Squirrels Nursery, Hemel Hempstead

In July 2022, children explored sensory textures and tackled a climbing frame. Close links with Jupiter Primary School give Squirrels Hemel Hempstead a practical connection with the next stage of childhood. Its school-site setting matters most for the relationship with Reception teachers, rather than any promise of a school place.

The nursery has capacity for 36 children aged six months to five years. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good overall and found safeguarding effective; the improvements required concerned engagement with babies and consistency in managing behaviour. That gives families a positive inspection position with two specific areas to explore.

Funded places cover children aged two, three and four, with additional paid hours also offered. The distinction matters for families combining early education with a longer working day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, learning and care belong together: play, conversation and growing independence are part of education, rather than separate from it.

In July 2022, activities followed children's interests. Younger children investigated textures in a sensory tray, including through movement and touch. Older children collected leaves for printing, comparing what they had found while working together. These were hands-on experiences with different demands: exploration for younger children, shared decisions and conversation for older ones.

The climbing frame provided another concrete example that July. Children tackled ladders and reached the slide, while adults reduced their help as confidence grew. The useful detail is the gradual change in support: children had opportunities to attempt something for themselves rather than relying on an adult throughout.

Rooms and Ages

In July 2022, the Explorers' room brought together children across a broad age span, with activities adapted to their differing needs. Engagement with babies was uneven: some adults drew on babies' interests successfully, while others needed to develop their interactions so babies stayed involved.

The Investigators' room used reminders about behaviour expectations in July 2022. When children from different groups shared the garden, adults did not consistently coordinate their approach. Room routines and shared outdoor play therefore deserve separate attention when considering how the day works for a young child.

Relationships were a clear part of daily life in July 2022. Staff had built secure relationships with children and encouraged their efforts during play. Younger children watched and copied one another, while older children collaborated on activities. These examples show how adult relationships and peer experiences worked alongside each other.

Practical independence also featured that July. Older children practised dressing for outdoors and handling cutlery at lunch. Vegetable preparation gave them a chance to use their hands and talk about food. Small routines like these connect learning with things children need to manage beyond nursery.

School transition was organised through key persons in July 2022. They exchanged developmental information with teachers, teachers came to meet children, and staff talked with children about their school visits. This gave the next setting useful context and made the change something children could discuss.

Staff development had a practical structure in July 2022: newcomers worked alongside experienced colleagues for daily support. For parents, that is a useful detail about how adults were helped to learn the nursery's work, rather than simply a staffing total.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, two weeks in August and two weeks in December. Those longer closures are a substantial part of the annual childcare plan, especially for families whose working arrangements continue through the summer and Christmas period.

Additional paid hours can be combined with funded provision within the daytime opening window. This offers a practical distinction between the funded early-education element and extra childcare time.

Getting There

The nursery is on Jupiter Drive, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 5NT, at the school site identified as Jupiter Primary School. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email directly to the Hemel Hempstead nursery, and an application route is provided.

The nursery describes a partnership with Jupiter Primary School, including its Reception teachers. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place: families still use the local authority admissions process. The relationship can support familiarity and transition, but families should keep nursery choice and school admission as separate decisions.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for two-, three- and four-year-olds, alongside further paid hours. Families should obtain a current written quotation from the nursery for the attendance they intend to book.

• Care for babies. In July 2022, babies were not consistently kept involved in purposeful play. During a visit, ask how staff now adapt interactions and routines for the youngest children.
• Shared garden routines. Behaviour expectations became less consistent when groups mixed outdoors in July 2022. Ask how adults coordinate their responses during these shared periods.
• Holiday cover. Closures include two weeks in August and two weeks in December, as well as bank holidays. Families working through those periods need to account for that pattern in their childcare arrangements.

Squirrels suits families seeking funded early education with the option of additional paid childcare hours, especially those who value a relationship with Jupiter Primary School. The July 2022 examples of sensory exploration, climbing and practical independence give its nursery day substance. For families with babies, the engagement improvement deserves close attention; for every family, the extended seasonal closures are a practical consideration.