Kidspace Pre-School and Wrap Around Care

Coloured-water potions, herbs to chop and balance beams give Kidspace’s Burbage setting a practical, hands-on character. Based at The Scout Hut on Britannia Road, it combines preschool provision with school-day wraparound care. Its current early-years age range is 24 to 60 months.

At its 8 September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement gives families something concrete to weigh: imaginative play, conversations about books and daily physical activity, alongside improvements needed in group-time expectations and support for managing emotions.

Term-time attendance shapes the offer. Preschool half days and before- and after-school care provide different ways to use the setting, while the school holidays sit outside its preschool contracts.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children’s learning and care, with play, language, physical development and growing independence woven into the day. Alongside it, Kidspace uses the group-wide The Curiosity Approach, which encourages children to choose activities and investigate things for themselves. Its practical emphasis is on children making decisions rather than simply following adult instructions.

The Burbage day includes stories, singing, flashcards and time with a key worker. Observations and next steps sit alongside those activities, linking what a child does today with what staff plan next. Quiet or sleep time follows lunch, so the timetable accommodates rest as well as activity.

In September 2025, children experimented with coloured water, combining pouring and squeezing with imaginary potion-making. Herbs added smells and opportunities to chop and mix. These were useful examples of several kinds of learning sharing one activity: handling tools, exploring changes and developing ideas through play.

Book conversations had substance too. During September 2025, staff invited children to discuss characters and predict what might happen next. That gives story time a conversational purpose, with children contributing their own ideas rather than only listening to an adult read.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor play both feature in the preschool timetable. Walks and park visits also sit within its physical activities, giving the day movement beyond table-based tasks.

In September 2025, outdoor exercise happened daily, with outings to local parks and the library among the experiences described. Balance beams gave children a specific physical challenge, while dough and printing tools exercised their hands. Older and younger children also played together outside, with older children showing consideration for younger ones. These observations describe the setting at that time, rather than a fixed programme of trips.

Relationships and Communication

Famly, the parent communication app, carries a daily account of food, drinks, toileting and activities, including photographs. It also provides a route for messages, newsletters and dates. That makes the ordinary details of a child’s day accessible alongside conversations with staff.

A child’s key worker contributes observations, assessments, pictures and craft to their learning journal. Families see the journal during progress days and receive it when their child leaves. The combination gives parents both immediate updates and a longer view of development, rather than relying on photographs alone.

In September 2025, parent involvement included stay-and-play opportunities, book bags and boxes shared with home. Staff also discussed healthy food choices during meals and supported children with handwashing, toileting and feeding themselves. Care routines therefore provided opportunities to practise independence as well as meet immediate needs.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The deputy manager also holds the SENCO role, giving special educational needs coordination a place within the management structure. Admission priorities include children with SEND whose needs can best be met at the setting. That condition matters: the priority relates to the suitability of this particular provision for the child.

Staff training requirements include paediatric first aid, safeguarding and safe sleeping, with refresher training organised on a rolling basis. These are arrangements for staff preparation; the dated safeguarding judgement remains the basis for assessing effectiveness.

The improvement points deserve equal attention. In September 2025, inconsistent expectations during small-group activities left some children distracted, including disagreements over toys that had not been put away. Planned strategies for children who struggled with their emotions had also yet to be put into use. Families whose children need help with attention or emotional regulation should give these aspects particular weight.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Scout Hut, Britannia Road, Burbage, LE10 2HE. Preschool opening hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Half-day attendance is offered; all preschool children attend under term-time contracts.

At the Scout Hut, wraparound care runs from 7.30am to 9am and from 3pm to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday in term time. It includes collection from Sketchley Hill Primary School. This is a collection arrangement for school-age children, separate from preschool attendance.

Before attendance begins, parents complete a contract and registration form covering matters such as emergency contacts, dietary requirements and collection arrangements. The preschool operates a waiting list and gives admission priority to specified groups, including looked-after children, qualifying children with SEND and children needing additional local-authority support. A full-time request may receive preference over part-time attendance depending on family work commitments, occupancy and room availability.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered on a term-time basis, with eligible children able to use 15 or 30 hours a week across 38 academic weeks. Eligibility is determined through the government process, and applicable codes must be reconfirmed every three months. Regular attendance is a condition of the funding arrangements.

For funded attendance, a separate daily charge contributes towards snacks, tea and cooking activities. This means those refreshments have a charge alongside funded childcare. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Group-time attention. In September 2025, expectations were not applied consistently during small-group activities. On a visit, ask how staff now help children put toys aside and join shared activities.
• Support with emotions. In September 2025, planned emotional-regulation strategies had yet to be introduced. Ask how these work in practice for a child who finds frustration or transitions difficult.
• Term-time fit. Preschool contracts exclude school holidays, and Scout Hut wraparound care is also term-time only. This matters if the household needs care throughout the year.
• The funded-day bill. Funded attendance carries a separate daily contribution towards snacks, tea and cooking. Ask for a written breakdown that also identifies any arrangements for nappies, wipes and other non-food items.

Kidspace suits families seeking term-time preschool half days or before- and after-school care at the Scout Hut, including collection from Sketchley Hill Primary School. Its practical play and parent communication give the offer substance: children can investigate materials, spend time outdoors and have their experiences recorded through Famly and learning journals.

The September 2025 judgement was Good, but the attention and emotional-support improvements remain central to a parent’s decision. A visit should concentrate on those everyday interactions. For families whose attendance needs fit the term-time calendar, this is a setting with clear activities and communication arrangements to assess.