Happy Kids Heybury Close

Toy animals trapped in ice became a lesson in problem-solving at Happy Kids Heybury Close: in June 2024, children connected melting snow with sunshine, then chose warm water to free the animals. It is a concrete example of learning that builds on something a child already understands.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that children made excellent progress through teaching adapted to their individual learning needs. The setting has capacity for 63 children, from birth to five, at Heybury Close Childrens Centre in Manchester.

In June 2024, books supported a progression from babies practising page-turning to toddlers remembering familiar stories and preschool children retelling them and recognising letters from their names. The resources gave children opportunities to return to skills as their understanding developed.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the June 2024 examples included learning through play, conversation, stories and practical exploration: children counted bricks while building towers and compared what they needed to make them equally tall.

Language also ran through those activities. In June 2024, staff introduced vocabulary during conversations about prehistoric animals and invited children to use the new words in sentences. Children practised expressing an idea, rather than simply repeating a word.

Independence had a practical place too. During that month, children tried unfamiliar tasks before receiving help, including developing control when using scissors and other tools. Small challenges gave them opportunities to practise doing things for themselves.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with a knowledgeable SEND co-ordinator, progress monitoring and joint work with other services. These mechanisms connected support for children with guidance for staff and parents.

In June 2024, staff gathered detailed information about children as they started, using it to shape their care and learning. They also helped children recognise feelings and consider how their actions affected others.

Family support included practical guidance for learning at home. In June 2024, the home book loan scheme helped families continue reading together, while online story reading training supported parents in sharing stories. Staff also discussed safe sleep, dummy use and behaviour, and suggested ways parents could support the next stage of learning at home.

Teaching development received attention behind the scenes. In June 2024, leaders observed practice, while staff reviewed recordings of their interactions with children and used those reflections alongside targeted professional development.

The address is Heybury Close Childrens Centre, Heybury Close, Manchester M11 3TY. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Families planning care around work need to account for those breaks.

In June 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four.

• Attendance planning. The opening window runs from 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Which booking patterns would fit your family's routine within those hours?
• Learning at home. In June 2024, the home book loan scheme supported reading together; online story reading training helped parents share stories. On a visit, explore how these would work for your child.

Happy Kids Heybury Close suits families who value learning through conversation, books and practical experimentation, alongside ways to continue that learning at home. Its June 2024 examples make that approach tangible: melting ice, comparing towers and practising tool use each gave children something specific to work out or master. The weekday opening window also makes it relevant to families organising care around a working day.