Handkerchief Day Nursery

A converted barn, a pond and a growing zone give Handkerchief Day Nursery a clear outdoor identity on Kegworth's High Street. Each room has outdoor space of its own, while a larger garden and a forest school area provide further scope for exploration. For families who want nature to feature in nursery life, the physical setting is a substantial part of the appeal.

The nursery has capacity for 110 children, with a current age range of 3 to 60 months. At its May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. That judgement sits alongside two practical priorities: making adult involvement in play more consistent and helping staff respond to behaviour with a shared approach.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different attendance patterns, with early-start and late-finish additions extending the core day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, alongside children's development and care. Here, planning draws on children's interests, what practitioners know about them and contributions from parents. The practical value is the connection between home and nursery: information about what engages a child can help shape their learning experiences.

In May 2025, everyday activities linked movement, language and investigation. Babies used resources positioned at different heights, pulling themselves upright to reach water and sand activities. Toddlers helped assemble a course using hoops, then collected more to extend it. These were opportunities to practise balance and contribute an idea to shared play, rather than simply follow an adult's finished activity.

Preschool children mixed scented dough using buddleia, measured ingredients and helped one another stir. The task combined conversation about a plant with cooperation and the hand movements needed for later writing. Another experiment involved salt disappearing into water, giving staff a concrete opportunity to introduce the word dissolved. Learning had something tangible to attach to.

Possible enrichment includes Jo Jingles and Dancing Digits, alongside nursery-led activities in cooking, art, French, history and music. These are possible additions rather than a fixed timetable. The Enrichment Programme also allows for experiences such as animal care, gardening and cooking beyond the standard early-years curriculum; participation and charges need to be understood alongside the attendance package.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor provision extends beyond a single shared garden. The forest school area contains trees, a pond and open ground, with a separate large garden and growing zone adding different places to explore. Gardening, caring for guinea pigs and supported risk-taking may feature in children's experiences. For a child who enjoys movement and investigating living things, that gives the nursery day a strong physical setting.

Each room's own outdoor space supports regular outdoor time, including free-flow play for younger children. This matters for babies and toddlers as well as preschool children: outdoor access is part of the room arrangement, rather than something reserved for the oldest group.

In May 2025, preschool children climbed trees and rope ladders with adult supervision. Toddlers searched for bugs with staff and discussed their habitats and how to handle them carefully. These examples show how physical challenge and conversation about nature worked together at that time.

Relationships matter here, but the strongest assessment of their effectiveness belongs to a dated visit. At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff understood their key children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and identified learning steps to incorporate into play. That is a useful description of individual support, rather than a blanket promise about every child's experience.

In May 2025, contact with parents included regular feedback about children's development. Independence also featured in ordinary routines: preschool children served food and poured drinking water, while toddlers practised washing after meals and using tissues. Small daily tasks gave children opportunities to do more for themselves.

Adult involvement was less consistent at some points. In May 2025, staff positioning sometimes left children needing more help to make their play productive. Some practitioners also relied on more confident colleagues to manage unwanted behaviour or conceded to children's demands. The priorities were practical: deploy staff more effectively and make responses to behaviour consistent enough for children to understand expectations.

Meals are cooked at the nursery each day using seasonal ingredients. Food is therefore prepared where children attend, rather than brought in as a finished meal.

Sessions and Attendance

Handkerchief operates at High Street, Kegworth, DE74 2DA. Opening hours are 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks, with public holidays and a Christmas week excluded.

A full day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning bookings run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. An early start covers 7am to 8am; a late finish covers 6pm to 6.30pm. The distinction matters: the opening window is longer than the core full-day booking.

The minimum weekly pattern is two full days or four morning/afternoon sessions, including a Monday or Friday. Families planning care around work should weigh that weekday condition alongside the choice of session length. There is on-site parking and a dedicated buggy store, useful practical facilities for families bringing younger children.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged nine months to four years, including the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements over 38 weeks and early learning for 2-year-olds funding. The standard arrangement stretches entitlement across operating weeks, and funded hours can be used alone or combined with paid childcare. Eligibility determines which entitlement a family can use.

Private-session fees are inclusive, covering meals and consumables. During funded hours, food, consumables and enrichment are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package. Consumables include wipes, nappies, nappy bags, cream and suncream. Families can opt out by contacting the manager before term begins; depending on nursery policy, they may need to supply suitable alternatives or collect and dispose of consumables.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. A registration charge and deposit apply, with both waived for fully funded places; otherwise, the deposit is credited against the final invoice. Payment is monthly in advance, and permanent session changes or cancellations require one calendar month's notice. Normal charges apply on bank holidays, and sickness or holidays do not attract refunds, credits or replacement sessions.

• Adult support during play. The May 2025 priorities concerned staff deployment and consistent responses to behaviour. On a visit, ask how practitioners now organise their involvement across play areas and help children understand expectations.
• The weekly booking commitment. Two full days or four morning/afternoon sessions must include Monday or Friday. This condition may shape the pattern that fits your working week.
• Enrichment and funded extras. Jo Jingles and Dancing Digits are possible activities, while the optional Essentials Package separates food, consumables and enrichment from funded hours. Ask what these activities involve and how opting out would work for your child's sessions.

Handkerchief suits families seeking outdoor-led nursery life with either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions. The barn setting, individual outdoor areas, pond and growing zone give that offer substance. The Good judgement from May 2025 is useful context, while the priorities around adult involvement and behaviour remain sensible points to explore. The booking commitment and funded-hours extras deserve as much attention as the gardens.