“Our 4 year old has just finished at The House That Jack Built to start school, having been at the nursery since he was 16 months old. He absolutely loved his time there. It’s a lovely spacious site with great facilities, and the staff are so caring, smiley and creative. He has such a special bond with them. All of the staff have helped him grow into such a confident little boy, and he walked happily into reception last week without a backward glance, despite being one of the youngest starters. We also have a 2 year old who is just leaving the baby unit and moving up to toddlers. The baby unit is an amazing space and run by the loveliest team. A huge thank you for all of your smiles and care over the last three years.”
12 Chestnut Lane, Hazlemere, HP15 7BZ
A nursery for families in Penn, just seven minutes away
Penn is the kind of village where the common and the church on Church Road feel like the centre of life, and where the morning school run tends to be a deliberate choice rather than something that fits neatly into a commute. Families here are used to driving a short distance for the right thing, and The House That Jack Built in Hazlemere is about seven minutes from the village. If you would like to come and have a look around, we would be glad to show you what we do.
Why families choose us
Our approach
What parents tend to notice first when they visit is how much the children are in charge of their own day. We run free flow between indoors and the garden all day, every day, in all weathers, which means children follow their own curiosity rather than waiting to be told what comes next. That is not a small thing. It builds the kind of confidence and independence that carries children a long way beyond their early years, and it is something Margaret had in mind from the very beginning when she opened the nursery in 2000.
In practice
On the practical side, we put a lot of thought into how children start with us. Every child has two settling-in sessions before they begin properly, and we build on those if a child needs more time. Your key carer will be in touch from the start, daily diary sheets keep you informed of what your child has been doing, and we check in properly with you shortly after they have settled. We accept both 15-hour and 30-hour funded places for eligible families, and we are rated Good by Ofsted, which reflects the consistency of what we offer day to day rather than just on inspection day.
For families in Penn
Families from Penn are used to a village pace and a certain amount of space around them, and the nursery at Hazlemere has something of that same character. It is a converted bungalow that genuinely feels like a home rather than an institution, with a garden the children have access to throughout the day and regular walks out into the local community. For families who value that kind of environment and are happy to make a short, purposeful drive each morning, it tends to be a good fit.
Address
12 Chestnut Lane, Hazlemere, HP15 7BZ
Phone
01494 713425Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:30pm
Ages
6 weeks to 5 years
Ofsted
Good
Funding
15 & 30 hours accepted
Getting here
From Penn, the most straightforward route takes you out along Church Road and Elm Road, then onto Hazlemere Road before coming through Penn Road, Amersham Road, Holmer Green Road and Eastern Dene to Chestnut Lane. The drive is around two and a half miles and takes approximately seven minutes in normal morning conditions. There is on-site parking at the nursery, so you do not need to factor in finding a space at the other end.
Coming from nearby?
Parent reviews
What Buckinghamshire families say about us
The families already with us can tell you more than we ever could. Parents who started with us as babies are now sending their second and third children through our doors. That kind of trust is not given lightly, and we do not take it for granted.
“Both of my children have attended THTJB over the past 4 years and we have had the best experience. My son was so well prepared to start school last September, despite being one of the youngest in his year, and my daughter can't wait to run into her friends and key workers every morning that she attends. All the staff are so friendly and helpful and the children have a great balance of lots of fun combined with structure.”
“Cannot recommend more: my two daughters came here before leaving for school, my eldest who has special needs was well looked after, and they helped us with the EHCP, and any additional support that would be needed, was such a life saver, as for my youngest who just left for school recently is more than prepared! Both of my children loved this nursery, and made many friends, the staff are warm and friendly, and really take the time to listen to you and your children, they also have little events like pirate day and a Christmas sing!”
See us in action
Come and see a normal day
A tour is the best way to know whether we are the right fit. Meet our team, explore the spaces, and ask us anything.
Not ready yet?
Things parents ask us
Common questions
The nursery is at 12 Chestnut Lane in Hazlemere, which is roughly two and a half miles from Penn and about seven minutes by car in normal morning traffic. The route comes out through Church Road and Elm Road before picking up Hazlemere Road and carrying on through to Chestnut Lane. There is parking on site, so the drop-off itself is straightforward.
Yes, we accept both the 15-hour and 30-hour funded places for families who are eligible. If you are not sure which you qualify for or when your funding starts, it is worth checking with the government's Childcare Choices website, and we are happy to talk it through with you when you visit. We will always be clear about what the funding covers and how it works in practice at our nursery.
We care for children from six weeks old up to five years, so we can be with a family from early maternity leave right through to school. Places at Hazlemere do fill up, and families in rural villages like Penn sometimes find they are planning further ahead than they expected. It is worth getting in touch as soon as you have a rough idea of when you might need childcare, even if the date feels a long way off.
An Ofsted Good rating means inspectors found the quality of teaching, care and leadership to be consistently strong across the nursery. For your child it means the environment, the relationships and the way the day is run have all been looked at by an independent body and found to be working well. We do not change what we do because an inspection is coming; the rating reflects how we run things every day, which is what matters.
The easiest way is to get in touch directly and we will find a time that suits you to come and look around. If you decide to go ahead, every child has two settling-in sessions before they start properly, with parents present, and we build on those if a child needs longer to find their feet. Shortly after your child starts we check in properly with you to see how things are going, and your child's key carer is your main point of contact from day one.
Ofsted registered, inspected, and rated Good
Independently inspected so you do not have to take our word for it.
"Children arrive excited for their day at this welcoming setting. They happily chatter to staff as they confidently separate from their parents."