Rooms

At Clever Clogs Hartlepool we have a dedicated dining area within the pre-school and toddler rooms where children are encouraged to enjoy their meals in a social environment with friends.  We have highchairs for feeding in the babies’ rooms.

Our chefs always serve healthy food and our menus follow a four-weekly rotation and children are encouraged to try new food.

We encourage pre-school children to serve themselves at mealtimes to enable them to develop social and communication skills in preparation for school-life; with plates and cutlery stored in their dining area solely for their use.

We have strict health and safety procedures in our kitchens and dining areas which are regularly assessed to ensure that policies are being adhered to.  Our facilities are also inspected by local authorities as appropriate.

Your baby's home routine will be followed in our 0-15 months room and we will work with parents to mirror their wishes within the nursery.

In baby's first years, the excitement of sound, sight and touch are well accompanied by a series of special firsts. Our staff provide the highest of expert care in an environment which encourages babies to learn through play. 

Babies will spend each day exploring and investigating the surrounding environment, playing with sensory toys, interacting with adults and other babies and listening to stories and music. 

While in our care your child's home routine will be mirrored in the Tweenies and tots room for children aged 15 months - 3 years.  

We encourage older children follow a basic routine during nursery hours, which allows us to prepare children for the move into the pre-school nursery.

Children are encouraged to develop at their own pace and our staff will give them many opportunities to learn, grow and thrive.  The Clever Clogs team also carefully plan activity to build on existing skills and develop new ones.

Clever Clogs Hartlepool provides a safe and interactive learning environment where children can investigate and explore their surroundings.

Within this room children spend their day having fun with a range of educational and developmental toys and resources.  Children are encouraged to express themselves through play and interaction with adults and other children which helps in building their independence and confidence.

There are many activities and opportunities on offer each day and the children are able to make a lot of their own independent choices. 

Options include: sensory play, messy/creative play, a construction area and role play/dressing up.  There is also direct access to outside play areas from this room which is supervised at all times.

In all of our rooms, we promote early personal hygiene. In all rooms and potties/toilets are nearby for children to learn and develop their concepts of early personal hygiene and to fulfil potty training requirements. Clever Clogs staff will promote and support toilet training and hygiene at all times and work with parents to continue their child’s routine at nursery and at home.

In preparation for your child starting school we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework within this room. 

By offering various opportunities and activities we encourage children to work towards the early learning goals within the six areas of learning which are as follows:

• Communication, language and literacy
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
• Creative development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development

This framework is echoed in reception class when your child starts school.   Activities at Clever Clogs are planned in advance based on our own knowledge and experience, children's interests and our observations of their strong and weak points, thus encouraging children to maximise their potential in advance of school.

Our pre-school children benefit from many areas, including a reading corner where they are encouraged to read aloud, recite stories, and listen to group stories.  We also have a dedicated small world and construction area, computer tables, science point and an arts and crafts / messy area.  Our team are sensitive to the different cultures and traditions of the children in our care and actively aim to boost knowledge and understanding of the world.   

There is also direct access to large outside play areas where the staff and children grow vegetables and herbs and are encouraged to explore creepy crawly areas.

We are also currently approved to offer free nursery education for children aged between 3-5 years old for up to 15 hours a week which is funded by the Government. Children are entitled to a maximum of five sessions per week and will qualify for this the term after their third birthday.

In all of our rooms, we promote early personal hygiene. There are sinks and toilets next to this room for children to learn and develop their concepts of early personal hygiene and to fulfil potty training requirements. Clever Clogs staff will promote and support toilet training and hygiene at all times and work with parents to continue their child’s routine at nursery and at home.

At Hartlepool  Clever Clogs we have a separate sleep room where babies and children will be able to have restful sleep without any disturbance from other activities.

Babies and children are able to sleep in cots, in pushchairs or on bed mats - this will be in accordance with their home routine and your personal wishes. The sleep room has vision panels and is monitored by staff at all times.

We play soothing music and carefully monitor the temperature of the room ensuring relaxation and comfort and any dummies, teddies or blankets are given to children for sleep times. 

Bedding is changed and washed after use.

At Hartlepool Clever Clogs we recently invested £10,000 in the development of our  large outdoor area.  Adding facilities including a grassed area, performance stage, a play surface, planting areas, a creepy crawlie pit and potting plants. 

We believe that physical development is just as important as mental stimulation to a child’s general health and growth so we encourage our children to regularly enjoy our outdoor areas through play and taught activities.

At Hartlepool we plant herbs with the children to teach them about growing and to encourage patience.  We also track the plants' progress on child-height chalk boards.

We have rows of wellies, umbrellas and waterproof coats ready for rainy days and the children love learning about the seasons and weather in the garden.

All children at Hartlepool nursery have access to the outdoor areas to ensure our children get lots of fresh air and exercise.  Planted tyres and outdoor games also encourage vital physical activity.

The outdoor area is fully enclosed with metal fences which are covered in willow to add privacy. 

At Clever Clogs Nursery in Hartlepool security is of primary importance.  We ensure we provide a safe environment at all times and the only access to our childcare facilities is through an electronic entry system and two sets of double doors which only open once the first set of doors is closed meaning that unauthorised entry is not possible and children cannot leave the building unsupervised.

Our admissions policy is meticulous and when you register your child you will be asked to complete an "Authorised Persons to Collect your Child" form. Only nominated people on this form will be allowed to collect your child and if staff have any concerns they will phone you. 

Staff monitor all arrivals and departures from the nursery and any visitors entering the nursery will be asked to show proof of identity and to sign our visitor's book.  Visitors will not be left unsupervised at any time.

The nursery surroundings are monitored at all times with particular focus on entrances and outside play areas.  Secure fencing with locked gates are also installed to keep children in and intruders out while a willow covering on the fences provide privacy.

Health and safety is also very important, and we carry out regular risk assessments with qualified fire assessors and security experts.  All of our staff also receive regular training to ensure that procedures are followed and our nursery provides a safe environment for all children, parents and staff.