Hardwicke Early Years

A parent-and-community committee gives Hardwicke Early Years a clear local character, while its setting on a primary-school site connects nursery life with the next stage of education. This is a charity-led setting where parents can contribute to how it runs, rather than simply receive updates about their child.

Ofsted rated it Good on 10 May 2023 and judged safeguarding effective. It has 24 places in total; at that visit, the children attending were aged two to four. The most useful detail beneath the grade is the combination of practical independence, story-based language work and outdoor movement, alongside a clear improvement point about making activities sufficiently challenging.

Attendance is term-time only, with morning, afternoon and longer daytime sessions.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and practical experiences contribute to their learning rather than sitting apart from it.

In May 2023, children chose activities including dressing up, construction with connecting squares and experimenting with different mark-making tools. Those choices gave them ways to develop ideas independently, while shared stories brought children and adults together. Familiar books were used interactively: adults paused so children could supply a word or anticipate a rhyme. The emphasis was on joining in, rather than simply listening.

Physical skills also received attention in May 2023. Indoors, children operated tools to transfer rice into containers, practising the hand movements involved in using scissors. Such tasks connect an everyday play material with a specific skill. The important qualification is that activities were not consistently matched to the learning intended: a mirror-based task about emotions prompted facial expressions but did little to explain feelings in context. Children soon moved away from it.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area provides space for creative play. In May 2023, the smaller garden included stepping stones and an arched ladder, giving children opportunities to practise balance and movement. Afternoon use of the larger school field added room for running and chasing bubbles. These were different kinds of outdoor experience, with space for both careful movement and more energetic play.

Community involvement has a practical role here. Parents and local volunteers form the charity's committee, and regular fundraising supports improvements to learning and play opportunities. Committee work includes finances, policies and fundraising, so participation reaches beyond helping at an event.

A key person is assigned when a child joins, taking responsibility for their observations and learning records as well as building a close relationship. Tapestry, the online system for sharing children's activities with parents, gives families a connection to what happens during the nursery day. The two arrangements serve different purposes: one provides a familiar adult for the child, the other keeps information moving between home and nursery.

In May 2023, snack groups stayed with their key person for a quiet activity before eating. Children then helped wash their cups and bowls, with adults completing the cleaning afterwards. This gave them a manageable part in a daily routine, rather than leaving every task to staff.

Turn-taking was also made concrete in May 2023. A sand timer helped explain when another child's turn would begin, and adults recognised patient waiting. Children passed food to friends and sometimes began tidying independently. These examples show how social expectations were practised through ordinary moments.

The staff structure includes a SENDCO role and designated safeguarding lead responsibilities. In May 2023, six members of staff worked with children and all held level 3 qualifications. That is a dated description of the team, rather than a statement about today's deployment.

Sessions and Attendance

Hardwicke Early Years operates on the Hardwicke Parochial Primary Academy site, Poplar Way, Gloucester, GL2 4QG. Sessions run Monday to Friday during term time: the full daytime session is 09:00 to 14:45, mornings are 09:00 to 12:00, and afternoons are 12:00 to 14:45. The afternoon option gives families a separate attendance pattern, while the longer session spans lunch.

Contact is through the nursery's enquiry form, email or telephone. Its parent-and-community committee also offers a route into the running of the setting: trustees oversee its operation, hold an Annual General Meeting and meet at least three times a year.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes achieving 2, the 15 hours free childcare entitlement from the term after a child's third birthday, and the 30 government funded hours. Delivery is term-time, and blended hours with another childcare setting can be arranged. Paid childcare is also offered; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Snacks carry a separate charge, and parents can opt out through the registration forms; parents supply packed lunches for the full daytime and afternoon sessions. This means families need to plan lunch from home as part of those attendance patterns.

Sharing the primary-school site does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Term-time timetable. Sessions finish at 14:45 and operate during term time. The morning and afternoon choices may fit a shorter nursery day, but the timetable needs to work with the family's wider childcare arrangements.
• Purposeful challenge. The May 2023 improvement point concerned activities matching children's next steps and providing enough challenge. On a visit, ask how staff now turn an observation into an activity that extends a child's learning.
• School-site expectations. The shared site offers familiarity with a school setting, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Keep the school application separate from the nursery choice.

Hardwicke Early Years suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a longer daytime session spanning lunch. Its key-person arrangement, Tapestry communication and parent-led committee give families several ways to stay connected with nursery life.

The May 2023 picture combines practical independence and active play with a specific planning weakness. That balance matters: the Good judgement provides the inspection position, while the detail about challenge gives parents a useful question to pursue. The school site is part of the appeal, but should be chosen for the nursery experience rather than an assumed admissions advantage.