https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/category/early-years-education/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:39:04 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/ofsted-report-little-acorns-nursery-clayton-le-woods/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:27:34 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7437 A fabulous new Ofsted report is out for Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. Published on 30 September 2025, it follows an inspection earlier that month. Parents and local families will be delighted to learn that, once again, Little Acorns Nursery was rated as 'Good' across all categories. That's a high rating for overall effectiveness, the quality of education, the behaviour and attitudes of those attending, the personal development of staff, and the quality of leadership and management at the setting. A clean sweep! It's news that will instil confidence in families that are considering enrolling a child at the nursery, and a clear demonstration that little ones who attend will benefit enormously — and be kept safe. Let's take a look at some of the positive findings and encouraging comments from the Ofsted Inspector who prepared this latest report.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/national-storytelling-week/ Fri, 17 Jan 2025 14:08:38 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6869 With the start of the new year now behind us, it's time for children to get ready to take part in National Storytelling Week. This year it begins on Saturday the 1st of February and ends on Sunday the 9th. It's a wonderful initiative that brings children and families together to use their imaginations, get creative, and entertain one another. What better time of the year to do that than during mid-winter? National Storytelling Week is perfectly timed to be a fabulous antidote to cold, blustery, winter days and is a wonderful way for children to escape through the power of the mind.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/winter-nature-hunt-activity-for-children/ Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:15:07 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6832 With the season of winter arriving in December, new opportunities for outdoor activities arise for children of all ages. And, as nature and outdoor play are so beneficial for children, we thought a winter nature hunt would be a great idea (cool even!). With that in mind, we've put together a free, downloadable, reference sheet of 20 things for children to look out for during this season. Despite the colder temperatures at this stage of the year, if children are wrapped up in warm clothes and suitably supervised by an adult, there is still lots for them to enjoy, discover, and learn from. That's even more true for children still in their early years. Nature is a huge educator and is often stunningly beautiful too. A winter nature hunt is therefore a great excuse to get them outdoors, exploring, discovering, learning and simply having fun!]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/good-ofsted-feedback-for-little-acorns-nursery/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:28:26 +0000 http://s351775982.websitehome.co.uk/Dev-Updates/?p=6725 Today we look at the wonderful Ofsted report published recently for Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. Ofsted is The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Their inspector visited this fabulous Lancashire childcare setting in late August and released its official report a month later on 25 September 2024. Our post today spotlights some of the many glowing comments made by the inspector therein, following her visit. It also highlights the reasoning for 'good provider' ratings across all areas of the Ofsted report. Take a look and you'll see why babies, children under five, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities absolutely thrive at Little Acorns.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/applying-for-a-primary-school-place-guide/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:00:30 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6670 If your child is 3 or, at the latest, has just turned 4, it's time for you to apply for their primary school place. What's more, you only have until about mid-January to do so. That's all true whether you intend them to start school at 4 or leave it until they're 5. In today's guide, we explain the rules around applying for a primary school place, the key dates you need to know, what to expect, and the various options open to you and your child.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/free-childcare-guide-for-eligible-working-families/ Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:27:32 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6585 With September 2024 arriving, eligible children aged as young as 9 months can now access free childcare in England. The new childcare 'hours' are available where working families are eligible for the support and, in tandem, where local childcare providers are set up with appropriate staffing ratios and capacity. The good news, however, is that Little Acorns Nursery, in Clayton-le-Woods, supports the new scheme. It's therefore with great pleasure that we're now beginning to welcome children as young as just 9 months of age for free childcare hours at the Chorley setting. In today's guide, we'll explain who is eligible and how much free childcare they can access right now — and in a year's time when the scheme expands further.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/butterflies-nature-activity-for-kids/ Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:11:31 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6494 With the UK's Big Butterfly Count happening from roughly the second half of July right through to early August, we thought now was an excellent time to release our free butterfly poster for families to download. This is designed to encourage children and families to get outdoors to see how many of the UK's most commonly seen butterflies they can see and identify. Our identification poster features 36 of the 59 butterfly species found in Britain (we have excluded butterflies that families are unlikely to see as some are quite rare or limited to small areas of the nation). That's a much more comprehensive number of butterfly species than surveyed in the Big Butterfly Count (just 19 types of butterfly and 2 daytime-flying moths are included in that survey this year). We therefore wholeheartedly encourage children and families to download our free butterfly poster today, so they can get started on getting to know British butterflies. It's educational as well as being a wonderful way to get children outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and all the profound benefits that nature will bring them.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/maths-concepts-for-under-5s/ Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:01:22 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6436 Once babies have transformed into toddlers, it's never too early to introduce them to maths-based concepts and language. Indeed, introducing under-fives to such concepts in the earliest years will benefit them hugely as it lays the foundations for future learning. That's one of the main reasons it is a part of the EYFS curriculum. Continuing this learning at home will also help them instinctively understand that mathematics is a normal and integral part of everyday life. As such, there is no need for it to be perceived as a daunting topic. With all that in mind, today's guide explores why the early introduction of mathematics is so beneficial to under-fives and how parents and caregivers play a vital role in encouraging their mathematical curiosity, knowledge, and confidence.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/how-to-help-children-transition-to-school/ Wed, 15 May 2024 07:15:52 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6390 Beginning school is a huge milestone for any child as well as for the child's parents or guardians. Whether transitioning from nursery/preschool or straight from home, beginning school can be a daunting step in a child's life — especially if they're unprepared. Today's post therefore aims to help parents/guardians make the transition to school as easy and stress-free as possible for their child, so they are empowered to feel at home and hit the ground running from the moment they begin. Take a look, therefore, at our guide on How to Help Your Child Transition to School. Following the advice should help make this milestone plain sailing for everyone involved.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/tips-for-potty-training-tots/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:07:25 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6330 One of the key tasks all tots must face, in tandem with parents, is potty training. It's something we all had to master as toddlers and therefore we know it's 100% achievable — despite it sometimes seeming to be rather a challenge. Achieving success, though, will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child's care. Learning to master the use of the potty and later the toilet will also be a major boost to self-confidence and independence when the child is at nursery, preschool, and later school. With that in mind, today's guide outlines our top tips for successful potty training.]]>