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Children 1st @ Hathern

Ofsted: Expected standard·
4.6(5 parent reviews) ·126 Loughborough Road, Hathern, LOUGHBOROUGH, LE12 5JB · Leicestershire
Number of places
98 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Apr 2026
Local authority
Leicestershire

About this day nursery

Children 1st @ Hathern, established in Loughborough in 2018, provides childcare for children aged 0-4 years. The nursery operates year-round, Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 6 pm, with a consistent team of 18 childcare staff, 14 of whom hold qualifications at Level 2 and above.

The setting provides a nurturing environment where children form close bonds with staff, fostering a sense of safety and emotional well-being. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong understanding of each child's individual needs, tailoring activities to their interests and developmental stages.

The nursery is committed to inclusivity, with leaders promptly providing staff with training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents appreciate the guidance and support offered by staff, highlighting the setting's welcoming and communicative approach.

The setting actively encourages children's physical development through engaging activities like singing and moving to music, where they learn to follow instructions and express themselves creatively.

What it's like

Children have close bonds with staff and settle instantly in their care, which helps them to feel safe and supports their emotional well-being. They enjoy singing and moving to music, developing physical skills and following instructions. Children also learn to share from a young age, listening closely to staff and confidently asking questions.

Strong staff-child bondsIndividualised learningInclusive SEND provisionPositive parent feedbackPhysical development focus

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2018

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Apr 2026

Headline: Expected standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesStrong standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionStrong standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating

Last inspected 15 April 2026

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children have close bonds with staff and settle instantly in their care, which helps them to feel safe and supports their emotional well-being. They enjoy singing and moving to music, developing physical skills and following instructions. Children also learn to share from a young age, listening closely to staff and confidently asking questions.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff and leaders know all children extremely well and identify their learning and development needs.
  • Staff engage children through activities based on their interests and what they need to learn next.
  • Staff interactions with younger children fully support their development, particularly their communication skills.
  • Staff encourage children to try things for themselves throughout the day, fostering independence.
  • Leaders identify where staff need further support and provide prompt training, monitoring children's experiences closely.

Areas to develop

  • 1Focus further on building upon what children know and can do during adult-led activities, providing appropriate challenge for all children.
  • 2Provide further support for staff to improve the consistency of high-quality interactions with older children.
Inspection #10248296 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Leaders identify where staff need further support and promptly provide them with training. They closely monitor the experiences of children. They help staff to reflect and adapt their practice to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Outdoor space

Children of all ages enjoy singing and moving to music. They develop their physical skills and follow staff's instructions carefully as they join in with the words and actions of songs. Staff encourage children to stomp and roar, reach up high and reach down low.

Parent Reviews

4.6
(5)
Lucy C Hillier
5 months ago

My daughter currently attends Children’s 1st Hathern in the under 2’s unit. She is cared for wonderfully by the whole team and loves spending time at nursery. The building is always cleaned and tidied to a very high standard. The rooms look fresh, inviting and full of life, even before the children arrive. The choice of equipment and activities available in the room is excellent and are well maintained to ensure the children’s safety. The outdoor provision is fantastic, with plenty of space and activities for the children to grow and explore their natural surroundings. The highlight of the nursery is the staff. Their passion for early years childcare is evident in every thing that they do and are always a joy to talk to. They really get to know each child and build strong connections with them, my daughter lights up whenever she sees the ladies from her room. Their communication is brilliant in person, over the phone, and via the Famly app. I’m always kept up to date with what my daughter has done in the day, any bumps, and wider nursery information. We absolutely recommend Children’s 1st Hathern to anyone looking for childcare provision. We’re beyond grateful for the care and affection shown towards our daughter. She feels happy and safe, and is steadily progressing through her developmental stages thanks to all of their support. Thank you very much for everything!

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Helen Woodward
4 years ago

This nursery is fantastic, staff are great and care well for your child. The building and equipment is well maintained and they help build rules into daily play. Sharing is caring and fun plan is at the heart of what they do here. My daughter loves it. Gets excited to go and almost runs in. She talk fondly of the teachers there and enjoys the activities. I pick her up to a beeming smile and tales of the day. I feel really lucky that she has this team prepping her for school. Her first learning experience has been fantastic Thanks to all the people that make this possible. You did a fantastic job through covid and continue to do so everyday. You are a credit to the company

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Erica W
5 years ago

staff outstanding, environment brilliant modern bright and couldn't have any more to keep kids going all day.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Children 1st @ Hathern. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: August 2022

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • September 2022Good
  • August 2022Good

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