All of our nurseries are closed on bank holidays and are closed on Christmas Eve.

hdc Dartington
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Gidleys Meadow Dartington, Devon TQ9 6JZ

hdc Dartmouth
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Milton Lane Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9HW

hdc Kingsteignton
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Heron Way Kingsteignton, Devon TQ12 3QY

hdc Newton Abbot
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Devon Square Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2HH

hdc Dartmouth
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Milton Lane Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9HW

Our nurseries are divided into age-appropriate areas and are run by professionally qualified and experienced nursery educators to ensure children have the best start to their learning, care and fun. Our baby rooms are decorated with home from home comforts such as rocking chairs for soothing and feeding, comfortable cots and soft music to help children to settle. Activities provided in the room are age-specific and encourage babies to learn through play. Each nursery has its own dedicated Baby Room Leader who is highly qualified, experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about the development and wellness of infants.

We adopt a key person approach in our nurseries. This approach enables and supports close attachments between individual children and individual nursery educators. The Key Person meets any physical needs, such as changing nappies, feeding or cuddling at nap time, and in this way they begin to build a secure attachment with the young child. The Key Person shares life's wonders and celebrates achievements as the child develops in confidence and independence.

The HDC Baby Curriculum

Our baby room curriculum has been developed to enhance social & emotional well-being, communication and language as well as physical development. Our Baby Room Leaders organise a wealth of educational activities everyday through sensory-play which include messy-play, painting, role-play, music, singing, dance and story telling.

The natural environment plays an important part of the HDC Curriculum. We have buggies and rain covers to ensure that the children are comfortable even on chilly days and we love outdoor play too.

As your child becomes more mobile and begins to explore their surroundings with increased confidence, we assist them in discovering more about the world. We support your child’s independence while learning to walk, talk and feed themselves.

You can expect to be updated with photographs and observations through our mobile app every day. You will also have the opportunity for personal updates when you drop-off and pick-up you child. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.

As children approach their third birthday, children will begin a gentle transition period into our Preschool Room. Each nursery has its own dedicated, highly experienced Preschool Room Leader. They focus on each child's individuality and ensures that their unique learning experiences have the right element of challenge to focus the child’s learning. Our priority is to ensure that every child makes progress and that no child gets left behind.

Curriculum

In our HDC Preschool Room, we focus on both prime and specific areas of learning – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design. At this developmental stage, children deepen their understanding of questioning, experimenting, observing, playing, testing and responding to each other and adults.

We focus on ensuring that our summer leavers are fully prepared for starting Reception at their chosen primary school. We have excellent links with the local primary schools and liaise with schools and parents to ensure that your child's transition is as smooth as possible.

You can expect to be updated with photographs and observations through our mobile app regularly. In addition, you will also have the opportunity for personal updates when you drop-off and pick-up your child. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.

These Terms & Conditions govern the basis upon which we (Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd) agree to provide childcare services to you (The Customer). In these Terms and Conditions, the following terms have the following meanings:

‘The Agreement’ – means the contract between Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd and You (‘The Customer’) ‘Us’ ‘We’ ‘Our’ – means Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd

‘You’, ‘Your’ ‘The Customer’ – means the party who enters into this agreement with Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd

‘Fee(s)’, ‘Rate(s)’ ‘Charge(s)’ – mean the amounts which are due to be paid by the customer, within the timeframe set out below, for the services provided by Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd.

Hours

1. Standard day: Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm
2. Open 7.30am, for pay as you go early drop-offs. We are open all year round, excluding bank holidays and finish at 1pm on Christmas Eve.

Fees

1. Nursery Fees. The full day rate includes nappies, all meals, drinks, snacks and wet wipes. Fee increases are calculated in January and are based on the previous year’s running costs, any uplift in the National Living Wage and other costs imposed on the business. These are then applied in the following April.
2. Nursery Booking Plans. A minimum booking of 2 full days per week is required.
3. All fees are due monthly in advance and must be paid by either Direct Debit or Bank Transfer. We issue invoices mid-month for the following month. We also accept payments from the Tax-Free Childcare scheme and from all major childcare voucher providers. Payment is due the last day of the month. If you think an invoice is wrong, please contact us promptly to let us know. Payment is due on the last day of the month prior to the sessions that are being invoiced. Unfortunately, there can be no refunds for sickness or holidays.
4. To secure your child’s place, you will be required to pay either a deposit or your first month’s fees in advance of joining. A place will only be reserved once our finance team are in receipt of these fees.
5. Fees are based on actual sessions booked. If you need to change these sessions, please ensure that you provide us with the minimum of 4 weeks’ notice (all changes must be notified by the 17th of the preceding month) in writing or by e-mail.
6. Funded Children. The DCC provider agreement states ‘Government funding for 3- and 4-year-olds is intended to cover the cost to deliver up to 15 or 30 hours a week of funded high-quality childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services. The provider can charge for meals and snacks as part of a funded entitlement place, and they can also charge for consumables such as toiletries. There are charges for meals for funded children at £3.70 / day.
7. Ad Hoc Days. Subject to availability, you can purchase extra ad hoc days at the standard daily rate. Ad hoc days can be booked a maximum of two weeks before the request date. These additional charges will be added to your following months’ invoice or will be charged directly on the day. Adhoc days will be charged when booked and payments are due by return.
8. Late Pickup Fee. If you are late to pick up your child, you will be charged £10.57 for the first 15 minutes, and £10.57 for each subsequent 15 minutes.
9. Registration Fee. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £50 and £25 for siblings.

Funded Childcare Places

1. There are a variety of government-funded schemes available to support the payment of nursery fees. If your child is in receipt of any of these schemes, you will need to complete the necessary documentation before a place is offered.
2. Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd reserves the right to charge for nappies, meals, drinks, snacks and wet wipes, and an hourly fee to cover consumables plus the hourly rate for any additional time used, in excess of funded hours.

Payment

1. Payment is by Direct Debit or Bank Transfer. Some charges such as late pickup and late payment charges as well as adhoc session charges are payable when invoiced.
2. Payment of fees is the responsibility of the signatory on the registration form. Any additional collection charges which may be incurred in the recovery of outstanding monies will also be the responsibility of the signatory on the registration form.
3. Late Payment. We encourage you to communicate with us if you are having difficulty paying your fees as it may be possible to set up a payment plan to support you. In the event of fees being repeatedly paid late, after payment reminders are sent, we reserve the right to charge a weekly administration fee of £25 which will be due when invoiced.
4. Suspend Entry: If an outstanding balance runs into the third week of the month following an unpaid invoice without agreement being reached with you then we will be forced to suspend your child’s entry to nursery. This would remain the case until an agreement is put in place.
5. Agent: please note we use a third-party agency to recover any unpaid fees. Any additional collection charges which may be incurred in the recovery will be the signatory's responsibility.

Employment of Staff

1. If, during this Agreement and for a period of 12 months after the termination of this Agreement, you (directly or indirectly): employ or otherwise engage the services of any member of our staff who has had contact with your child under this Agreement in the last 12 months and/or allow or permit the provision of any childcare services to your children by any member of our staff who has had contact with your child under this Agreement in the last 12 months; then you shall pay to us a figure representing 20% of the relevant member of staff’s gross annual salary, or £5,000, whichever is the higher at the time they left our employment and/or services. This figure represents a reimbursement for the investment and the costs involved in recruiting, vetting, training and employing a suitable replacement member of staff.

Parent & Carer Responsibilities

It is the primary responsibility of parents and carers to:

1. Supply us with up-to-date emergency contact details.
2. Keep us notified of any changes of workplace, home address or contacts.
3. Let us know any of any changes in your child’s circumstances that might affect their behaviour whilst in our care.
4. Should you arrange for someone else to collect your child from nursery, it is vital that staff are informed in writing. It would be best if the person could come to the nursery beforehand to meet us or if a recent photograph could be provided to verify their identity.
5. Parents or guardians of children are required to provide us with formula milk and baby food if required, enough for the length of your child’s day.

Nursery Food

1. Healthy and largely organic snacks, meals and drinks will be made available to children throughout the day. It is your responsibility to notify us of any allergies or intolerances your child suffers from.

Illness

1. If your child has been prescribed antibiotics, they will not be able to return to nursery until they have undergone 48 hours of treatment at home. This is enforced by the Health Protection Agency and Ofsted.
2. Should your child be taking medication, it is the responsibility of parents and carers to notify your child’s key person and to sign the necessary consent form regarding administration of medication.
3. Children should not be in nursery if they are known to be suffering from sickness, diarrhoea, or any other infectious illness. They should be clear for at least 48 hours before returning.
4. Any child who has been sent home from nursery because they are unwell will not be re-admitted for at least 24 hours.
5. If your child has head lice, they should be treated with one of the approved methods before returning to nursery.
6. We have the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. This decision will be taken by the manager on duty and is non-negotiable

Notification and Changes to the Terms and Conditions

1. Our standard communication with customers is normally conducted via the Famly app and sometimes email. It is the responsibility of all customers to ensure that we are always supplied with your current and up to date e-mail address. If your e-mail address changes you must inform us of your up-to-date address. If at any time you do not have access to a current e-mail address it is your responsibility to request communication via paper copy (either through the post to your home address or issued to you directly via the nursery).
2. Alterations and updates to these terms and conditions which are non-material may be issued via e-mail or posted to our website. An e-mail will be deemed to have been served where we have a ‘sent-message’ record of an e-mail sent to an up-to-date e-mail address.

Policies & Procedures

1. All policies and procedures, including Equal Opportunities, Parents as Partners, Health and Safety and Safeguarding Children, can be found in the Operational File in each nursery and are available on request from the Nursery Managers.

Updated 02/08/2022

Child protection and welfare is our highest priority. Below you will find links to our core policies. If you would like to see any other of our policies, please do ask and we can make this available to you.

Admissions Policy

Health and Hygiene Policy

Safeguarding Children

Arrivals and Departures Policy

Staff Supervision Policy

Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour

Allergies and Allergic Reactions Procedure

Fire Safety Policy

No Smoking Policy

Acceptable use of ICT and online safety

Conflict Resolution with Parents and Aggressive Behaviour Policy

Complaints Procedure

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Domestic Abuse honour based violence Forced Marriage 

GDPR Privacy Notice

Intimate Care and Toileting Policy

Lost Child Procedure

Prevent Duty and Radicalisation Policy

Safe and Respectful Care Policy 

Safe Recruitment of Staff 

Separated Family Policy

Social Networking Policy

Staff Suitability Policy

Staff Supervision Policy

Whistleblowing Policy

Term Time Only care is available for children who receive government funding.

For each child it is imperative that they form a close relationship with their key person.

Research has identified that strong attachments are bonded more effectively when a child attends a child care setting for at least 2 full day sessions.

For a young baby/child attending only once a week does not provide this opportunity as the 'gap' between session is too long; hence the separation and attachment process in effect has to be restarted on each visit.

Term Dates 2022/2023

The baby/young child therefore is more likely to feel distressed for a much longer period - up to 12 months.  This in turn can impact upon their ability to engage in the learning and development opportunities that the nursery staff provide for them and can also cause distress for the parent to leave their upset child.

Schools and Early Years settings must
follow a structure of learning, development,
and care for children from birth to 5 years –
this is the Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS). This is the stage in your child’s life
that gets them ready and prepares them for
school, as well as for their future learning
and successes. The EYFS was created to
ensure your child’s first 5 years are happy,
active, exciting, fun and secure, as well as to
support their development, care and
learning needs.

Download our Parent's Guide To EYFS Framework 

A parents guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Early years providers all have to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) but what is it exactly, why do we have it and what does it cover? Read our article to find out...

Read the article

Last day of Term (Term Time Only)

Monday 18th July

2022 - 2023 Term Dates

Nursery Closure Dates

Bank Holiday / Nursery Closed Dates: 2022

Summer Bank Holiday, Mon, 29^th August 2022

Bank Holiday / Nursery Closed Dates: 2023

Ofsted registers and inspects childcare for children aged from birth to 17 years.

Registered childcare providers and childminders have to meet requirements that relate to welfare and safety, the people providing the care and the organisation of the childcare. Child carers registered on the Early Years Register, who care for children aged from birth until 31 August following a child's fifth birthday, also have to meet requirements for children's learning and development.

See our Ofsted Reports
hdc Kingsteignton
hdc Newton Abbot
hdc Dartmouth
hdc Dartington

If you want to tell Ofsted anything about your child's childcare, you can ring: 0300 123 1231 or you can write to: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
or mailing address to
Applications, Regulatory and Contact (ARC) Team, Ofsted, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

For more information, search for 'Information for parents Ofsted'

SEND DIAS Book For Parents

Devon County Council’s new website for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Devon County Council have launched a brand new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) website, designed for children and young people with SEND and their families to help them find the right information about education, health and care support available in the local area to help them achieve their goals in life.

The website has been developed alongside parents and carers, those working with children and young people and young people themselves to make sure families can easily find the information that matters most.

In Devon, our vision is for all children and young people with SEND to dream, believe, and achieve, and fulfil their potential. This SEND Local Offer website will play a vital role in helping families to understand what help and support is available in their area and will also help us to make sure our SEND provision is more responsive to local needs.

Your SEND Local Offer website

Every local authority is required to provide a Local Offer for children and young people with SEND, signposting to the support and provision available across the local area.

The Local Offer website contains details about what SEND provision is available across education, health and social care for children and young people aged 0-25. This includes;

• early years
• pre-school settings
• schools
• colleges
• health support
• care support
• preparing for adulthood
• independent living
• training and employment opportunities
• voluntary and community services
• activities and support networks and much more.

Download our hdc Curriculum

Curriculum Guide