Kids 1st Hexham

Balls posted through holes, drinks poured independently and a garden with slopes: the March 2022 picture of Kids 1st Hexham was built around small, practical steps in children's development. For parents, those details give more substance than a curriculum slogan. They show how play, conversation and everyday routines can become learning opportunities.

At its 3 March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, while asking for more consistent engagement in activities and closer supervision of staff practice. These are useful points to weigh alongside the positive observations about children's friendships and growing independence.

On Maidens Walk in Hexham, the nursery has 110 places in total for children aged 3 to 60 months. Full-time care and morning or afternoon attendance are among its booking patterns.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: in parent language, it connects play and everyday experiences with the skills children are developing. At Hexham, the March 2022 examples included exploring how objects fit, sharing resources and learning to listen to another child's ideas.

In March 2022, babies investigated balls and holes in a shoebox, trying out which combinations worked. Toddlers practised sharing while sending balls through chutes. Construction play gave children another opportunity to experiment with fitting pieces together. These were simple resources used for purposeful exploration, rather than formal lessons.

Stories and songs also featured in the two-year-olds' activities that March. Engagement was uneven, however: staff sometimes took too long to notice children who were finding it difficult to join in, allowing their attention to drift. Some interactions with babies involved too much adult talk. The practical question is how staff adjust an activity or conversation to the child in front of them.

Current room development emphasises curiosity play and natural resources. That gives families a concrete aspect of the environment to explore, alongside how staff use those materials with different ages.

Outdoor and Community Life

In March 2022, the garden included bushes and slopes, with children practising how to manage their speed while running downhill. Outdoor play also brought opportunities to take turns. The learning extended beyond physical movement to judging space, pace and other children's needs.

World Book Day featured during the March 2022 visit, with children and staff wearing costumes and older children discussing their chosen characters. It was a specific example of stories becoming a shared experience beyond reading a book together.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) good, including individual work on communication. That support included helping children respond to their names, make eye contact and understand everyday vocabulary during play. The current centre director also holds the SENCO role and works with outside agencies, providing a named role through which additional support can be coordinated.

Relationships with families had practical substance in March 2022. Electronic messages and photographs helped parents follow what children were doing, while staff used their knowledge of individual interests to plan activities. For a parent spending the day apart from their child, that connection matters: a photograph can make an activity easier to discuss at home.

That March, independence was developed through mealtimes. Babies practised with spoons before moving towards other cutlery; two-year-olds poured drinks, and older children helped themselves to food. These routines gave children opportunities to take responsibility in manageable steps.

Oral health work in March 2022 included weekly advice for parents and changes to the chef's menu, with starters replacing some desserts. A chef remains part of the current team.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Maidens Walk, Hexham, NE46 1DR. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. This makes the annual closure pattern relevant alongside the weekly timetable.

Full-time childcare, mornings and afternoons form the attendance choices, with weekday AM and PM options. Those patterns serve different needs: a family arranging shorter periods of nursery attendance has a different timetable to one seeking full-time care. Enquiries can be made through the Hexham contact form or the central enrolments team.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare options include 30 Hours working families funding, 15 Hours universal funding for children aged 3 and 4, and 15 hours for 2-year-olds receiving support. Eligibility determines which route applies; the entitlement names should not be read as a promise that every child qualifies for every scheme.

• Engagement and staff practice. The March 2022 improvement points concerned children losing interest and inconsistencies in adult interactions. During a visit, ask how staff recognise disengagement and adapt activities, especially for babies and two-year-olds.
• Additional support. The centre director holds the SENCO role and works with outside agencies. Families needing additional support can discuss how those relationships would shape their child's day.
• Your attendance package. Full-time, morning and afternoon patterns offer different ways to attend. Request a written quotation covering your chosen timetable, funded-hours delivery, meals and non-food consumables before agreeing the booking.

Kids 1st Hexham suits families considering full-time childcare as well as those wanting morning or afternoon attendance. Its strongest inspection-era examples concern practical independence, exploratory play and communication support; the current SENCO role adds a clear point of contact for families with additional needs. The March 2022 concerns about engagement and consistency deserve equal attention when assessing how the nursery works today.