Kidspace Nursery Markfield

Trees to climb, crops to tend and a woodland reading area give Kidspace Nursery Markfield a clear outdoor identity. This is more than a garden for running around: the woodland includes a rocky bridge and mud kitchen, while a sensory garden introduces children to herbs through smell and touch. Those features give outdoor play several purposes, from physical challenge to quieter exploration.

At its 23 March 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard judgements for achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. The detail behind those judgements matters: children were practising everyday independence, staff adapted activities around individual needs, and stories supported both conversation and early number work.

The nursery has capacity for 51 children from birth to five. Its premises in Markfield divide baby, toddler and preschool provision into separate areas, with outdoor spaces suited to different stages. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with both year-round attendance and term-time contracts supported.

Rooms and Ages

The under-two baby room combines a main play space with an area for messy activities and a rest room; its separate, secure garden also provides shade. That division is useful for families weighing how active play and rest fit together, rather than treating the baby day as one continuous activity session.

For children aged two to three, the Toddlers room has separate areas indoors and a private garden used for imaginative play, sand and water. The older Pre-School area, for three- and four-year-olds, uses large patio doors to connect the room with the main outdoor space. Its home corner, loose parts, mathematics area and interest boxes give children different starting points for play, while access between indoors and outdoors allows activities to move beyond a single room.

Craft materials, water and sand are accessible across the rooms.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care, with play, conversation and everyday routines contributing to the nursery day. Alongside it, Kidspace uses the group-wide The Curiosity Approach, which emphasises children choosing activities and working things out for themselves. Here, the loose parts and interest boxes give that child-led approach a concrete setting, rather than leaving it as a curriculum label.

In March 2026, babies chose songs and joined in with actions, while older children explored more descriptive language through stories. Preschool children also used their fingers to work through subtraction as characters disappeared from a story. These examples show how a familiar activity can serve different stages: participation for babies, vocabulary and number ideas for older children.

Physical challenge had a similarly practical form in March 2026. Staff helped toddlers think through climbing a tree, discussing foot placement and how to move over a branch. A parachute activity brought children together to take turns and make plastic eggs bounce. The emphasis was on participating and attempting a task, with adult support adjusted to the activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

The purpose-built woodland is the strongest physical feature here. Reading areas sit alongside trees, the rocky bridge and mud kitchen, so the outdoor offer includes both movement and places to pause. In March 2026, toddlers explored woodland vocabulary and practised moving over uneven ground with staff guidance.

Growing food adds another thread. Children plant and care for crops including garlic, carrots and potatoes, connecting food with the work of growing it. The sensory garden extends that exploration through herbs, introducing different textures and smells. For parents seeking regular outdoor experiences with several kinds of activity, these spaces are a substantial part of the nursery's character.

Relationships and Communication

Famly carries daily updates on food, drinks, toileting or nappy changes, and activity photographs. Messages between families and staff, newsletters and dates keep practical communication together.

Key workers compile learning journals containing observations, assessments, pictures and children's creative work. Shared at progress days and handed over when children leave, these give families a longer view of learning than the daily diary.

In March 2026, staff gathered information from parents at the beginning of the relationship and updated it as children's needs changed. Babies settled to sleep and received a cuddle when waking before returning to play; sleeping children were checked regularly. These are useful examples of how rest and reassurance operated alongside activities at that time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that individual planning, assessments and work with parents and specialists supported children with SEND, while identifying a next step to make the impact on disadvantaged children and children with SEND transformational. This combines a positive judgement with an ambition that remains relevant to families considering additional support.

In March 2026, picture cards helped children understand the sequence of daily routines, and individual plans were reviewed as needs changed. Staff also used books about emotions, small-group work and resources such as bubbles and fidget toys. The examples are specific: support could involve explaining what happens next, changing an activity or helping a child regain attention.

Meals are cooked from fresh ingredients, and the nursery employs a chef; its allergy arrangements include protocols for dietary needs and staff training in managing intolerances and allergies. Breakfast, lunch, snacks and tea punctuate the day, making food part of the routine as well as a practical consideration for parents.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 27 Church Drive, Markfield, Leicester, LE67 9UH. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, operates for 51 weeks each year, and closes on bank holidays and for a Christmas week.

The nursery's daily routine includes half-day attendance, while term-time contracts exclude school holidays. The distinction matters: opening hours describe the nursery's operating window, while the attendance contract determines which parts of the year a child attends. Families using a term-time contract can claim their weekly funded allocation within the 38 academic weeks; year-round attendance can use stretched funding.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through 15-hour and 30-hour allocations, with term-time delivery or funding stretched across the nursery's 51-week year. The individual allocation depends on when eligibility begins and the attendance arrangement. A child starting partway through a term or year therefore receives a personalised calculation rather than a single allowance applied to every family.

For funded hours, a separate charge applies for each funded hour claimed and contributes towards meals, milk and drinks, together with enrichment activities. Those activities include Story Imagin-ory sessions, PE classes and water safety workshops. They sit within the charge structure; the funding allocation should therefore be considered alongside the cost of food and enhancements.

Eligibility is determined through the government's process, and working-parent eligibility codes must be reconfirmed every three months. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The funding and fees information explains term-time and stretched arrangements, including the expectation of regular attendance and the possibility of funding being withdrawn after consistently poor attendance.

• Attendance across the year. Term-time contracts exclude school holidays, while stretched funding supports year-round attendance. At a visit, discuss how the half-day pattern and annual contract would fit your working week.
• Food and funded extras. Funded hours carry a separate charge contributing to refreshments and enrichment. Ask for a written breakdown covering additional hours and non-food items such as nappies and wipes; allergy-affected families should also confirm current dietary practice.
• Support beyond participation. The March 2026 next step calls for a transformational impact for disadvantaged children and children with SEND. Families needing additional support should discuss the individual plan, adaptations and how progress will be reviewed.

Kidspace Nursery Markfield suits families who want outdoor exploration to be woven into early childhood care, whether using half-day attendance or a term-time contract. The baby rest room, separate gardens and preschool access to the main outdoor space give the offer a clear physical shape. Woodland play and growing food add substance to its child-led approach.

The March 2026 Strong standard judgements provide a positive inspection position, while the next step on outcomes for disadvantaged children and children with SEND gives families a useful discussion point. For those using funded childcare, the decision also includes how attendance is arranged across the year and the separate charge for refreshments and enhancements.