We are excited to announce that we are starting our new Forest School programme at both our Nursery and Pre-School in Saltford.

Forest School activities are a fun, interactive way to build teamwork/social skills, explore the world around us, and support emotional wellbeing while encouraging creativity and imagination!

Learn more about our Forest School, meet our amazing nursery team and see our fantastic setting today by booking a nursery tour!

At Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools, we believe that some of the most exciting learning starts with a simple question: “I wonder why?”

From building towers and testing what floats and sinks, to counting, creating, investigating and finding out how things work, STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – is all around us in the Early Years.

STEM learning gives children opportunities to explore their natural curiosity, solve problems, test ideas and discover how the world around them works. Through hands-on experiences and play, children can develop skills including critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, communication and collaboration.

STEM and Where Children Shine

Our Where Children Shine curriculum encourages children to learn through exploration, discovery and meaningful experiences. We give children the time and space to follow their interests, ask questions, experiment and discover things for themselves.

Our SHINE values – Support, Honest, Inspire, Nurture and Empower – are at the heart of this approach. Whether children are designing and building, exploring nature, investigating numbers or creating their own imaginative inventions, we’re here to support them to be curious, confident and excited to learn.

And this autumn, we’re taking that curiosity out of this world!

🚀 Join Us for an Out of This World Open Day! 🚀

Across September and October, Happy Days nurseries will be hosting a series of Out of This World Open Days, giving families the opportunity to visit their local nursery, meet our teams and discover more about life at Happy Days.

With space-themed activities and STEM-inspired experiences, our Open Days will be a chance for children and families to explore, discover and have some out-of-this-world fun together.

The celebrations will culminate during World Space Week, 4 -10 October, when we’ll be joining children and families around the world in celebrating space, science and exploration.

Can You Find Our Lost Astronaut?

There’s just one problem…We’ve lost our astronaut!

Our astronaut is hiding somewhere across our Happy Days Group websites, and we need your help to find them.

There are five websites to explore, so get searching and see if you can spot one of our hidden astronauts:

• Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools
• Toddletown Nursery
• Edward Bears
• Snowdrop House Montessori Group
• Boys & Girls Nursery

How to take part…

1. SEARCH
Head to one of our websites and see if you can find a hidden astronaut.

2. SCREENSHOT
Once you’ve spotted one, take a screenshot as proof of your discovery.

3. VISIT
Come along to one of our Out of This World Open Days taking place across the Happy Days Group during September and October.

4. ENTER
Show your screenshot to the team at your local Open Day and you’ll be entered into our FREE STEM-themed prize draw!

An Out of This World Prize!

One lucky winner will receive a STEM themed hamper packed with goodies for under 5s, perfect for encouraging curiosity, creativity and exploration at home.

So, whether you’re fascinated by rockets, curious about planets or simply love a good treasure hunt, there’s plenty to discover this autumn.

Find your local Out of This World Open Day, start your astronaut search and get ready for an adventure that’s truly out of this world! 🚀

The astronaut hunt runs from 7 September to 26 October. Screenshots must be presented at an eligible Happy Days Out of This World Open Day during the competition period. Full terms and conditions apply.

Congratulations to Happy Days Weston Super-Mare for their 5 star rating from their recent EHO kitchen inspection! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Days has been awarded the Quality Mark by the Early Years Alliance in recognition of its commitment to excellent nutrition practices. The Alliance’s Nutrition Support Programme helps improve future health outcomes for young children by setting high standards for nutrition in early years settings, offering tailored support from experienced nutritionists and dietitians.

Learn more about Happy Days menus and nutrition: https://happydaysnurseries.com/parent-information/nutrition/

Graduation Day at Happy Days Yate

Thank you for everyone who attended and gave our adventurers a good send off before they start big school in September!

Happy National Vocational Celebration Day!

This morning, some of our apprentices attended the celebrations at Teagle Machinery in Cornwall, hosted by Steph McGovern, where apprentices from across the country came together to share their stories and experiences. It was wonderful to see Enginuity and EAL shine a light on the value of vocational pathways, helping to challenge outdated perceptions and champion the skills we urgently need to thrive.

At Happy Days Nurseries, we are incredibly proud to support over 100 apprentices across our nurseries. Their dedication, enthusiasm and hard work make a real difference every day, and today is a lovely opportunity to celebrate all they achieve.

Kelly our People Service Lead says “At Happy Days Nurseries we have over 100 colleagues completing their Early Years apprenticeship, and we are currently recruiting for our next cohort of apprentices. I am so proud to work for an organisation that truly embraces personal development and supports individuals starting their career in Early Years. Vocational qualifications are such an important part of an individual’s journey and I love watching colleagues develop and advance their career with us by progressing into different roles across the business.”

We are looking forward to welcoming our new cohort of apprentices and are incredibly proud of each and every one of our current and past apprentices.

If you are looking to start a career in Early Years and thinking about an apprenticeship, please see the below link which will take you to the careers page on our website, where you will be able to see if we have an opportunities near you. If none are showing on the website, please do not hesitate to contact our recruitment team at [email protected], who will be able to provide more details on any upcoming opportunities.

Career Opportunities- Careers – Happy Days Nursery

We are so pleased to announce that Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, Verwood has been recognised as meeting Ofsted Strong Standard in all areas! We’re also proud to confirm that our safeguarding practices were judged as Met, reflecting the high priority we place on the safety and well-being of every child in our care.

Inspectors noted that our children: “develop high levels of independence and confidence in managing their own needs. Babies feed themselves using open cups and spoons, while older children confidently and independently serve meals, clear away their plates and wash them afterwards. Children continually cooperate well, share resources and take turns during play. All children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. “

We’d also like to spotlight Ofsted answered what it’s like to be a child at our setting like this: ‘Children thrive in this welcoming and nurturing setting. They benefit from a highly ambitious, broad and well-sequenced curriculum. Children of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged and those with barriers to learning, enjoy meaningful experiences that build their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Babies squeal with delight as they hide inside a large cardboard box during imaginative play with enthusiastic staff. Older children confidently practise their football skills outdoors and celebrate one another’s success with excitement.’

Ofsted has recently moved away from single-word grades to provide a more detailed look at how nurseries perform. Instead of a one-size-fits-all label, settings are now evaluated against specific quality standards:

🔵 Exceptional: Significantly exceeds expectations.
🔵 Strong Standard: Securely above the expected quality.
🔵 Expected Standard: Consistently and reliably meets all requirements.
🔵 Needs Attention / Urgent Improvement: Areas where further work is required.

By achieving the Strong Standard across the board, Happy Days Verwood has proven to be a secure, effective, and high-quality environment for early years education.

The inspection team praised our warm and inclusive atmosphere. They observed first-hand how our children; from our curious babies to our confident pre-schoolers – settle in quickly and form deep, trusting relationships with our nursery team.

The report highlighted several key strengths:

🟡 Leaders have designed a highly ambitious, broad and well-sequenced curriculum
🟡 Staff know children extremely well and use accurate assessment to identify next steps, consolidate children’s learning and provide appropriate challenge
🟡 Children consistently behave well and show positive attitudes towards learning

Read the full report here.

To learn more about the way Ofsted reports work now, visit our blog.