JJ's Kiddycare

Covered outdoor spaces, countryside walks and a baby garden give JJ's Kiddycare a clear rural character. This purpose-built nursery sits on a farm between South Kilworth and Welford, with outdoor play woven into the day rather than saved for an occasional outing.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 21 June 2022 inspection, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes. The current age range runs from birth to five years. Hedgehogs, Bunnies and Foxes organise the early-years provision, with different outdoor resources for babies, toddlers and preschool children.

Opening hours are 7.45am to 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, across 51 weeks of the year. Friday closure is a significant part of the choice here, especially for families arranging care around a five-day working week.

Rooms and Ages

Hedgehogs caters for children aged 0 to 2, with a maximum of 15 babies together; its emphasis on communication, emotional security and physical development is supported by sensory materials and direct access to a baby garden. Treasure baskets contain natural objects such as bark and pine cones, giving babies things to handle and investigate.

Bunnies, for ages 2 to 3, combines language-building story sacks and imaginative role play with everyday independence, while its outdoor space includes a sand play kitchen and equipment for more demanding movement. Children practise using cutlery, washing hands and attempting coats and shoes.

Foxes, for ages 3 to 5, has outdoor areas with different surfaces, a potion station and materials for building, with books and drawing resources offering quieter alternatives to physical play. Crates, pipes and wooden planks can become structures children devise themselves. The environment gives preschool children reasons to plan, negotiate and change their ideas as they play.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care, with play, conversation and practical experiences helping children develop across its areas of learning. Here, children choose resources for their own play and also take part in activities guided by adults, individually or in groups.

Sing and Sign makes regular visits, leading children and staff in singing accompanied by signs to support communication. Language also runs through story sacks, puppets, songs and role play. Number work is similarly connected to ordinary experiences: deciding how many plates are needed for a meal gives counting an immediate use, rather than making it a separate exercise.

Creative materials include dough, clay and cornflour, alongside painting and model-making. These materials give children textures to explore through sensory play. Circle times bring opportunities to share news or objects from home, so group participation includes listening to other children as well as speaking.

In June 2022, two improvement priorities concerned how adults extended learning: stronger support for newcomers to the staff team, and closer evaluation of planned activities so that staff could decide what children should explore next.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor provision is unusually central to the account of this nursery. Each room has direct access to its own play area, and covered spaces at the front and rear make outdoor activity part of the daily routine. For Hedgehogs, separate areas accommodate children who are not yet walking and those ready for more physical challenges. That distinction gives babies different ways to explore as their movement develops.

A shared, enclosed playground is used by children over two, with one group taking its turn at a time. Bikes, ball games and large-scale chalk drawing extend the possibilities beyond each room's own outdoor area. Nearby fields add another setting for exploration: children look for insects, gather natural materials and enjoy picnic snacks during walks.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins before the first regular attendance, with parents and children encouraged to join settling sessions in the preceding weeks. Babies' home routines guide their care, including rest and weaning. Keeping familiar patterns gives staff a concrete starting point for a child whose nursery day is new.

A Key Person and Buddy provide contacts for conversations about development and routines. Eylog brings daily diaries and learning journeys together, using photographs and observations that parents can add to from home. In Hedgehogs, the diary also records sleep, food and nappy changes, making the communication useful for everyday care as well as longer-term development.

Parents' evenings provide time to discuss progress and next steps in more detail. The app supports that exchange rather than replacing a conversation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and good support for children with SEND, including pictures that helped children understand daily routines. Current inclusion arrangements include SENCo/Inclusion Manager roles and observation of children's development in partnership with parents. Children with health conditions also need a care plan, giving their individual requirements a place in the day-to-day arrangements.

Sleep spaces in Hedgehogs and Bunnies are curtained areas within the main rooms, with white noise and care organised around home routines. They are not separate bedrooms. This is a useful practical detail for parents considering how their child rests when other children are still using the room.

Food is cooked at the nursery, with breakfast and hot meals alongside fruit and vegetable snacks; dietary requirements are discussed individually with families. Preschool children serve themselves from shared dishes, making mealtimes another opportunity to practise choice and independence.

In June 2022, preparation for school included preschool children changing their clothes themselves before outdoor physical activity. The emphasis was on managing an everyday task independently, rather than on an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Hemploe Home Farm, Hemploe Road, Welford, Northampton NN6 6HF. The nursery opens Monday to Thursday from 7.45am until 5.30pm for 51 weeks annually, closing on Fridays, bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. The enquiry form and telephone number, 01858 575 642, provide the joining route.

Funded childcare is offered within the windows of 8.30am to noon and 1pm to 4.30pm. Additional paid hours or sessions can be booked alongside funded attendance. These funding windows are narrower than the nursery's opening day, an important distinction when matching childcare to working hours.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funding arrangements cover entitlement for children aged 2, 3 and 4. For three- and four-year-olds, funding starts from the term after their third birthday: the offer is 15 hours weekly during 38 term-time weeks, or 11 hours weekly spread over 51 weeks; funding for two-year-olds depends on family circumstances. The nursery applies for the grant on families' behalf.

Funded-only sessions exclude meals but provide snacks; additional paid hours or sessions that include meals can be booked separately. Parents supply nappies, wipes and cream in bulk, and also provide suncream, so these items belong in the family's ongoing nursery kit rather than being treated as part of the childcare charge. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Outdoor clothing is a meaningful part of preparation here. Waterproofs and wellies are left at nursery for garden play and farm walks, with spare clothes needed for messy activities.

• A four-day nursery week. Friday closure is part of the regular timetable, alongside bank holidays and the Christmas break. Families needing care every weekday must account for that before choosing JJ's.
• Baby-room scale and sleep. Hedgehogs can accommodate 15 babies, and its sleep space is curtained within the main room. During a visit, ask how rest and active play are organised together for your child's routine.
• Teaching beyond the activity. The June 2022 improvement priorities concerned support for new staff and using planning more effectively to extend learning. A useful visit question is how these priorities have shaped staff support and children's next steps.
• Funded attendance and extras. Funding is offered in two daily windows: snacks are provided, meals come through additional paid hours or sessions, and parents supply care items. Compare the written quotation with the attendance and meal pattern your family actually needs.

JJ's Kiddycare suits families who want countryside walks, substantial outdoor play and room environments that change with children's stage of development. Its practical strengths include direct outdoor access, parent contributions through Eylog and care organised around babies' home routines.

The attendance offer can serve families using funded-only sessions as well as those adding paid hours or sessions. Friday closure remains a decisive constraint. The June 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, while the improvement priorities keep attention on the adults' teaching and planning as well as the appeal of the farm setting.