Cheeky Chops Childminding Services

An open plan hall and garden area give Cheeky Chops Childminding Services its character at Hacton Hall in Hornchurch. The practical offer includes meals, formula, milk, nappies and wipes within the fee. The central decision, though, is how well the shared space works for your child's age.

At its March 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Requires improvement, finding that education for younger children and the organisation of their space needed attention, while safeguarding was effective. That distinction matters. Positive relationships did not mean that learning worked equally well for every age.

The nursery cares for children from birth to five and has capacity for 50 children. Its opening hours are 7am to 6pm on weekdays, across 50 weeks of the year.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: the day should support learning through play and experiences suited to children's development. Here, the March 2025 activities illustrate both the opportunities and the weakness in delivery.

Older children used a home-themed role play area, with practitioners introducing size comparisons as they cut pretend fruit. Familiar domestic play became a chance to develop language and mathematical understanding. Learning also included toothbrushing, food choices and exercise, giving older children practical ways to explore looking after themselves.

In March 2025, Ofsted found that older children's learning prepared them for their next steps, but activities and adult interactions were insufficiently adapted for younger children. A songs-and-balloons activity, for example, centred on early literacy for the older group. Enjoying the materials was not the same as receiving teaching suited to a younger child's development.

Outdoor and Community Life

Hacton Hall's garden adds outdoor space alongside the hall. The indoor arrangement deserves equal attention, especially for families with babies: in March 2025, younger children had no separate space and were often held or seated on practitioners' laps for safety. Their opportunities to move and interact were consequently reduced.

There were friendly exchanges between ages, including peekaboo games initiated by older children. These offered moments of connection, but did not answer the need for suitable space and activities for the youngest children. Both curriculum planning and the layout were subject to improvement requirements due in April 2025.

Relationships were a positive part of daily life in March 2025. Children sought out familiar adults, shared ideas and encouraged one another when tasks went well. Circle time gave them opportunities to discuss feelings, sing and listen to their peers. These were concrete opportunities to practise friendship and consideration.

The key-person arrangement followed the connections children formed: in March 2025, children could choose the practitioner with whom they developed a bond. Parents also valued individual feedback and open communication. That gives families a useful picture of the relationship-based care seen at that time, rather than an assurance about every child's experience today.

Regular updates during the day are part of the current Hacton Hall offer. They give parents a way to stay connected with their child's experiences while apart.

Leadership also required attention in March 2025. A manager change had not been notified to the regulator as required, although this had not adversely affected children or the setting's operation. This administrative failure sits alongside, rather than replacing, the more consequential concerns about younger children's education and space.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hacton Lane Social Club, Haydock Close, Hornchurch, RM12 6EA. Hacton Hall opens Monday to Friday from 7am until 6pm and operates for 50 weeks annually; closures include bank holidays and Christmas. Those are opening hours, rather than a description of an individual booking pattern.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form, which takes the chosen setting, requested weekdays, start date and specific needs or allergies. Hacton Hall also accepts requests to join its waiting list. This is a joining route, not an indication of how many places are free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education was offered in March 2025. Hacton Hall's fees include cooked meals and milk or formula, together with nappies and wipes, reducing the everyday supplies families need to send from home. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

For a funded arrangement, the distinction between childcare hours and associated charges deserves attention. The decision point below keeps that discussion specific to the child's proposed attendance.

• Care for the youngest children. The March 2025 concerns involved both age-appropriate learning and the lack of separate space. During a visit, ask to see how babies and younger toddlers now move, play and receive activities suited to them.
• Funded attendance and included supplies. Hacton Hall includes meals, milk or formula, nappies and wipes in its fees. Ask whether those inclusions apply to your proposed funded hours and request the complete written charge breakdown.
• The shared hall. An open plan indoor space and garden are central to this setting. Observe how quieter experiences and more active play are organised for children of different ages.

Cheeky Chops suits families seeking weekday childcare across the year, with everyday food and care supplies included in the fee. Older children had the stronger educational experience in March 2025, alongside friendly peer relationships and practical independence activities.

For babies and younger toddlers, the deciding issue is the response to the March 2025 concerns. The hall and garden are useful physical features, but suitable space, purposeful interaction and age-appropriate learning matter more than the size of the setting.