Little Badgers Child Care

In June 2025, river walks, herbs to investigate and links with the on-site school nursery gave Little Badgers Child Care a recognisable Haydon Bridge character. Based at Shaftoe Trust Primary School, it combines outdoor exploration with everyday learning through play. Its early-years provision has capacity for 26 children aged 0 to 60 months.

At its 23 June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical strengths included familiar relationships with staff, opportunities to explore the local community and preparation for moving to the on-site school nursery. There were also two important improvements required: better access to suitable space and resources for non-mobile children, and more consistent staff interaction with every child.

Full-day childcare and school-age wraparound provision sit alongside one another here. That makes the setting relevant to families organising care for children at different stages, although the nursery and out-of-school club have different attendance arrangements.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care: children learn through play, with adult-guided activities balanced against opportunities to choose and explore for themselves. Activities take account of each child's age and development. Open-ended resources encourage children to experiment rather than work towards a single prescribed answer.

Alongside that framework, the nursery uses a forest school approach, involving exploration with natural materials and opportunities to take risks. This gives outdoor activity a purpose beyond simply spending time outside. Children can investigate what materials do and try things for themselves.

In June 2025, books were part of children's independent play as well as shared time with staff. Adults discussed illustrations and paused during stories so children could remember what came next. Those are useful, concrete ways of making reading a conversation rather than an activity children only listen to.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2025, the outdoor experiences included balance bikes on a slope, running games around coloured cones and smelling growing herbs. These offered different kinds of exploration: movement, following directions and talking about plants. The slope and herbs give a clearer picture of the outdoor day than a general promise of fresh air.

Community experiences extended beyond the school grounds. During the same month, children made regular visits to a museum, library and church, took walks beside the river and delivered acts of kindness to local people. These outings brought books, places and consideration for others into real situations. The outings were regular.

At the June 2025 inspection, pre-start arrangements included discussions with parents about children's development and needs, and settling visits helped children become familiar with the setting. Staff knew about children's families and backgrounds. That initial exchange gives practitioners something more useful than an age alone when planning how to help a child settle.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children learning English as an additional language, and those needing communication and language support, made good progress from their starting points. Adults joined children's play at their level and put experiences into words, making language support part of an activity rather than a separate exercise.

The weaknesses matter most for babies. In June 2025, some non-mobile children occasionally struggled to reach suitable resources or use appropriate space; some babies also missed meaningful engagement while adults handled tasks such as snack clearing and handwashing. These were specific shortcomings in access and interaction, rather than a criticism of outdoor provision or community activities.

The June 2025 inspection also identified a significant-event notification submitted outside the required timescale. The provider had recognised the notification responsibilities for future events. Current staff training includes safeguarding, food hygiene and paediatric first aid; that training describes preparation, while the dated inspection supplies the safeguarding judgement.

For communication, The Early Years Passport is an online learning journal that records children's experiences and can transfer to schools. Famly provides another secure online system for learning records and statutory information. Both give families a route into the recorded nursery day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Shaftoe Trust Primary School, Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, NE47 6BN. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, with an additional early-bird option from 7.30am to 8am, charged separately and dependent on staffing. Collection is requested by 5.55pm so there is time for a handover before closing.

Full-day care and sessional childcare are offered. The setting operates for 51 weeks each year, closing for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. Agreed sessions remain payable when a child is absent through illness, holidays or another family choice; bank holidays are not charged.

Big Badgers Out of School Club serves children from Reception age. During the academic term, its weekday provision runs from 8am to 9am and from 3pm to 6pm; holiday-club opening hours are 8am to 6pm. Activities include baking, sports, board games and crafts, with themed activities and trips during holidays.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible working parents can apply for 30 hours of funded childcare from nine months onwards. The nursery offers this entitlement for children aged between nine months and four years, subject to availability, and stretches it across school holidays: funding covers 38 weeks, with the stretched calculation spread over 52 weeks. Eligibility and the date funding becomes usable still matter; attendance before that date is privately paid.

Oak House Foods supplies meals. Meals and snacks are included for privately paid childcare, while funded hours carry separate meal and snack charges that parents can decline by providing their own food; choosing their own food during privately paid sessions does not reduce the session price.

There is no registration charge. A deposit applies to families opting into meals and snacks and additional sessions beyond their funded entitlement, is credited against the first invoice, and is not required for funding-only attendance. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Ending an agreement or reducing attendance requires at least one term's notice. Changes during a term attract an administration charge. Those terms deserve attention when matching childcare to changing work arrangements.

Moving on to School

In June 2025, children visited the on-site school nursery before moving there, and staff held transition meetings with its team. These arrangements help the receiving staff get to know the child. Attending Little Badgers does not guarantee a Reception place at Shaftoe Trust Primary School; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Care for non-mobile babies. The June 2025 improvement actions concerned access to suitable space and resources, and interruptions to staff engagement during routine tasks. On a visit, ask how babies are accommodated and kept involved while those tasks are completed.
• Stretched funding and closures. The nursery operates for 51 weeks, while its funding calculation uses 52 weeks. Ask for an attendance agreement showing how the funded allocation works alongside the Christmas closure and bank holidays.
• Attendance changes. Reducing sessions or ending care requires one term's notice, with an administration charge for changes within a term. Families expecting work-pattern changes should weigh that commitment before agreeing their sessions.

Little Badgers suits families seeking full-day nursery care alongside school-age wraparound childcare, with its forest school approach giving outdoor exploration a clear purpose. In June 2025, community outings and transition arrangements with the on-site school nursery added practical value.

The Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, but the baby-care improvement actions deserve equal weight. For parents of a non-mobile child, how staff organise accessible play and maintain interaction during routine tasks is the decisive consideration.