Hickory House Day Nursery

A walled garden in Daventry town centre, books to borrow and a resident guinea pig give Hickory House Day Nursery a character that goes beyond its High Street address. The nursery has a fruit and vegetable patch; children can watch chicks hatch and help care for Toblerone, the guinea pig. These are concrete opportunities to practise curiosity and responsibility through everyday activity.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The judgement came with clear teaching priorities: giving children longer to answer, making planned activities more responsive to their interests and sharpening what staff teach next.

Hickory House accepts children from three months to five years. Its combination of morning, afternoon and full-day attendance gives families several ways to organise childcare, rather than a single daily pattern.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play-based experiences help children build skills and prepare for school. Hickory House also uses Birth to Five Matters alongside it, with individual learning programmes shaped around a child's development and way of learning.

Daily music and movement gives physical activity a regular place in the nursery day. Yoga tuition comes from a professional instructor and carries no additional charge for parents. The in-house library adds a useful connection between nursery and home: children choose books to borrow and share with their families, so an interest started during childcare can continue afterwards.

In March 2024, children chose activities independently and became absorbed in imaginative play. A shared sand-building activity brought together practical problem-solving and mathematical vocabulary, with staff helping children consider stability and size. The physical play area also gave children opportunities to practise coordination and movement. These examples show how learning can develop through doing, rather than through a separate lesson.

There were limits to that teaching. In March 2024, some planned activities failed to hold children's interest, while rapid questioning left older children too little thinking time. Staff also needed to identify children's next learning steps more precisely. For parents, the important distinction is between offering an appealing activity and adapting it well enough for an individual child to benefit.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secluded, walled garden measures 100 square metres, with a large covered area supporting outdoor play across the seasons. The nursery also has a fruit and vegetable patch. Together, these features put practical outdoor experiences within the town-centre setting.

Each year, chick hatching and raising butterflies give children a chance to observe growth. Caring for Toblerone involves feeding him and ensuring he has fresh water, turning responsibility into a tangible task. These experiences offer ways to observe animal development and attend to another creature's needs.

Relationships and Communication

Key workers support children's development and preparation for school. Continuity is part of the staffing picture: the team includes practitioners with more than a decade of service at Hickory House. Familiar adults can provide a useful thread through a child's time at nursery, although length of service alone does not establish teaching quality.

In March 2024, staff gathered information from parents about children's abilities and interests when they started, then used it to help plan settling and learning experiences. Key persons offered reassuring interactions, and staff maintained positive relationships with families. That starting information matters because settling involves understanding the child, as well as introducing a new routine.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with parents and other professionals, arranged support promptly and helped children with SEND make good progress. Current provision includes SENCO-trained staff and individual learning programmes, providing specific mechanisms for adapting experiences to children's developmental needs.

In March 2024, staff used British Sign Language in play and conversation to support communication. Care routines included teaching handwashing, warm interactions during nappy changes and opportunities for older children to manage toileting independently. Classical music accompanied nap times. These are dated examples of how communication, comfort and growing independence fitted into the day.

Staff development includes access to Noodle Now training. This sits alongside the experienced team, giving practitioners a route to maintain and develop their knowledge rather than relying solely on time served.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, five days a week, with bank holidays excluded; the nursery operates throughout the year. Full-time and part-time attendance are offered, including combinations of morning and afternoon sessions, flexible arrangements for shift workers and term-time childcare.

Full-day attendance finishes at 6pm, with a 3pm option for children aged two to five. A minimum of three sessions a week is recommended for continuity and participation in activities, rather than stated as a compulsory booking rule. That distinction matters for families comparing a shorter attendance pattern with several regular sessions.

Getting There

The address is 5 High Street, Daventry, NN11 4BG, with the main pedestrian entrance on the High Street. Vehicle access and parking are at the rear or in nearby side streets, approached via the B4036 and West Court.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01327 703353 or by email at info@hickoryhouse.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with universal funding of 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours for qualifying working families from nine months, and 15 hours for two-year-olds in families with special circumstances. Eligibility conditions remain part of each entitlement; the working-family offer does not apply automatically to every family.

Snacks in the morning and afternoon, a freshly prepared two-course lunch and afternoon tea are included in the childcare fee. Yoga also carries no extra charge. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation, using the fees and funding page to understand the attendance choices and entitlement categories.

• Teaching that follows the child. The March 2024 improvement priorities concerned thinking time, interest-led activities and precise next steps. On a visit, ask to see how staff now adapt an activity and decide what an individual child should learn next.
• Flexibility and continuity. Morning, afternoon, full-day and term-time arrangements are offered, while three weekly sessions are recommended. Discuss how the proposed pattern would support familiar routines and participation in activities.
• The funded-hours package. Food is included in the childcare fee, and several funding entitlements are offered. Ask one practical question before agreeing a funded booking: how would the entitlement be scheduled, and which food or non-food items would the quotation cover?

Hickory House suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance, including those who need term-time arrangements. Its strongest practical attractions are the covered walled garden, borrowing library and hands-on care of the resident guinea pig. The March 2024 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, with specific teaching improvements that deserve attention. The choice rests on both the daily experiences and how well staff tailor them to the child.