Havelock Day Nursery and Pre School

Hospital-based childcare is the defining practical feature of Havelock Day Nursery and Pre School: it serves the general public as well as NHS families at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby. Its purpose-built premises bring babies, toddlers and preschool children together in a setting with 55 places in total. Hospital employment is not a condition of attending.

At its August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Havelock Good and judged safeguarding effective. The detail gives parents more to work with than the grade alone: children explored dinosaur vocabulary through drawing, babies handled textured storybooks, and outdoor play involved climbing, construction and messy materials. There was also a clear improvement point concerning mathematics in everyday play.

Full-day and half-day bookings serve different attendance needs. The hospital location is useful context, but the learning and care deserve equal attention when deciding whether Havelock fits your child.

Rooms and Ages

Babies accommodates children from 2 to 24 months; Twos covers ages 2 to 3 years; Preschoolers takes children from 3 years to school age. These age bands give families a straightforward picture of the progression through the nursery. Havelock moved into its purpose-built premises in 2003.

The room divisions distinguish the youngest children from those approaching school. That matters when comparing the experiences of a baby and a preschool child: they share a nursery, but sit within different stages of its organisation.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning and care, with play supporting language, physical skills and social development alongside other learning. Havelock builds its activities around children's interests and individual needs. Stories, singing and adults demonstrating language and behaviour are part of that approach, with independence and relationships among its stated priorities.

In August 2024, dinosaur play made the connection between an interest and a teaching opportunity concrete. Children compared horns and necks, practised dinosaur vocabulary and used brushes dipped in water to make pictures on a fence. Looking, talking and drawing were combined in one activity. The subject gave children a reason to use unfamiliar words rather than learn them in isolation.

During the same month, brief daily activities supported attention, while collecting sticks for a campfire introduced discussion about staying safe. These examples show how practical experiences supplied a purpose for listening and learning. For babies, textured books and accompanying objects brought sensory exploration into storytelling; older children joined stories, songs and rhymes individually or with others.

Mathematics was the weaker element in August 2024. Staff did not consistently bring number work into children's play from the earliest ages, reducing opportunities to practise it. This is a specific limitation, rather than a reason to dismiss the whole curriculum, and gives parents a useful subject to explore during a visit.

Outdoor and Community Life

Large outdoor spaces supported physical activity in August 2024. Children climbed, constructed and investigated mud, water and sand; babies and toddlers pushed or pulled prams and bicycles. The equipment and materials supplied different ways to move, handle objects and explore textures.

Those examples are more informative than a broad claim about outdoor learning. They show both active movement and exploratory play, including experiences for younger children rather than only preschool activities.

Relationships supplied an important part of daily care in August 2024. Children approached adults for reassurance and companionship, while staff taught patience, sharing turns and kindness through their own behaviour. For a parent weighing settling, the useful detail is children's willingness to seek an adult when they needed comfort.

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator understood children's needs, staff raised developmental concerns promptly with parents, and outside agencies helped support children and practitioners. This describes a route from noticing a concern to involving others, rather than a general promise about inclusion.

Communication with families also had practical substance in August 2024. Parents received information about daily routines, learning and ways to continue activities at home. Havelock maintains ongoing discussions with families about support and children's development, making parent involvement part of its current approach.

Freshly prepared meals are part of the nursery day; in August 2024, food was cooked on site, fruit was offered as snacks, and staff took children's dietary needs into account. Handwashing before food and following personal care was also taught then, linking health routines with everyday independence.

Sessions and Attendance

Havelock opens Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, operating for 50 weeks each year. Bank holidays and part of Christmas are closure periods. Families relying on nursery throughout the working year need to allow for those breaks.

The booking choices include a daily full-day package of 10 hours, a half day of 5 hours and hourly care. Hours beyond a session package are charged at the hourly rate. The distinction between the opening window and the booked package matters: a full-day booking is a defined attendance arrangement within the nursery's operating day.

Getting There

The address is Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Scartho Road, Grimsby, DN33 2BA. Nursery enquiries go directly to havelock@forunderfives.co.uk or 01472 870618.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered for 3- and 4-year-olds and eligible 9-month-olds and 2-year-olds. The entitlement is 15 or 30 hours weekly, depending on eligibility, across 38 weeks per year. This funding period differs from the nursery's operating year, so it is an important distinction for families planning attendance across holidays.

Paid attendance includes weekly, full-day, half-day and hourly arrangements. Lunch and tea are included only with full-time weekly or full-day bookings; breakfast is separately priced, and lunch and tea outside those packages are charged separately. Meals booked for a day when a child is absent still require payment.

NHS employees qualify for a discounted rate. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to compare the cost of their intended attendance pattern and meal choices together.

• Mathematics in play. In August 2024, children needed more chances to practise counting and mathematical ideas during play. On a visit, ask to see how number learning now enters activities for younger children as well as preschoolers.
• Baby care and room progression. Babies spans 2 to 24 months before the Twos stage. Discuss how settling, sleep and personal care will fit your child's routines.
• Holiday coverage. Havelock operates for 50 weeks, with bank-holiday and Christmas closures, while funded entitlement covers 38 weeks. Match those periods to your family's childcare needs before choosing a pattern.
• Meals and NHS discounts. Meal inclusion depends on the booking package, and the discount applies to NHS employees. Request a written quotation for your chosen pattern; families managing allergies should also confirm current food arrangements.

Havelock suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter half-day care, including NHS employees and parents from the wider Grimsby community. Its hospital site gives it a clear practical identity, while the August 2024 examples of sensory storytelling, dinosaur drawing and active outdoor play give substance to its learning offer.

The balance is straightforward: a Good inspection position and concrete examples of care and teaching, alongside a specific weakness in everyday mathematics. Attendance packages, meal inclusion and holiday coverage are the practical details most likely to decide whether it works for your household.