goals addressed skills for each stage of learning, while stories, practical activities and daily routines gave children opportunities to practise them.

In February 2025, group activities brought together stories, rhymes, memory games and picture cards showing positional language. These made language practice part of shared play. Children also practised dressing themselves, handwashing and toileting, with hints from adults when a task became difficult. Peeling an orange, for example, became a chance to work out a solution.

Outdoor Life

At Hermitage Drive, a practitioner's interest in gardening and caring for the environment contributes to daily activities. This adds an everyday connection with the outdoors, rather than presenting outdoor learning as a separate subject.

Relationships and Communication

Key worker roles are present in both Twinkles and Stars and Sunbeams at Hermitage Drive.

In February 2025, parents' evenings and events helped families understand activities supporting school preparation. Staff also tailored information to families, including guidance about autism awareness and local walk-in services. Communication had a practical role beyond recounting the day's activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND provision Outstanding, with early settling opportunities, individual adult assistance, visual prompts and sensory equipment supporting participation. The examples matter: additional support enabled children to join practical activities, including cutting a courgette, rather than being given an entirely separate experience.

In February 2025, staff used observations of children's responses to select resources, including weighted blankets, and allowed extra time for children to express feelings. Accident reviews also informed activities intended to develop physical skills. At Hermitage Drive, a deputy safeguarding lead role and paediatric first aid certification form part of the staff structure.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hermitage Primary School, Hermitage Drive, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, CW4 7NP. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year.

Full-day care is offered. At Hermitage Drive, after-school arrangements include a staff member receiving younger children from their teacher with a register; older children make their own way to the Happy Days building within the school gates.

Hermitage enquiries can be made by telephone on 01477 549002 or by email to admin2@happydaysnursery.uk. Nursery attendance on the school site does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2025, children aged two, three and four could receive funded early education at the nursery. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

In February 2025, staff worked with teachers and introduced school-related activities to help children become familiar with their next stage. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority.

• The move to Reception. Happy Days shares a site with Hermitage Primary School, but nursery attendance does not guarantee a school place. Keep the local authority application separate from nursery arrangements.
• Funding and daily costs. In February 2025, funding supported early education for children aged two, three and four. Discuss the written quotation for your intended attendance, including food and consumables.
• Settling and additional support. In February 2025, children with SEND could settle ahead of their peers, with visual prompts, sensory resources and individual assistance supporting activities. Use a visit to discuss how support would fit your child's communication and settling needs.

Happy Days suits families seeking full days from 9am to 3pm or extended days from 8am to 6pm at Hermitage Drive. Its strongest appeal is the combination of practical independence, language-rich activities and detailed preparation for changing routines. The February 2025 examples give substance to that appeal: children solved everyday problems, joined group games and took part in practical food activities with support suited to their needs.

The school-site location will matter to many families, but it should be weighed alongside the attendance pattern and support arrangements. This is a nursery choice and a separate school application. Key worker roles in both rooms give parents an identifiable contact for their child's care.