Hamond House Day Nursery, Battye Street

A garden with a water wall and music wall, plus walks to a field where children feed hens, gives Hamond House Day Nursery, Battye Street a clear outdoor identity. There is room for practical discovery: planting, building, investigating natural materials and choosing between indoor and outdoor play. These are concrete reasons to consider it for a child who enjoys being active.

The September 2022 Outstanding judgement recognised the quality of education and close relationships between children and staff. That judgement is a dated assessment. The current nursery offer combines separate spaces for younger children and preschool learning with daily parent communication and meals prepared by an onsite chef.

Based at Hamond House, 25 Battye Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 9ES, the nursery caters for children from birth to five. Opening hours run from 7.15am to 6.15pm, with operation across 51 weeks excluding public holidays and Christmas week. Before and after school care also supports families with older children.

Rooms and Ages

The Under 2’s Room serves children from birth to two, with sensory exploration, painting and a quiet place for books, while sleep pods and individual home routines make rest part of the planning for babies.

In the Over Twos Room, language, social development and growing independence shape activities, with private toilets and changing facilities helping staff work alongside families on toileting.

The preschool room combines counting and phonics games with role play and opportunities to manage belongings, while self-registration and access to outdoor play give children practical responsibilities as they prepare for school.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the shared framework for children's learning, development and care, with play supporting communication, physical development and early understanding of the world. It is the foundation here, rather than an additional programme. The room activities give that framework a practical shape: exploring materials, talking with adults, experimenting with marks and developing confidence with other children.

In September 2022, babies explored water and mixed materials in a mud kitchen, while older children experimented with paint on foil. Another activity began with pirate costumes, hats and maps, then developed into looking at directions and volcanoes through books and videos. The useful detail is how an interest became something children could investigate further, rather than remaining a single craft activity.

Preschool provision balances activities initiated by children with those led by adults. A reading corner, construction area and spaces for role play give different routes into learning; group games add practice in listening, sharing and taking turns. School preparation also includes everyday self-care. Dressing and handling personal belongings belong alongside early literacy and counting, rather than being left until the final weeks before Reception.

Outdoor and Community Life

Battye Street's garden includes space for bikes, planting, sand play and construction, as well as its water wall and music wall. The group's Free Flow play approach lets children choose between outdoor and indoor activity. The field is reached on foot, giving children another setting for collecting leaves, making dens and investigating small creatures.

An outdoor Tepee provides a place for supervised creative activities and learning about nature. Feeding the hens adds an animal-care task to these visits. The garden and the field provide separate spaces for exploration.

Community experiences have included a November 2022 trip to Heckmondwike Library for Storytime/rhyme time, with books brought back for other children to share. In December 2022, children sang Christmas carols to residents at Claremont house. These were specific past experiences, rather than a promise of weekly visits, and illustrate opportunities to take familiar activities beyond nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person responsible for their individual care and development. That match can change during the first month if the child forms a closer connection with another member of staff. This gives the relationship some flexibility during the early adjustment to nursery.

Settling is tailored to the child. Parents share routines and requirements during the initial taster, and the next visit introduces a period with the key person while the parent steps away. Additional visits can be arranged when needed. The practical value is continuity: staff begin with information from home, rather than expecting every child to adapt to the same timetable.

Famly, the group's app for learning journals and everyday communication, brings together observations, photographs and messages with the key person. Families can also follow meals, bottles, nappies and sleep. Parents' evenings take place twice a year, providing a longer conversation about development alongside the daily updates. This combination gives parents both immediate information and time to discuss the bigger picture.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, including work with parents and external agencies. Those findings describe practice at that visit. Current support arrangements include a SENCO role, with planning and review of individual strategies and links to the Early Years SEN Team (Kirklees).

A designated safeguarding lead role and paediatric first aid training form part of the staff arrangements. These are practical provisions; the safeguarding judgement remains the dated inspection finding. For children who need additional support, the relevant mechanism is the cycle of recognising needs, adapting activities and reviewing the response with families.

Baby sleep routines are informed by parents and kept on a daily routine sheet, which is updated as needs change. Older children who nap use individual rest mats and bedding after lunch. Keeping these arrangements separate respects the difference between a baby's established home routine and an older child's need for a quieter pause.

Food is freshly prepared each day by the onsite chef. Daily app updates keep parents informed about eating, helping connect nursery meals with routines at home.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens from 7.15am to 6.15pm and operates for 51 weeks, excluding public holidays and Christmas week. Enquiries for Battye Street go to 01924 650745 or info@hamondhousedaynursery.co.uk. The address is Hamond House, 25 Battye Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 9ES.

The Before and After School Club provides care around the school day, including school collection and drop-off arrangements. Holiday Club runs during school holidays, with booking forms and an activity itinerary sent approximately a month beforehand. Children bring a packed lunch from home; eligible attendance through Holiday Activities and Food funding includes a meal. Its Battye Street room has garden access, with activities including baking, arts and crafts, outdoor sports and visits to local play gyms and parks.

School transition work includes contact with local schools and preschool activities that develop communication and independence. This is preparation for the next stage, rather than an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. Separately, Holiday Activities and Food funding supports children eligible for free school meals to attend Holiday Club free of charge, including activities, trips and a meal.

The nursery's settling arrangements include free tasters after acceptance and receipt of a holding fee. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Baby routines. Sleep pods and a parent-informed routine sheet support the youngest children. During a visit, discuss how staff will follow your child's current pattern of sleep and feeding.
• Outdoor arrangements. Children use the nursery garden and walk to the field to explore and feed hens. Ask how these activities are organised for your child's stage.
• Starting costs and attendance. Tasters follow acceptance and payment of a holding fee. Request a written quotation covering your intended nursery attendance, funded hours, meals and consumables before committing.
• Preschool clothing. A compulsory uniform policy applies in the preschool room. Include this requirement in planning the move into preschool.

Battye Street suits families who value outdoor exploration, practical independence and a continuing conversation with their child's key person. Its garden, field visits and hen feeding give the experience a recognisable character; separate room arrangements address the different needs of babies and children preparing for school.

The attendance offer also reaches beyond nursery care, serving families needing before and after school support or school-holiday activities. The September 2022 Outstanding judgement provides a strong inspection reference.