ABC Nursery School

An allotment of its own and access to local woods give ABC Nursery School a recognisable outdoor thread. Based at The Den in Inkersall, Chesterfield, it combines those experiences with a key-person approach: each child has a practitioner who helps plan their learning and provides a point of contact for parents.

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The setting has capacity for 30 children in total, and accepts children from two to five years. This is provision for toddlers and preschool children, with outdoor experiences alongside early language, physical development and preparation for later learning.

Attendance runs during term time, with full-day, morning and afternoon sessions. The calendar matters as much as the session choice for families fitting nursery around work.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the curriculum, covering relationships, communication, movement and self-care alongside early reading, writing, mathematics, exploration and creative play. In parent language, learning extends beyond activities at a table: talking with another child, handling materials and becoming more independent are part of the educational day too.

A key person plans around the individual child rather than treating everyone as ready for the same next step. The routine also allows changes when circumstances arise, while café-style snacks run through each session. That combination gives the day a structure with room to respond to children.

In January 2023, younger children practised speech by repeating words and hearing corrected pronunciation. Toy vehicles and a garage gave children a practical way to explore size: a truck that would not fit down a ramp made the language meaningful. Making bird feeders with margarine and seeds involved hand movements, while tablets introduced younger children to taking photographs.

The limitation was how consistently adults extended those moments. In January 2023, some conversations stopped before children could explore an idea further, including their interest in a pretend bird. The improvement priority was more purposeful interaction, rather than simply supplying another activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The nursery's allotment and access to local woods make the natural world a concrete part of its offer. Its outings policy provides for occasional visits, rather than a fixed weekly timetable, and requires separate parental permission for major outings. Families can distinguish everyday outings from larger trips when giving consent.

In January 2023, community experiences included the park, woodland and a library. Park visits supported movement, woodland offered encounters with nature, and looking at books extended their book experiences beyond the nursery. Younger children also moved scarves to music and joined action rhymes; older children built stamina on community walks. These were different ways of bringing physical activity into the day.

Relationships and Communication

Each child is allocated a key person, and parents can discuss concerns with that practitioner. The relationship has a practical purpose: someone takes responsibility for understanding the child and linking their learning with family conversations.

In January 2023, parents received activity photographs and daily conversations about their child's day. However, some parents were not given ideas for continuing learning at home. Updates about what happened and guidance on what to try next are different things; the latter was an improvement priority.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that additional funding supported learning, including communication work led by the special educational needs coordinator through small-group activities. One example involved children building an imaginary house and talking together about their actions, connecting language practice with play.

The special educational needs policy, dated 1 April 2016, sets out assessment, short-term planning and review with parents, alongside liaison with other professionals. It also covers transfer arrangements with other settings and schools. These are mechanisms for organising individual support, rather than a blanket promise about what every child will receive.

For children in care, the policy provides for a care plan agreed through a professionals' meeting and information sharing with the adults and agencies involved. Its school-transition arrangements include liaison and passing on relevant documents with the appropriate agreement. The emphasis is continuity of support.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Den, Middlecroft Road, Inkersall, Chesterfield, S43 3XN. The nursery opens Monday to Friday during term time, from September to July, with its standard opening window running from 8.45am to 3.30pm.

A Full Day runs from 8.45am to 3.30pm. The Morning Session is 8.45am to 11.45am, and the Afternoon Session is 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Breakfast Club starts at 8.15am, providing an earlier attendance option; Luncheon Club is restricted to nursery children. These patterns give families a choice between a complete nursery day and shorter attendance.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07774 862446 or by email to admin@abc-nursery.co.uk. For paid attendance, absences remain chargeable for non-funded children, so that term affects the cost of a booking even when a child misses a session.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered, including funding for eligible two-year-olds. The nursery's arrangements describe five funded sessions for three-year-olds, within its term-time calendar; eligibility conditions apply to the two-year-old funding. Private sessions are also offered, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Lunches carry a separate charge, while the nursery provides snacks through its café-style arrangement. Breakfast Club and Luncheon Club also have separate charges, so families comparing session patterns need to consider the extras alongside attendance.

• Term-time fit. Attendance runs from September to July during term time, and the full day ends at 3.30pm. Families needing care through school holidays or later afternoons should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Learning conversations. January 2023 improvement priorities covered extending children's ideas and giving parents learning suggestions. On a visit, ask how practitioners now develop a child's interest and share a useful next step for home.
• The complete booking cost. Lunches, Breakfast Club and Luncheon Club carry separate charges, and non-funded absences are payable. Ask for a written quotation covering the intended sessions, funded attendance and any consumables supplied or charged for.

ABC Nursery School suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a full nursery day ending at 3.30pm. The allotment, woodland access and individual key-person relationship give parents concrete reasons to consider it. The January 2023 Good judgement is a useful reference point, balanced by clear priorities around adult interaction and learning guidance for parents. For a family whose calendar fits, the combination of shorter sessions and outdoor experiences is the strongest draw.