FREE sibling places
Open 7.30am - 6.30pm
Fully funded places
Flexible childcare
At St Nicholas Day Nursery in Hemel Hempstead, we know that nursery education has many benefits. Not only does it allow parents to return to work knowing their child is safe and cared for, but evidence shows that it contributes to cognitive, social, and physical development, boosts confidence and independence, and supports children’s preparation for school.
To support this, our Hemel Hempstead day nursery offers FREE childcare for siblings of registered children to support the whole family. We are also pleased to offer private, fully funded, and year-round partly funded places as a flexible approach to sessions to provide as many families as possible with a nursery place for their child’s development. Please contact the nursery team at St Nicholas to understand the options available to you.
Please contact the nursery team at St Nicholas to determine the nursery fee that is correct for your individual circumstances.
Occupying a converted manor house, St Nicholas is one of the oldest nurseries in the country, providing nursery education in Hemel Hempstead for over 50 years.
Refurbished in 2020, inside you will find four rooms carefully designed with age-appropriate resources to aid the learning and development of your little one. Outside, we are surrounded by extensive and secure grounds offering all age groups an area for physical activities. The garden includes a mini woodland nature walk and growing area to give children the opportunity to further explore and extend their play.
We place strong importance on forest learning and the children engage in regular sessions throughout the week to explore and discover the outside world. Each age group also has their own luscious garden space to explore.
We are central to local schools and over the past 50 years have built strong links so that the children’s transition from nursery to school is as easy and smooth as possible – for both the children and parents!
View Ofsted report
The Brighter Learning Approach (BLA) is unique to The Old Station Nursery group and is our advanced approach to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and core pedagogy. It differs from traditional nursery teaching methods by providing real-life opportunities to enhance children’s natural curiosity, with emphasis on hands-on experiences, child-led learning, and whole development.
The six core areas promote active engagement and critical thinking whilst encouraging exploration, creativity, and collaboration. Each child learns at their own pace and is challenged and extended at appropriate times.
The best place to see the BLA in action is via our local nursery Facebook page, where each post explains which part of the curriculum the children are working on. Our parents also receive updates on the Parent App too.
Championing children's holistic health and laying the foundations for a happy, healthy and successful life.
Helping the future generation of global citizens to understand the world they live in and to believe they can make a difference.
Enabling early experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). Nurturing our next generation of investigators, inventors and innovators.
Enticing children to develop a life-long love of books and reading through engaging and interactive storytelling experiences. Building strong literacy skills while sparking imagination and creativity.
Engaging children in meaningful mathematical learning. Developing knowledge, building skills and exploring concepts, through purposeful play and plenty of practice.
Developing confident communicators by engaging in quality conversations with children every day, in a language rich and communication friendly environment.
At St Nicholas we are lucky to back onto woodland and we spend as much time as we can outdoors learning within our natural environment. We hold numerous extra clubs that enhance our Brighter Learning Approach, our bespoke version of the Early Years Statutory Framework.
Our children love nothing more than when the team calls time for meal preparation or works with them during a baking morning or to produce a teatime dessert. The children learn so much from these activities, including measuring, counting, and following instructions.
Budding Musicians can explore different instruments at our children’s nursery, as well as enjoy rhythmic games and participate in interactive sing-along sessions.
They’ll discover the joy of creating melodies, understanding beats, and expressing themselves through music. Each activity is carefully crafted to inspire a love for music and develop their auditory skills in a fun and engaging environment.
At our children’s nursery our Budding Movers dive into a variety of activities including dance, sports, and beyond.
These engaging experiences are adored by both children and practitioners, seamlessly integrating movement with structured learning to enhance coordination, build confidence, and foster a sense of joy at nursery.
At the top of our large garden, we are lucky enough to have a wonderful woodland area accessed by all children and used for Woodland Wonderers sessions led by a Woodland Leader.
Here, the children explore nature, learn how to use natural resources and seek out animals and bugs.
In addition to our favourite residents, the gerbils, we invite external groups to our nursery to introduce us to different animals.
Zoolab is a wonderful agency that brings along its creatures, including Pip the tortoise, Freddy the tree frog, Millie the millipede, Princess Peach the corn snake, Phillippe the cockroach and Darth Vader, the scorpion.
Being such an outdoor nursery, gardening is really important to us.
We teach the children about fruit and vegetable growth cycles by planting, harvesting, and consuming our products, such as tomatoes or using our annual pumpkins for arts and crafts.
From learning about the moon to creating a ‘bee café’ and learning about the effects of mixing different ingredients together, the St Nicholas children are always busy exploring the world around them, learning to question and discuss theories.
The children love Budding Artists club. We use an array of different materials to produce art that gives the children a great sense of achievement.
Art creations or artistic impressions via role-play follow many forms, from creating a stage for mini-plays to designing animal puppets.
Our nursery group is passionate about the link between home and nursery; the nursery experience is as much about the parent as it is for the child.
St Nicholas Day Nursery Hemel Hempstead commits to verbally updating you about your child’s day at pick-up time and via digital updates on the parent App.
We are here at any time should you wish to call us or want to discuss any area of your child’s care. We aim to look after our parents as well as our children so you can carry on with your day, work and career with a sense of peace.
First and foremost, you and we need to know that your child is safe. Before we can deliver the excellent curriculum that makes our nurseries so special, robust policies and procedures are followed to meet the exacting standards of Ofsted, building and fire regulations, food safety standards and staff DBS background checks and references.
Our staff are trained in numerous areas and we offer further training opportunities for staff who have an interest in a particular area.
For example, some of our nurseries have attained Millie’s Mark, an accreditation gained by having 100% of staff on site trained in paediatric first aid.
We have an onsite cook that prepares and cooks fresh meals every day to dietary requests and requirements.
The children are encouraged to self-serve their meals and mealtimes are a sociable affair with staff often sitting at the tables choosing to eat with the children to encourage good manners.
Every child has a nursery key person who knows them best and who will be the child and parent’s main contact. Your key person at our nursery will update you about your child’s day and is there to answer your questions.
When your child moves to the next age group room, we hold several settling sessions with a new nursery key person. We encourage our parents to view the new room too, and we will work with you to discuss the new routines, just like we did when you first started nursery.
It is wonderful to nurture and see our children graduate to primary school.
Part of the unique offering of St Nicholas Day Nursery Hemel Hempstead is our focus on the next stage of your child’s learning journey. We prepare the children through school activities, teacher meet and greets and graduation ceremonies.
Our commitment is to support our parents too by providing child learning journey updates, parents evenings or one-to-ones and home link learning kits to enhance the link between nursery and home.
All our nurseries follow the Brighter Learning Approach, our bespoke version of the Early Years Statutory Framework. Within this, each nursery chooses extra clubs, activities, and enhancements suitable for their space.
Our Hemel Hempstead nursery enjoys its wonderful outdoor space via Woodland Wanderers and Budding Gardeners clubs. Our pets, Budding Artists’ and Budding Scientists clubs are also important to us. We hold open days where parents and carers are encouraged to come along and meet other parents to build their own personal friendships and networks ahead of primary school.
At St Nicholas Day Nursery Hemel Hempstead, we offer FREE childcare for siblings of registered children to support parents returning to work and benefit children with a nursery education to prepare them for school.
In addition, the nursery offers full-day, half-day, and short-day sessions as well as a small number of term-time-only sessions. To support our community, we do not charge for additions such as food, enhancements, or consumables, and some fully funded and part-funded sessions are also available for eligible families.
Please contact the nursery team at Alvechurch to determine the nursery fee that is correct for your individual circumstances.
Free Sibling Terms and Conditions: Where more than two children attend, the 100% discount applies to one child only. 100% discount applies to the eldest sibling’s account. This offer is valid until the eldest child leaves. The discount does not transfer to additional children. Eldest child must be in receipt of government funding of 15 or 30 hours. The 100% discount will be applied based on the attendance hours of the youngest child. Limited availability applies; only available nursery sessions or spaces will be offered, and once full, the offer will no longer be available. This offer is valid for permanent booking patterns only. Extra sessions are not eligible for ‘Sibling Free’ discount. The discount will be applied to invoices from January 2025. Other discounts or offers are not applicable during this period. This offer does not apply to staff. We reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer valid for a limited period only. Offer will be honoured until the eldest child leaves. Available across selected nurseries only: Alvechurch, Apricot Nursery, Apricot Pre-school, Bromsgrove, Dover, Iver, Little Oaks, Maidstone, Margate, Moseley, Northfield, Rubery, St Nicholas, Taplow, The Grange, and Uxbridge. By taking up the offer, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
We call our baby room ‘Robins’, and it is here that we form strong foundations for new families, establish early care routines, and provide a safe and nurturing environment that enables young babies to develop at their own pace.
The toddler ‘Squirrels’ room provides opportunities for personal responsibility and independence. The children have a bigger space to explore and have access to toileting needs/hand washing independently.
Activities are planned around individual needs and learning interests, ensuring that all children meet the expected targets for their ages through regular assessments.
‘Foxes’ has its own garden attached, allowing free flow from the inside to the outside area. The children have their own voice and use their independence to their full potential in this room, with guidance from the staff.
We encourage the early formation of letters and numbers and concentrate on supporting friendships with peers as they learn to play together.
In pre-school, our children’s personalities shine with confidence. In this room, the children will prepare for their big move to school through enrichment and spontaneous learning opportunities.
Being ready for school includes meeting their Primary school teachers, looking at the uniform, dressing for PE, holding a pencil and learning to read.
At St Nicholas, we offer FREE childcare for siblings*, allowing them to benefit from nursery education and prepare for their next stage of learning at school.
The benefits of nursery education extend to parents too, allowing them to return to work knowing their children are safe and cared for.
*Terms and conditions apply. Please contact the team at St Nicholas to determine the correct fee for your circumstances.
“At St Nicholas nursery relationships with our families are at the forefront of everything we do. We strive for the very best outcomes for all the children in our care. Our team go above and beyond to provide continuous nurturing care and expertise through our provision.”
Frankie Bignall, Nursery Manager, St Nicholas Day Nursery Hemel Hempstead
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Please note that this is not a confirmation of your tour. One of our nursery team will endeavour to get back to you ASAP to confirm your date and time. Thank you.
If you are looking to arrange a tour within the next 48 hours, we recommend calling the nursery directly.
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