Kindred Hemel Hempstead Nursery and Pre-School

An apple orchard, a vegetable patch and outings onto Boxmoor Trust land give Kindred Hemel Hempstead Nursery and Pre-School a recognisable outdoor character. Children grow produce, pick fruit and encounter local animals, including watching sheep being sheared. Nature provides concrete things to investigate here, with a dedicated baby garden giving the youngest children their own outdoor space.

At its July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with language development and children's transitions supported well. The detail matters: children explored insects, measured ingredients and practised doing things for themselves. There were also improvements to make in preschool routines and the coaching of room leaders. The judgement belongs to that visit; a new manager took over in August 2024.

Based at Moor End Farm on London Road in Hemel Hempstead, the nursery accepts children aged three months to five years. Full-day and half-day bookings serve different attendance needs, with care running across the year. Its strongest current practical features are the outdoor spaces, an on-site chef and a settling sequence that introduces separation gradually.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and care. Here, that translates into stories, outdoor exploration, child-led play and activities that develop language and practical skills. The current daily routine combines free play with planned activities, individual story time and opportunities to rest. Children have several ways to take part, rather than a single activity defining the day.

In July 2023, babies investigated citrus fruit in water, exploring its smell and taste as well as the splashes it made. Toddlers examined insects and used books to identify them. Preschool children turned lavender from the garden into an ingredient for modelling dough, measuring quantities as they mixed. These examples connect sensory exploration, books and early mathematics to things children can handle and examine.

Language ran through those July 2023 activities. Staff introduced sounds during babies' water and bubble play, while toddlers played I-spy and preschool children discussed how caterpillars protect themselves. Children hesitant about handling insects could investigate through pictures or drawing. For parents, these examples show how an interest could lead to several kinds of learning, with different ways for a child to participate.

Forest School and Boogimites are named enrichment activities, alongside cooking and gardening. The latter two have an obvious connection to the setting's growing spaces and food preparation: children can encounter produce in the garden as well as at mealtimes. Sustainability and recycling also form part of daily learning. The content and frequency of Forest School and Boogimites are useful topics for a visit.

Outdoor and Community Life

The main garden includes the vegetable patch, while babies have a separate garden of their own. Access to an apple orchard extends the growing theme beyond vegetables. Picking fruit gives children a direct part in where food comes from; parents looking for outdoor experiences have several concrete features to weigh here.

Regular outings take children onto land owned by Boxmoor Trust to see animals. Sheep shearing is one example of what they encounter. The frequency remains regular, rather than a fixed weekly promise. Together with gardening and orchard access, these outings make the surrounding area part of the nursery experience.

Parents are welcomed into the nursery to contribute music and stories. That gives family participation a practical form: sharing something with the children. It also complements the day's story time and enrichment activities, bringing parents' interests into the setting.

Relationships and Communication

Settling usually follows three sessions. A parent stays for the first hour, meets the key person and completes the All About Me booklet; the next hour introduces a short separation, followed by a two-hour session that typically includes lunch. Extra sessions can be arranged if needed. This progression lets a child experience both separation and a longer stretch of the routine before settling is complete.

In July 2023, babies turned to familiar staff when tired, and older children used a buddy arrangement when changing rooms. Children spent progressively longer periods in their next room before moving permanently, with staff exchanging information about how to prepare them. Those observations give useful context for families thinking beyond the first settling period to later moves within the nursery.

Daily communication about learning and development was also part of the July 2023 account. Staff monitored progress and adapted activities to children's interests and learning needs. The practical value for parents was a connection between what their child was doing and how staff planned the next activity, rather than communication being limited to meals and routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Independence developed through ordinary tasks in July 2023: babies practised using cutlery, toddlers managed handwashing with little help, and preschool children served food and poured drinks. Sharing jobs while making dough gave children a reason to cooperate. These are small, tangible steps towards managing everyday tasks and taking part with others.

The current day includes quiet time and naps for children who need them. Meals are cooked each day by the nursery's on-site chef using an accredited menu. Rest and food therefore have clear places in the routine, alongside outdoor play and stories.

School preparation includes visiting teachers and resources supplied by local schools, such as uniforms to try and photographs of school buildings. Familiar objects and faces give children something concrete to explore before the change. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place at any school.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, with the nursery operating for 51 weeks of the year. A full day runs from 8am to 6pm; half-day bookings run from 8am to 1pm or from 1pm to 6pm. These are genuine booking patterns, so families can consider a morning or afternoon as well as a whole day.

The nursery closes between Christmas and New Year. Fees are calculated monthly, and bank holidays are included in the weeks charged. Additional ad hoc bookings are paid in advance. These terms matter when comparing the attendance pattern a family needs with the way its bill is spread across the year.

Getting There

The address is Moor End Farm, London Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 2RE, in Boxmoor. A gated private car park provides parking for parents.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded and privately paid childcare are offered. The funding options include 30-hour funding for eligible working families from the term after a child turns nine months, and 15-hour funding from the term after a child's third birthday; both are stretched across the nursery's 51-week year, with funded hours capped at ten per day. Stretching the entitlement means the headline hours are spread over the longer attendance year.

For privately paid care, meals and snacks are included in the fee, along with nappies, wipes, milk and formula. Funded sessions carry separate food, non-food and activity charges. Families choosing not to access consumables alongside funded hours must notify the nursery in writing and follow its Nursery Consumables Policy, with the manager explaining the next steps.

There is no deposit or registration fee. A pre-payment is required and credited against the first full invoice. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Preschool routines and room leadership. In July 2023, preschool routines interrupted consistently effective staff interactions, and room leaders needed better coaching and support to evaluate their practice. During a visit, ask how routines and room-leader support work now.
• Named enrichment. Forest School and Boogimites sit alongside gardening and cooking. Ask what those sessions involve, which children participate and how often they run.
• Funded-hours extras. Food, non-food items and activities have separate charges on funded sessions, with a written process for declining consumables. Discuss that arrangement against your intended booking pattern before committing.

Kindred Hemel Hempstead suits families seeking either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon half days, with outdoor exploration an important part of the offer. The vegetable patch, baby garden, orchard access and Boxmoor Trust outings give that character substance. Gradual settling, a key person and school-familiarisation activities address the changes children experience along the way. Its July 2023 Good judgement is useful context, while the practical decision rests on whether the current routines, enrichment and funded-hours charge structure fit your child and family.