Kiddi Caru Day Nursery, Hanham, Bristol

Children’s wellbeing is considered throughout the nursery day at Hanham. Bright, spacious rooms with plenty of natural light, regular opportunities to enjoy our gardens and a dedicated sensory room provide different environments for active play, exploration and quieter moments.

Our trained Early Years chef prepares seasonal meals on site each day, making mealtimes another important part of children’s daily routines and nursery experience.

Working in partnership with families helps us understand and respond to each child’s individual needs. Through the GrandirUK App, families receive updates about their child’s day, routines, activities and progress, as well as information about upcoming nursery events.

Family celebrations and events take place throughout the year, including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, festive activities and Parent Evenings, creating opportunities for families to spend time at the nursery, speak with the team and stay connected with their child’s nursery experience.

Children at Kiddi Caru Hanham enjoy a varied mix of experiences, including loose-parts play, arts and crafts and junk modelling, alongside Sing and Sign, Boogie Mites and Makaton.

Regular outings also extend learning beyond the nursery, with children exploring local parks and nature trails and visiting nearby shops to choose ingredients for baking. These everyday experiences give children opportunities to communicate, make choices, explore their surroundings and connect what they are learning at nursery with the world around them.

Our nursery at Hanham Hall benefits from plenty of natural light, creating bright and welcoming spaces throughout the setting. We have four spacious rooms, each designed around a different age and stage of children’s development.

• Discoverers: For our youngest children, with space and experiences designed for their earliest stages of exploration.
• Explorers: For children becoming increasingly mobile and beginning to investigate their surroundings more independently.
• Creators: An environment with plenty of opportunities for imaginative and creative play.
• Inventors: For our oldest children, with experiences that encourage investigation, problem-solving and preparation for the transition to school.

Children move into their next room when they are developmentally and emotionally ready, rather than simply because they have reached a particular age. Our dedicated sensory room provides a quieter environment with opportunities to explore different lights, textures, sounds and sensory experiences.

Outdoor space

Our expansive outdoor spaces are a central part of nursery life at Hanham. We have two gardens, with direct access from the nursery rooms helping to make outdoor experiences a natural part of the children’s day.

With areas of natural grass and plenty of space to move and explore, children have regular opportunities to climb, dig, investigate and discover the natural world throughout the year.

Quality of care at Hanham starts with recognising that every child develops at their own pace. Our team consider each child’s individual development and readiness, with transitions into the next room taking place when they are developmentally and emotionally ready rather than simply because they have reached a particular age.

Families can also continue some of their child’s nursery experiences at home through our take-home activity packs, offering ideas and activities to enjoy together if they choose.

Our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with our approach adapting as children grow and develop. Babies and toddlers enjoy a calm, Hygge-inspired environment with opportunities to explore at their own pace, supported by familiar routines and responsive practitioners.

As children grow, our approach also draws on the Curiosity Approach and In-the-Moment Planning, following children’s interests and using everyday moments to extend their learning. Children are encouraged to make choices, explore their ideas and become increasingly independent in ways that are appropriate for their age and stage.

At Hanham, children are encouraged to play an active part in their nursery day. Through In-the-Moment Planning, our practitioners respond to children’s interests and curiosity, creating opportunities to explore ideas as they emerge alongside thoughtfully planned experiences.

Natural and open-ended resources give children different ways to investigate, create and use their imaginations. For our youngest children, a Hygge-inspired approach provides a calm and welcoming environment, with opportunities for choice and independence developing as children grow.

For families with more than one child, having siblings at Hanham means one drop-off and pick-up, while each child can enjoy their own playroom, experiences and friendships suited to their age and stage.

Across our four rooms, brothers and sisters may spend their nursery day in different spaces, while shared areas such as our gardens give them opportunities to see each other and share parts of nursery life.

Sibling places are subject to availability, but where we have space in the appropriate room, we will always look at the options for welcoming brothers and sisters together.

Led by Nursery Manager Hannah, our Hanham team brings a range of Early Years knowledge and experience to the nursery, with many colleagues holding Level 5 Early Years qualifications.

Our SENCo team works closely with families and practitioners to understand and support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), helping to ensure individual needs are considered within their nursery experience.

Open communication is an important part of our approach, with the team sharing regular updates and working in partnership with families to support each child’s individual development.