Lancashire Archives - Little Acorns Nursery School

The Benefits of Sport in the Early Years – Plus Exciting Chorley News!

Active Play, Activities for Children, Chorley, Exercise, Football, Lancashire, Learning Through Play, Nursery, Play, Sport, Under-5s

The Benefits of Sport in the Early Years – & Exciting Chorley News!

In exciting news, Chorley made it to the National press and TV this week and there has been a huge amount of buzz about what’s been going on. For anyone who missed it, the story involves Chorley Football Club and stars from two pop groups. Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy from Boyzone and Brian McFadden from Westlife visited a Chorley FC match. Along with Boyzone’s Ronan Keating, they are exploring the possibility of buying a stake in the club. The story has gone completely viral with the likes of Sky Sports, ITV and the BBC having sent camera crews to cover it. The stars’ visit and interest in Chorley Football Club have been the talk of the Nation and have certainly put Chorley on the map!

“This is a game-changer that has the potential to bring our town into the limelight like never before, generating a buzz and publicity that will shine a bright light on Chorley and the local area.” — Chorley FC

With Chorley Football Club being only 4.8 miles and a 14-minute drive from Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, this news has certainly registered on our radar. What’s more, it’s sure to fire up greater interest in sport from children in the Chorley area. Perhaps some of them could even end up being sporting stars of the future! With all that in mind, we thought we’d take the opportunity today to explore the value and importance of sport to children in their early years.

Sport in Early Childhood

Sport takes an incredible number of forms and, as such, allows children of all shapes, sizes and abilities to get active in one way or another. There are many sports to choose from, so there’s bound to be something to suit every child. Make no mistake, sport is generally very good for children and we’ll come onto some of the many reasons later in this article. Whether it’s table tennis, swimming, cycling, football, gymnastics, running, roller-skating, a simple game of rounders, or one of the many other sports, there’s usually something for everyone — including children with additional needs. Sport is fun too, so children will naturally enjoy taking part once they’ve identified sports games they connect with.

The Benefits of Sport to Children, Especially the Young

Participation in sports benefits children in many different – and often profound – ways. That’s especially true for children in their early years, being a stage when they learn fundamental skills like jumping, running, throwing and catching balls, etc.

What’s common to just about all childhood sports is that they get children moving — and that’s perhaps one of sport’s most important facets. With childhood obesity rates at alarming levels^∞ in recent years, getting children active — and used to an active lifestyle from an early age — has never been more important. Taking part in sports will help improve fitness levels, strengthen hearts, muscles and bones, and help children maintain a healthier lifestyle when combined with a healthy diet.

“Getting kids moving and having fun again has never been more important, and it all counts towards the 60 minutes of physical activity (including 30 minutes outside of school) they need every day.” — NHS

Sports and active hobbies will also help little ones hone balance, agility, coordination and motor skills. That’s incredibly important during early childhood as these key skills are still developing and, as the old proverb goes, “practice makes perfect.”

The benefits of sports are not only physical; children’s mental health benefits enormously too. Not only is participation in such activities immense fun (which is an important benefit all on its own) but sport also helps children’s confidence and self-esteem to grow, as well as being a great antidote to any stress and anxiety they might be feeling.

“Having a positive attitude towards physical activity has also been associated with children being happier.” — NHS

Participation in sport also teaches little ones other key skills. For example, it helps children understand the need for good communication, cooperation, teamwork and even sportsmanship. It teaches them the importance of perseverance, strategy, how to win or lose gracefully, how to overcome challenges and how to build resilience. Learning such skills will stand them in good stead during childhood — and right into adulthood.

Regular participation in sports also instils discipline and a sense of responsibility in children. They learn the importance of practice, punctuality, and following rules. Such understanding can positively impact both their academic and personal lives.

Sport is a great socialiser too. Through sport, they’ll get used to interacting with other children as well as coaches, teachers, or childcare professionals. Moreover, children not only make new and deeper friendships through sport, but also learn social skills before, during and after such play. These skills and benefits will stay with them for the long term and will help to enrich their lives in profound ways.

Children also benefit cognitively through participation in sport. Sports require strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving. They require children to learn to anticipate actions, make quick decisions, and adapt to changing situations. All such endeavours stimulate cognitive development in children and greatly enhance mental agility.

Taking that a step further, multiple studies suggest that regular physical activity improves concentration, memory, and even academic performance in children. It’s incredibly powerful when you think about it.

All in all, sport can play a crucial role in the holistic development of children. By enhancing physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills, participation in sport can contribute to their overall well-being and indeed success in life. Let’s therefore nurture our Clayton and Chorley children and make the most of the incredible opportunity that is sport.

Little Acorns – an Outstanding Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Entrust your early years childcare to an outstanding, award-winning provider

If you want the very best childcare nursery or preschool in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, you will find it in Little Acorns Nursery. We are officially an ‘Outstanding Provider’ as well as being the winner of an amazing National Nursery award. So, you know that your child will be in good hands under the care of our wonderful early years practitioners. We also support various Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families.

Contact us today to register your child for a nursery place, explore the possibility of doing so, or ask any questions:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Our nursery/preschool is located in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley, Central Lancashire. As such, it may also suit those in towns and villages nearby, for example, Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

15th February 2024/by Mark

Childcare, Childcare Funding, Chorley, Clayton-le-Woods, Disabilities, Early Years Education, Lancashire, Learning & Development, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-School, Pre-Schools, SEN, SEN & disability, SEND, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Special Needs

Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Today, we look at how early years childcare providers like Little Acorns Nursery can help children under five if they have special educational needs and disabilities. This is often referred to as ‘SEND’ or in longer forms like ‘SEN and disabilities’. Let’s explore the topic to get an overview of some of the help available.

Childcare Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Early years and childcare providers can support children under five in a variety of ways if they have special educational or developmental needs, and/or a disability. Indeed, helping affected children as early as possible in their lives is of paramount importance:

“Early identification of needs and the timely provision of appropriate support, together with high aspirations, can help ensure that the vast majority of children who have SEN or disabilities can achieve well and make a successful transition into adulthood.” (DfE)*

The specific strategies used will depend on the child’s individual needs and the resources available to any particular provider. That said, typical examples of ways that early years childcare providers — and others — can support children with special needs include the following:

Identifying Children with Special Needs

Actually identifying an area of special need or disability is, of course, the first, crucial step in being able to help a child. If an area of special need is suspected, early years providers can work with parents and sometimes other professionals, for example health visitors, speech and language therapists, paediatricians and so on. Involving such professionals will help with any diagnosis.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the presence of a special need may not be crystal clear in many cases, especially when children are very young. As an example, it would not be possible to diagnose dyslexia until a point when a child’s understanding of language is sufficiently developed to actually begin the process of reading text. However, the involvement of such external expertise may make the initial identification of a child’s special need or disability more feasible.

Following such a diagnosis, the various parties surrounding the child can then, together, develop a plan of how best to support that child during their early years and potentially beyond. For our part as a nursery and childcare provider, we will also ensure that we regularly review the support that an affected child receives, making adjustments and taking further actions etc. when appropriate.

Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Environment

This is important. Early years providers can create an inclusive environment that welcomes and supports children of all abilities. Encouraging the inclusion of children in social groups and in the making of friends, for example, is of huge benefit to children’s well-being. Childcare settings can also provide special equipment or adapt the environment to make it more accessible for children with specific physical needs.

Creating a positive and responsive culture is also crucial, so that children feel comfortable to express themselves, irrespective of any differences or abilities/disabilities that they may have.

Additional Support and Resources Through Funding

In some circumstances, childcare providers can access special funding in order to provide additional support and resources to children with special educational needs or disabilities. Examples include the hiring of additional staff to provide one-to-one support, providing extra resources to support learning, or offering additional activities to extend children’s experiences. Access to the specific funding will, though, require eligibility criteria to be met. Often, such funding applications may require a team effort between parents/carers, childcare settings and potentially other types of early years professional mentioned above.

Tailoring Learning & Development Plans & Activities to Meet Individual Needs

Early years providers like Little Acorns Nursery adapt the individual learning and development plans and activities to suit each child. In this way, they’re custom-designed to meet the needs of every child individually, including those with special needs. This is done as a matter of course as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach to early years education and development. The tailored approach helps to level-up the playing field and, in effect, encourage equal opportunities for each child. It also helps them to reach their own personal bests in every area of their learning and development.

Progress Checks

The EYFS approach means that our early years practitioners use a continuous assessment approach in regard to every child’s progress, whether or not they have special needs or any disabilities. However, for those affected by SEN or disabilities, such an approach is even more crucial.

Special education provision for children, including those with SEN or disabilities, follows four stages of action: “Assess, Plan, Do and Review.”

In tandem with this, all children receive a Progress Check at 2 and this will highlight whether progress is on track, additional support is appropriate and indeed whether there is a SEND-related issue. Either way, tailored activities and strategies will be planned and put in place to address any issues and help optimise every child’s progress.

Later, each child will similarly have an ‘EYFS profile’ completed during the final term of reception year. However, as we’re focusing this article on children under five, we’ll not go into detail about that here.

The SENCo

As well as having a ‘Key Person’ allocated to each child, early years providers like Little Acorns have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo oversees the setting’s tailored support for children, under their care, who have special educational needs or disabilities. Similarly, the local authority will have an Area SENCO. They will advise and help coordinate support for children with special needs between the local authority itself, the child’s parents, early years and education settings, health and social care services and so on. The Area SENCO will also help when the time comes to transition the under-five child to school.

Communicating with Parents and Other Professionals

Communication is key. Childcare providers like Little Acorns Nursery will communicate regularly with parents/carers and, when appropriate, local authorities, health visitors, paediatricians and other healthcare professionals. This is to ensure that everyone is aware of the child’s progress and any additional support that may be needed. Ensuring that all parties are pulling in the same direction is crucial to outcomes for each child, particularly if they have special needs and/or disabilities.

“When a child is very young, or SEN is first identified, families need to know that the great majority of children and young people with SEN or disabilities, with the right support, can find work, be supported to live independently, and participate in their community.” (DfE)*

EHC Assessments and Plans

In the event that a child does not make the expected progress despite everyone’s best efforts and high quality support, there is recourse to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment via the local authority. If such a request is made by a childcare setting, it would only be done with the knowledge of the child’s parent(s) and after discussion with them. Basically, such an assessment may result in a brand new plan to support the child, if that’s deemed appropriate. It’s a big topic in its own right, so we may follow up separately to explain more about EHCs in due course.

The ‘Local Offer’ from the Local Authority

It may be useful for parents and carers to note that local authorities have a duty to publish what’s known as a ‘Local Offer’. This outlines the help available in the area for children with SEND, including how to access that support.

A good example is the Local Offer published by our own local authority (Lancashire County Council), which can be found here. (Note that the early years childcare section of that particular Local Offer can be found here). A quick search there for SEND services will indeed reveal Little Acorns Nursery as an outstanding provider of childcare services, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Free Funded Childcare Places for Children with SEND

While all 3- and 4-year-olds in England have access to free childcare provision each week, 2-year-olds with SEND may also be eligible for a significant number of free childcare hours if they get a Disability Living Allowance (‘DLA’), have a valid Education, Health and Care (‘EHC’) plan or have been referred through the local authority’s Portage service. Follow the bold links or speak to us at Little Acorns Nursery if you are local to Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, and would like to learn more more about the options.

Outstanding Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Children get the very best start at Little Acorns Nursery. Little Acorns is an outstanding nursery and pre-school in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Central Lancashire (PR6). We are also close to Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village and Whittle-le-Woods. Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham, so may suit those living/working in any of those nearby locations. Trust your child’s early years education and childcare to an award-winning nursery/pre-school and a nursery recognised by Ofsted as an Outstanding Provider —

To register your child for a place at Little Acorns Nursery, to ask a question or to see the nursery in action, please contact us:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

^{* Quotation references: DfE, ‘Early Years: Guide to the 0 to 25 SEND Code of Practice’}

15th January 2023/by Mark

Active Play, Activities for Children, Childcare, Chorley, Clayton-le-Woods, Halloween, Lancashire, Learning & Development, Nurseries, Nursery, Parenting, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

Halloween for Under-5s

October sees one of the year’s biggest traditions in the form of Halloween, which arrives on the 31st. Halloween, which is short, in effect, for “All Hallows’ Eve”, has it’s historical roots in Christian and, many believe, Celtic, Gaelic and Pagan festivals. Broadly speaking, these festivals were events to remember the dead, including saints (a.k.a. “hallows”). However, for virtually all children these days, it’s simply a traditional time for some themed fun. And what fun it can be! Today we’ll therefore take a look at the activities and opportunities that Halloween has for little ones at this time of year.

Halloween Activities for Children

Today, in the modern day, there are many non-religious Halloween activities that children can enjoy in late October and they can be enormous fun and a time of great excitement for children. For really little ones, however, a balance will need to be struck so that things are entertainingly ‘scary’, but only in a fun way. We do not want to give them nightmares and therefore care will be needed to get the balance just right. Getting them involved in preparing the activities will help.

Halloween Costumes — Dressing Up Fun!

Children, adults and even pets can dress up in spooky outfits to look like witches, ghosts, ghouls, skeletons or any one of the many horror figures they’re familiar with from films. Children will absolutely love getting involved in this activity, particularly when they get together with friends. Dressing up is a fantastic activity for all age groups. Shop-bought costumes are easily available but it doesn’t have to be an expensive activity. Home-made costumes are also completely viable, for example:

A plain white sheet with holes cut in it for eyes makes a brilliant ghost outfit.
An orange t-shirt can be painted by the child or supervising adult to resemble a pumpkin outfit.
A favourite Halloween lookalike is Elliot, the young boy from ET. This look can be copied easily with a hoodie and a doll or teddy wrapped in a blanket, especially if your child is old enough to have a bike or tricycle with a basket on the front.
Edward Scissor Hands is another favourite. Try taping teaspoons or kitchen foil to your little one’s fingers to simulate Edward’s hands — but only if they’re old enough to be able to control movements so they don’t hurt themselves or others.
A spider costume can be made with several pairs of black tights that have had the legs stuffed, then attached to a black t-shirt. This makes a brilliant spider outfit!
With suitable black clothing and a pointy hat made easily with black card and some concealed tape, a witch’s outfit is also pretty straight forward. For extra effect, adults can make clothing look ragged by multiple cuts along clothing edges using sharp scissors (not to be attempted by little ones) and with the addition of a home-made witch’s broom.
And, of course, outfits for characters from Harry Potter and Ghostbusters give families plenty of scope to find something fairly easy to achieve, without breaking the bank.

Dressing up is a great opportunity for both children and adults to use their imaginations and really have fun!

Halloween Parties

Why not arrange a Halloween party for children, so they can all congregate in a supervised, safe space (inside or out) that’s been decked out with fake spiders, cobwebs, Halloween pumpkins and some spooky lighting. Here, they can show off their outfits, socialise and play Halloween-themed games.

Cotton wool can be stretched to simulate cobwebs and plastic spiders are easily obtainable online or in shops. Some of the toy spiders look very realistic!

Halloween Food for Kids

Parents and children can prepare for such parties, or when staying at home for the evening, with a range of Halloween-themed party food. This is also great fun and may even encourage little ones to eat foods they may not normally try (as appropriate for their age, of course). Try baking plain biscuits in Halloween themed shapes. Some can be made to look like pumpkins, bats and ghosts, for example, with suitable icing. Use whichever recipe is your favourite for the actual biscuits. Children will love the theming, which will make the food fun!

If hollowing out pumpkins suitable for eating, perhaps Mum or Dad can use the flesh to make pumpkin soup, which can be served to family and friends along with some hot crusty bread, perhaps. Small orange bell peppers are even easier to hollow out (by a supervising adult) so they have a face, just like mini Halloween pumpkins. These are also small enough to fill with some hummus for dipping and of course may be eaten entirely, with no wastage. Even their seeds can be retained to grow into new pepper plants next year.

Pumpkin Carving & Decorating

Carved pumpkins are, of course, a great tradition for Halloween and one that children will love. For the safety of little ones, though, parents/adults will need to do the carving. Children can get involved in emptying out the pumpkin flesh and perhaps saving seeds, which they can later grow into new pumpkin plants for next year. They can also get involved in decorating outside of the carved pumpkins with paint or Sharpie pens. Red or green food dye can also be used to paint the inside. A good hand wash will be needed after all of this. A lit candle (or an LED equivalent) can be placed inside by the adult and this will shine through and illuminate the design or face. Then the finished pumpkin can be placed somewhere safe — where little ones cannot endanger themselves if a real flame is used — for example out in the garden or on the front drive.

Pumpkins can be purchased from supermarkets during October, or from local farm shops and suchlike. However, there’s a more fun way of obtaining them…

Pumpkin Picking Locally

This is another fun activity for children of all ages. Many farms offer pumpkin patches where children and families can enjoy the natural environment and get to see hundreds of pumpkins, squashes, gourds and Halloween-themed areas that many farms lay on each October. Children will love picking their own pumpkin or sitting amongst pumpkins for a great photo opportunity for the family album. In the Clayton/Chorley area, several farms currently have such pumpkin activities that are open to the public:

Paul’s Farm Pumpkin Patch in Leyland is only about 4 miles away from our Clayton-le-Woods nursery. It’s at 382 Dunkirk Lane, Leyland PR26 7SY and will be open to the public on 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th October 2022, from 10am-4pm. Telephone 07973 218 108 or visit their website for further details.
Another pumpkin farm that’s open to families is also in Leyland, again less than 4 miles away from Clayton, at Moss Lane, Farington Moss, Leyland PR26 6QD. To pick your own pumpkin there (weekends only in October), call 07701 082 482 or get more information and directions here.
Pumpkin Alley is at Downholland, just West of Ormskirk, only 30 minutes or so away from Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods. They’re in Delf Lane, Ormskirk, L39 7JJ and are open all week during October. Telephone 07791 707 038 or visit their website for up-to-date information.
Another pumpkin farm is Holmeswood Pumpkin Place off Holmeswood Road, Holmeswood, near Rufford, L40 1UA, which is less than 13 miles from Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton. Call 07823 329 410 or 01772 815 491 or click here for more information about opening times etc.

Please check opening times etc. before setting out as details may have changed since these details were published (correct at 13 Oct 2022).

Trick or Treating

Trick or treating is the Halloween tradition of knocking on neighbours’ doors, shouting “trick or treat?” and hoping that some sweets or similar will be handed over to children by kindly neighbours. That would be the ‘treat’ element. The ‘trick’ element is more rarely used today, especially with the younger children. However, it still occasionally involves funny tricks being played on those neighbours who didn’t offer sweets. This ‘trick’ element is to be used only with particularly friendly households, though, and perhaps only with those that have been forewarned by the parents involved. If not handled with care, it can backfire and cause terribly bad feeling or even be thought of as antisocial behaviour. For that reason, forewarning neighbourhoods about any group trick or treat sessions is wise, including agreeing a way for them to opt out if they prefer.

We hope this article gives parents and carers or guardians some ideas for Halloween on 31st October, particularly as some preparation may be required. Please remember, though … safety first at all times.

Safety first, at all times.

An Outstanding, Award-Winning Nursery/Pre-School in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

In the mean time, if you are looking for the best nurseries or pre-schools in Clayton-le-Woods, Clayton Green, Clayton Brook, Chorley, or Central Lancashire, then do take a look at Little Acorns Nursery. Ofsted has graded it an outstanding nursery and it also won an incredible National Award for best Individual Nursery. Childcare simply does not get any better than this. To register for a nursery place or to request a guided visit, please use the contact buttons below. We are also happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

16th October 2022/by Mark

Childcare, Childcare Funding, Chorley, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

Are You Due £2,000 in Help for Childcare? Rough Guide to Tax-Free Childcare

Each year, around 1 million families miss out on thousands of pounds in free childcare funding — despite being eligible through the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme. Are you one of them?

In today’s guide, we take a look at Tax-Free Childcare, which could effectively contribute anywhere from £2,000 to £4,000 per child, per year, towards childcare costs for eligible families. Those are significant sums, which could really help families, especially with the rising cost of living. The funding is there for for the taking if you’re eligible So, don’t miss out!

Let’s take a look.

What is Tax-Free Childcare?

In effect, the Tax-Free Childcare scheme subsidises childcare costs by utilising the tax that eligible families would ordinarily have pre-paid on the taxed income they use to pay for childcare. Specifically, the Government will add an extra £2 for every £8 that eligible families pay into a special account used childcare costs — even more if the child has disabilities. We’ll explain more about the childcare account later, but the good news is that you can get as much as £2,000 per child per annum if you’re eligible, or up to twice that if your child has disabilities. That’s a lot of money!

Who is Eligible for Tax-Free Childcare?

Families, including single parent families, are usually eligible for tax-free childcare scheme if they meet the following criteria:

The claimants are working (employed or self-employed) in the UK;
They each earn under £100,000 per annum;
They each earn at least £152 per week, which is £1,976 over the next 3 months (the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage at time of writing);
They are not in receipt of childcare vouchers (which are closed to new applicants anyway), Universal Credit, Tax Credits or a childcare bursary/grant;
Parents/carers/guardians are over 16;
Children for whom they are claiming tax-free childcare is/are no older than 11 years of age or, if they have disabilities, no older than 16;
They should usually be living with the parent/carer/guardian(s) making the claim.

The above list represents the key rules governing eligibility for most families. However, there are some additional rules around eligibility — and some welcome exceptions to the above. Immigration and citizenship status may affect eligibility, for example, and some who are not working may still be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare under certain circumstances. Learn about eligibility rules for Tax-Free Childcare in more detail here.

Many will also be pleased to learn that families can also claim for the 30 Hours of free childcare scheme for 3 and 4-year-olds if they’re also eligible for that.

Which Providers Can Provide Childcare Under the Scheme?

The Tax-Free Childcare contribution from the Government can only be used to pay for childcare provided by approved childcare providers that have signed up to the scheme. Such providers must be registered with either the Early Years Register, the Childcare Register or Ofsted in order to be approved. However, they can be nurseries, childminders, nannies, play schemes or even after school clubs. Little Acorns Nursery is, of course, such an approved childcare provider and would be happy to assist families to make the most of this very useful, free childcare funding opportunity.

How to Apply for Tax-Free Childcare

If you think you are eligible, you can apply for Tax-Free Childcare here. Applications usually take only twenty minutes or so and you will need:

Your Government Gateway User ID (or set one up if you don’t yet have one);
An email address and mobile phone at the ready;
Your own National Insurance number and that of your partner if you have one;
Your Unique Taxpayer Reference number (UTR) if self-employed;
One or more of the following (for you and your partner, if you have one): UK passport, P60, recent pay slip if you are working, Tax Credits confirmation from HMRC.

The application for Tax-Free Childcare will usually confirm right away whether you are eligible for tax-free childcare. It will also confirm if you’re eligible for 30 hours of free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds, which is an added bonus.

How is it Paid?

A successful application results in the generation of a Childcare Account, held jointly by you and your partner if you have one. You will then need to credit your account with your own payments for childcare provision and the Government will top this up with their contributions, equivalent to 20% of childcare costs worth up to £2,000 per annum (paid as £500 max. per quarter) or £4,000 (paid as £1,000 max. per quarter) if your child has disabilities. Paying your contributions specifically by Bank Transfer will apparently speed up payment of the Government contributions, by the way.

Once funds are showing as available, your childcare provider can be paid for childcare services direct from your childcare account, as either one-off, or regular payments. It cannot be used to pay for anything else and you’ll be required to confirm that your details are still up-to-date each quarter (a reminder will be sent when this is required).

Good luck and do let us know if you need any help or advice in regard to your application.

Little Acorns: the Best Nursery & Pre-School in Clayton, Chorley & Central Lancashire

Our amazing National nursery award and outstanding Ofsted rating prove that we are probably the best nursery and pre-school for babies and under-fives in Clayton-le-Woods, Clayton Green, Clayton Brook, Chorley, Central Lancashire and even beyond. Give your baby, toddler or under-five child the best start in life by choosing the exceptional childcare service from Little Acorns Nursery. For more information or to register for a nursery place, please get in touch. Choose a button below to get started …

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

13th July 2022/by Mark

Awards, Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Forest School, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Ofsted Report, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

20 Reasons to Choose Little Acorns Nursery for Your Childcare

If you are looking for the very best childcare provision for your child in Central Lancashire, there are a multitude of reasons why you should choose Little Acorns Nursery. Put simply, Little Acorns offers the very best possible childcare service for under-fives — but you don’t need to take our word for it. This is independently verified, as you’ll see below. Take a look at our top 20 reasons to choose Little Acorns Nursery and you’ll soon see why it’s virtually impossible to beat when it comes to outstanding childcare provision.

1. Winner of THE Top National Nursery Award

We’re award-winning — and not just any award. Out of all the nurseries in the UK, Little Acorns won the award for the best Independent Nursery in the National NMT Nursery Awards. That says it all, really, and such a unique award recognises our passion, professionalism and the unparalleled quality of childcare provision.

2. We’re Officially an Outstanding Childcare Provider

We’re an outstanding nursery. That’s official too. Ofsted, who inspect and grade childcare providers across the UK, rate us as an Outstanding Provider of childcare in every category. There is simply no higher rating.

3. Outstanding Leadership & Management

The effectiveness of our nursery’s leadership and management is also outstanding and, again, Ofsted independently verify this.

4. Outstanding Teaching, Learning & Assessment

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment at the nursery was also found to be simply outstanding when Ofsted appraised us. It doesn’t get any better than that.

5. Outstanding Personal Development, Behaviour & Welfare

Ofsted also found the quality of personal development, behaviour and welfare to be outstanding at the nursery, so you know your child is in the best place if they go to Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley.

6. Outstanding Outcomes for Our Children

What’s even more important about Little Acorns Nursery is that Ofsted found children’s outcomes to be outstanding if they attend the nursery. An outstanding outcome for your child is simply priceless.

7. Exceptional Feedback from Parents

Parents give us exceptionally good feedback about the nursery/pre-school. Take a look at the lovely comments in the ‘Parent Feedback’ sections near the bottom of the Home page, About Us page and Parent’s Information page on the website. As you’ll see there, parents regularly endorse the nursery/pre-school, commenting on the professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm of staff and their approach to learning and development. They’ll often comment on how well their child has settled in, that their child is flourishing, and how the nursery is like a family that supports their family. The bespoke daily feedback provided to parents, whether via the app, face-to-face or via phone or email, is also extremely highly regarded.

8. Healthy Eating Award

Little Acorns Nursery has received a number of awards for it’s healthy eating policy. These include a Recipe 4 Health Award and accreditation via the Smiling For Life Award. Each recognises the healthy meals and snacks that we provide to children under our care.

9. Healthy Food & Drink are Included in Our Pricing

Healthy meals and snacks are prepared in-house and are included in our pricing. We use fresh, high quality ingredients and cater for all dietary requirements, including any allergies.

10. Five Star Food Hygiene Rating

It almost goes without saying that, of course, Little Acorns Nursery has a 5-star food hygiene rating. Once again, that’s the topmost rating. Quality and professionalism are, after all, at the heart of everything we do.

11. We Support Government Schemes for Free Childcare

We support free childcare Government schemes. So, eligible 2-year-olds can receive 15 free hours of childcare each week over the course (usually) of 38 weeks at the nursery, while 3 and 4-year-olds can receive up to 30 hours per week — totally free. Learn more about free childcare hours for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds here.

12. We Accept Childcare Vouchers

We also accept recognised childcare vouchers (subject to eligibility/validity), which are another great way for parents to save on childcare costs.

13. A Purpose Behind Everything We Do at the Nursery

Everything we do at the nursery has a purpose, whether it’s a customised approach to learning for a specific child, the choice of a particular activity or game for another, the purchase of a piece of new equipment, or the way we keep parents informed about their child’s progress each day — there is a reason for everything we do. Ultimately, our goal is to give every child the very best start in life and to equip them to achieve their personal best in every area. In this way, they are given the tools to achieve the very best outcomes in their lives.

14. A Nurturing Environment Where Children Thrive

As our ethos at the nursery says, “at Little Acorns we provide an environment that offers a calm and nurturing place where children thrive and become Explorers, Discoverers, Learners and Innovators.” In short, by nurturing and inspiring children, we bring out the best in them, ensure they feel happy, safe and valued and help them to absolutely thrive.

15. A Learning & Development Programme Tailored to Every Child

Every child is unique and each will have particular strengths and perhaps some weaker areas of ability. There is therefore no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and development. For this reason, the learning and development programme is specifically tailored for each individual child. In this way, each child can flourish and achieve personal bests in every area.

16. Support Every Day in All 7 Areas of the EYFS

Every day, each child is supported in all 7 areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This is the critically-important learning and development framework set out by the UK Government that, when followed, will also help children to thrive, be safe, feel valued and a whole lot more. Learn more about the EYFS here.

17. We Prepare Children for the Transition to School

We prepare every child for their eventual move to school. Preparedness for school is of huge importance if they’re to hit the ground running when they start in Reception year at the age of 5 and progress onwards. Everything we do at our nursery/pre-school allows them to be several steps ahead and absolutely thrive during the transition to school and beyond.

18. Forest School Allows Children to Benefit from Nature

Our Forest School should be open from Autumn 2022. Children love Forest School and it teaches them so much about nature, the natural world and ultimately about themselves. Learn more about Forest School and it’s benefits here and you will soon see why it’s best to choose a childcare setting that incorporates Forest School into its curriculum and learning/development programme.

19. A Truly Special Team of Early Years Practitioners

Our team is a very, very special one indeed. Each member of the team fully understands the responsibility and importance that they play in the education of children under our care. Setting up optimised foundations for each individual child will help them to be as successful as possible in all their future endeavours. Our efforts in this regard have earned the setting some incredible awards and an unbeatable Ofsted rating as you’ll have seen above. Our passionate team of practitioners and the childcare they provide at Little Acorns Nursery is incredibly effective and is simply unsurpassed in Central Lancashire.

20. An Open Door — for You

If you’d like to see the nursery for yourself, we’d welcome your visit. We have an ‘open door’ policy, meaning that we welcome you, as a parent or children’s guardian, to come along, whenever you like, to see the nursery in action. There’s nothing quite like seeing a childcare setting working, in the flesh, in order to gauge its quality for yourself. Come and take a look, or book a specific time and date for a tour below.

Little Acorns Nursery, Chorley — The Best Nursery & Pre-School in Central Lancashire

With it’s incredible awards, outstanding Ofsted rating and unrivalled team and methodology, Little Acorns Nursery is arguably unbeatable in the entire Central Lancashire region. If you’re looking for the best nursery and pre-school for your child in the Clayton-le-Woods, Clayton Green, Clayton Brook, Chorley or Central Lancashire region, please get in touch. Choose a button below to get started …

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

13th June 2022/by Mark

Active Play, Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Education, Forest School, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

Why Nature is So Important to Children

Today we’ll look at the immense benefits of nature to children. While the long-term benefits of nature are reasonably well-known, it turns out short-term exposure to the natural environment also has¹ clear benefits for people of any age. The benefits are even more beneficial, though, for young people during their early years, at school and in higher education.

The greatest benefits come when children and young adults are able to spend time actually in the outdoors, surrounded by natural things like trees, flowers, grass and wildlife. Even a short break spent in such an environment will help to restore attention, cognitive function and mental resilience — and this is backed up by many studies. Incredibly, some³ have demonstrated that there are cognitive and performance benefits even when there is just a view of the natural environment, for example sight of green grass and trees through an open window in the classroom. That’s remarkable when you think about it.

The Benefits of Nature to Children

One of the wonderful things about nature is that immersing oneself in it need not cost a penny. With so many proven benefits, it just goes to show that the old adage that ‘the best things in life are free’ really is true when it comes to nature. Exposure to the natural environment and green surroundings has been shown to have clear benefits …

Attention Restoration

Nature is a great healer; time spent in the natural environment helps to counteract the depletion of mental resources, particularly after periods of perhaps intense mental work, for example following a series of lessons or tasks. The fascinating quality of nature is also key to this as it requires a kind of ‘softer’ attention, with the brain working on an almost involuntary basis. This is part of what’s known as Attention Restoration Theory (‘ART’). It is thought to work in such a way as to allow cognitive function to recover more easily while fascinating beautiful, natural things are being observed, without the need for a heavy voluntary effort on the part of the onlooker.

The benefits of restored attention skills in themselves should not, of course, be overlooked. Interestingly, research⁶ involving cognitive tests on school children found that children who had undergone the tests after walking in a natural wooded environment were quicker to answer – and significantly more accurate in their answers – than those who had instead practised mindfulness in the classroom or who had spent time in the school playground during the break.

Stress Reduction

Exposure to, or immersion in nature is also proven to reduce stress, which may otherwise manifest itself emotionally as anxiety, anger, sadness and also fatigue as our bodies and minds try to fight whatever is threatening our wellbeing. Research into this has led to Stress Reduction Theory (‘SRT’), which has shown that, indeed, nature helps us to recover from stress, even causing a physical reduction in stress hormones and blood pressure. It also helps the body to ‘refuel’ the energy depleted during the period of stress. Research findings even went on to suggest⁵ that the psychological wellbeing of students increased when their school grounds were simply made ‘greener’, i.e. more natural.

Both theories prove that even short-term exposure to nature will help restore attention and cognitive function if depleted through prior activities. This has profound implications for possible use in education settings. As such, exposure to nature, even for short periods, is a wonderful and natural way for children to “recharge their batteries”.

Almost Endless Benefits to Children

As well as improving attention, cognitive function and mental resilience, there are many additional benefits of nature to children:

Improved wellbeing through reduced anxiety, psychophysiological stress⁴ and negative emotions;
Improved academic performance, including in core subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic;
Better engagement during lessons;
Improved fitness through outdoor play and movement;
Stimulation of imaginations, leading to increased creativity;
Deeper, more profound thinking and analysis;
Improved self-confidence,
Increased freedom leading to greater independence;
Greater empathy e.g. taking more care of other living things, plants, etc.;
A greater understanding of risk and risk assessment;
Exposure to the huge variety of sensory opportunities the natural world provides;
An often greater understanding of living a healthy lifestyle — and even a greener one;
Deeper understanding around keeping things in perspective (what’s truly important and what’s not);
Better sleep;
Better social skills and the building of friendships through shared adventures and discovery;
A profound appreciation for the Great Outdoors and everything that it has to offer.

Incredibly, one U.S. study² even found evidence for improved earnings potential in later life, equating to a lifetime gain of nearly $30,000, when children grow up in areas with greater natural surroundings.

Forest School is So Important

Just imagine, then, how much children benefit from nature when attending a Forest School setting such as that available at Little Acorns Nursery, Chorley. At Forest School, little ones will spend significant time in local green and wooded spaces, so these findings show just how important Forest School is for youngsters. Why send your child to an ordinary nursery, then, when you can send them to a nursery with a Forest School!

At Forest School, children are able to explore and discover in local natural spaces including woodland and other natural habitats. Not only do they discover and learn about the world and all the wonderful living things in it, but Forest School also teaches them about themselves. Forest School is about so much more than a way to teach children about plants, trees, insects, animals, the seasons and so on. With the freedom to make choices about outdoor activities in a more natural way, children build on their social skills, learn about teamwork, leadership, critical thinking and risk assessment as well as honing physical abilities like coordination and motor skills. And, as the research shows, it helps children to excel in other, seemingly unrelated, areas. Forest School represents the opportunity for enormous discovery in every sense of the word.

As well as all that, at Forest School, children are having immense fun! They’re playing and learning while developing physically and mentally — all at the same time. And, as the research shows, exposure to nature is incredibly good for them, even helping them to perform better once they return to the indoor environment.

If you’d like to learn more about Forest School, try our Ultimate Guide to Forest School here. You can also learn more about our own particular Forest School in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, here. Our nursery and pre-school is located in Clayton-le-Woods, near Clayton Green, Clayton Brook and Chorley. If you’re looking for outstanding childcare for your baby or under-five, we look forward to hearing from you …

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

^{Citations — 1: Mason, L., Ronconi, A., Scrimin, S. et al. Short-Term Exposure to Nature and Benefits for Students’ Cognitive Performance: a Review. Educ Psychol Rev (2021). |}^{2: Browning & Rigolon (2019). |}^{3: Matsuoka (2010), Benfield et al. (2015), Sajady et al. (2020). |}^{4: Ulrich et al. (1991). |}^{5: Kelz et al. (2015). |}^{6: Cornoldi et al. (1996).}

12th November 2021/by Mark

Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Forest School, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

New Pre-School Build Nears Completion

The nursery owners and staff are very excited to show you the new pre-school build, which is making great progress. Take a look at the photographs to see just how good it’s beginning to look, especially now that the high quality timber cladding is almost complete. This is going to be such a lovely new space for the children play and learn in.

A New Home for Our Pre-School & Forest School

The new build is going to be used as our pre-school area and also as our Forest School unit. So, a lovely timber finish is rather apt when you think about it. Our children will also find its attractive design and finish very appealing and much more exciting than a standard, brick-built unit. The building even has its own kitchen area and toilet facilities, so will be very self-contained. However, it has lots of large windows and doors to let the natural light in and will allow easy, free-flowing access for outdoor play when appropriate.

Being a modular, timber-framed construction means this new pre-school build has been far faster to build than a traditional approach. That, together with the fact that most of it was pre-fabricated in modules off-site, means that there has been minimal disruption, noise or safety concerns during construction. Indeed, we’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the team at Smart Modular who have done such a wonderful job so far. We love it and can’t wait to see how the inside looks when it’s finished.

One of the UK’s Most Outstanding Nurseries & Forest Schools (Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley)

At Little Acorns, we cater to children’s abilities. Our high quality staff focus on those rather than what’s expected for their particular age. With a dedicated learning and development plan customised to the abilities and strengths of each individual child, they’re able to become the very best version of themselves during their time with Little Acorns. With the arrival of the new pre-school building, they’ll be even more likely to achieve personal bests in each area. And they’ll be even more ‘school ready’ by the time they complete their time with us, to move smoothly on to reception year at school.

As the outright winner of a major National nursery award and with a glowing Ofsted report that confirms that our childcare provision is as good as it gets, Little Acorns Nursery is clearly one of the UK’s most outstanding nurseries. The nursery is based in Clayton-le-Woods, near Clayton Green, Clayton Brook and Chorley and the new pre-school building will soon allow room for some additional nursery places for under-fives. That’s great news for Chorley and Central Lancashire parents who want the very best start for their children and who also like the idea of their child benefiting from a Forest School setting. If our unrivalled quality of childcare sounds appealing, please get in touch as soon as possible to avoid possible disappointment:

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

12th September 2021/by Mark

Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-School

Days Out Near Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Little Acorns Nursery School is located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. This is a wonderful location with great amenities, attractions, outdoor spaces and leisure facilities all within a short distance. In today’s guide, we explore some of the more interesting places that local families can visit nearby, perhaps for a day out. There are some great ideas below and every one of them receives top reviews from previous visitors:

Cuerden Valley Park

Right alongside Clayton is the lovely Cuerden Valley Park, an award-winning natural open space. Just over a mile away from the nursery, it covers 650 acres. Its wonderful beauty includes parkland, farmland, natural open spaces, flower meadows, lakes, woodlands, the River Lostock, a huge variety of wildlife and even orienteering trails. The park also boasts its own modern visitor centre with a lovely café offering indoor and outdoor seating with hot and cold food and refreshments. Cuerden Valley Park is well worth a visit!

Kem Mill Ruins

Just 1.4 miles to the South of Clayton and our nursery, also along the edge of River Lostock, are the ruins of Kem Mill. These are just North of Whittle-le-Woods. These are well worth a visit if you like walking in the natural world, enjoy local history or are a dog-walker. The old mill’s footprints are still clearly visible and the history of it can be learned via information signs.

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum is another high quality place to visit if you live near Clayton-le-Woods or the Chorley area. It’s located just 2.3 miles from Little Acorns Nursery over at Leyland. As one recent visitor explained in a review, it’s a “fascinating museum with lots of informative display material and immaculately maintained vehicles.” These include early fire engines and vintage commercial vehicles, buses, lorries and suchlike. There are interactive displays and games, including an area for younger children and helpful, knowledgeable staff. The museum has a nice little gift shop and also a café. It gets great reviews, so is well worth a visit.

Worden Park

Worden Park is 3.4 miles west of our nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, in the southern outskirts of Leyland. It’s an attractive, natural, parkland space and includes bluebell woods, huge grassy areas and a wonderful children’s play area that features its own sensory area, zip lines, swings, climbing frames, slides and more. It’s a great park where children can enjoy the outdoors, ride bikes, play football and burn off energy. There’s a maze, a miniature railway, a walled garden and a crazy golf area. With lovely woods and streams too, it’s perfect for family outings, picnics and dog walks.

South Ribble Museum & Exhibition Centre

The South Ribble Museum & Exhibition Centre is another popular destination that also scores well in reviews. Located 2.8 miles from the nursery in Leyland, near Worden Park, and just a stone’s throw from Clayton-le-Woods, it’s housed in a restored, timber-framed, Tudor school house. It’s home to all manner of local historical information including photographs, graphics and and even Viking coins. Hopefully this will soon be open again, with monthly exhibitions reinstated, following temporary closure during the lock-down. Entry is free or by voluntary donation.

Turbary Woods Owl & Bird of Prey Sanctuary

Turbary Woods Owl & Bird of Prey Sanctuary is 5 miles from the nursery, just north west of Clayton at Whitestake, Lostock Hall, near Preston. It is another excellent local attraction as well as being a great cause. Sheltered in a woodland setting, nearly 100 birds of prey live at this sanctuary and rehabilitation centre at any one time. Species include owls, falcons, hawks, eagles and even vultures, amongst others. The centre is a non-profit enterprise and is run by volunteers. It is open all year to the public, with flying displays (weather permitting) on most days at 12:30pm. As with all of the hand-picked places featured in this article, the sanctuary scores ‘excellent’ in visitor reviews.

Pike Stones

For those who are looking for the most ancient local history, Pike Stones is a Neolithic burial cairn located on Anglezarke Moor, Chorley, just 7 miles south east of Clayton-le-Woods. It’s the oldest man-made structure in the area and one of only two chambered burial tombs in the whole of Lancashire. Visitors can still see the five upright gritstone slabs which originally formed the burial chamber.

Excellent Transport Links

Transport links are fantastic for getting to and from the Clayton area. The A6 an M61 run North/South just a stone’s throw to the East, the M6 runs similarly to the West and the M65 runs East/West just to the North of Clayton-le-Woods. So, Clayton sits right in the middle of these major routes, making it incredibly easy to get to, from and around. Several train stations are also within just a couple of miles or so (Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Lostock Hall and Buckshaw Parkway stations).

An Outstanding, Award-Winning Clayton Nursery

Little Acorns is an award-winning daycare nursery for babies and under-fives in Clayton-le-Woods, very close to Clayton Green and Clayton Brook, Chorley. It’s also graded as An Outstanding Nursery by Ofsted and even has its own Forest School. Nurseries and pre-schools simply don’t get any better than Little Acorns Nursery so, if you’d like your baby, toddler or under-five child to attend the best nursery and pre-school in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley and Central Lancashire, please get in touch to register your interest — while nursery places are still available. Please choose an option below:

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

15th June 2021/by Mark

Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Education, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Ofsted Report, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

Ofsted Report: “Outstanding Childcare Provision” from Little Acorns Nursery

Last month we reported on Little Acorns Nursery winning best ‘Individual Nursery’ award at the National NMT Nursery Awards. When you consider that the nursery was selected from all the other possible nurseries from across the entire UK, that’s an incredible feat! It should now come as no surprise, then, to learn that Ofsted’s most recent report also scored the nursery as ‘Outstanding‘ — in every category.

In this post, we’ll go through Ofsted’s report to see what they said about the nursery and why they were so impressed during their inspection.

The Ofsted Report Concludes that Little Acorns Nursery Provides …

Outstanding quality and standards of the early years provision.
Outstanding effectiveness of leadership and management. (Learn more here).
Outstanding quality of teaching, learning and assessment. (Learn more here).
Outstanding personal development, behaviour and welfare. (Learn more here).
Outstanding outcomes for children. (Learn more here).

So, “Outstanding” — right across the board! Click the report image to download/view it in full (Acrobat PDF format) or read the highlights below.

We’ll cover each of those areas in more detail below. First, though, we’ll highlight some general comments received in the Ofsted Report. Every one of them is extremely positive; indeed Ofsted had literally nothing negative to say about this outstanding Chorley nursery anywhere in their report …

Continuous Improvement “to the Highest Possible Levels”

In the Ofsted Report, the inspector recognised the culture of continuous improvement at the nursery, saying:

“Managers are highly reflective and extremely passionate about continually raising the quality of service to the highest possible levels. Together with their dedicated staff team, they conscientiously evaluate all aspects of the provision to identify and consistently make sharply targeted improvements.”

“Exceptionally Effective Observation & Assessment” of Children

The Ofsted Report also highlighted how exceptional the staff are in their approach to children’s learning, saying:

“Staff complete exceptionally effective observation and assessment methods that focus on children’s individual needs and all aspects of their learning. They know precisely the progress and attainment of every child, meaning any small gap or delay in children’s learning is swiftly recognised and addressed.”

On Preparing Children for School …

In regard for the nursery’s expertise in preparing children well for school, the Inspector’s report said:

“Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve and teach with passion, energy and purpose. They help them to make excellent progress in their learning, including being well prepared for school.”

At Little Acorns, literally everything we do has a purpose behind it, so it’s great to see this recognised by Ofsted.

“Rich & Well-Resourced Learning Environments”

Ofsted also recognised the outstanding learning environment at Little Acorns, commenting:

“Staff are extremely successful in creating rich and well-resourced learning environments, both indoors and outside. Children confidently choose from the highly stimulating resources set out in a very relaxed and homely atmosphere. They have plenty of opportunities to explore and investigate indoors and outside, and their creativity is supported exceptionally well.”

Learn more about our learning environment, resources and activities here.

“Superb” Behaviour

The Ofsted Inspection also highlighted the incredible behaviour, care and consideration demonstrated by the children. They reported:

“Children’s behaviour is superb. They show exceptional care and concern to their friends, the resources and the environment. For example, they alert their friends of their presence when using wheeled toys, so they do not crash into each other.”

This is wonderful feedback and shows that we teach children good manners, encourage exceptional behaviour along with respect and consideration for others – and for the world around them.

“Exceptionally Strong” Parent-Teacher Relationships

Another critically important element of successful learning and development is the relationship between parents and the setting. In regard to this, Ofsted were incredibly impressed, saying:

“Relationships with parents and other professionals are exceptionally strong. Parents feel valued by the staff in supporting their children’s learning. The highly effective communication systems ensure that parents are fully aware of their children’s experiences and how to continue this support while at home.”

In due course we will cover more detail about why parent support for children’s learning and development is so crucial — and impactful — whilst children are at home. That is a huge topic, which will merit its own, separate, post in due course, so watch this space.

We’ll now take a closer look at the more specific areas of the Ofsted report for Little Acorns Nursery.

Outstanding Effectiveness of Leadership & Management

The Ofsted Inspector was evidently extremely impressed with quality of leadership and management at the nursery:

“The managers are highly experienced and qualified leaders. They offer staff targeted support and training to expand further their knowledge of high-quality early years practice.”

They continued: “For example, following training, staff redesigned the environment to successfully enable children to develop their own ideas, inspire their curiosity and imagination and explore the world. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are extremely well trained in child protection issues and are highly confident about what to do should they have any concerns about any child in their care. Managers follow rigorous procedures to ensure staff’s suitability. They thoroughly evaluate every aspect of the provision to continuously improve outcomes for children. Action plans show targeted improvements, such as continuing to nurture children’s love of outdoor adventure, sensory play and unique experiences in the natural environment.”

Outstanding Quality of Teaching, Learning & Assessment

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment at the nursery was also strongly praised by Ofsted. As part of this, their report recognised how well the approach to continual assessment works at the nursery and how the planning of tasks and learning activities is tailored to each individual child. They highlighted the following:

“Well-qualified and experienced staff carry out regular assessments of children’s learning and development. This provides them with an exceptionally clear understanding of children’s interests and their next steps in learning.”

They went on to explain this in more detail: “Children’s interests and areas of development are consistently used to plan the environment and activities. For example, in the baby room, there is a strong focus on enhancing speaking skills and in the toddler room staff focus on mathematical learning. Staff nurture children’s imagination, creativity and curiosity while handling and exploring natural and real-life objects. Staff nurture children’s enjoyment of books while reading stories aloud with them and they sing nursery songs using props. Staff enable children to take the lead in their play, to ‘have a go’, interact and build on their strong desire to learn. For example, children confidently name colours, enjoy counting objects and recognise numerals they find submerged in water.”

Outstanding Personal Development, Behaviour & Welfare

The Ofsted Inspector also praised how well staff approach the personal development, behaviour and welfare of babies and children at the nursery. Importantly, they also recognised how this approach positively benefits those children:

“Staff constantly praise children’s achievements. This contributes to the high level of confidence and independence children display.”

The Ofsted Inspector further explained: “They learn to listen to others and join in routine activities, such as sweeping the floor and setting the table” also adding: “Children’s physical development is well supported. For example, young children develop good control of their movements as they clamber up steps and ramps. Children access well-organised outdoor play areas and use a wide range of resources.”

In regard to healthy, hygiene, welfare and well-being, the report says:

“Staff place the utmost priority on children’s health, hygiene, welfare and well-being. Babies are relaxed, settled and secure in the care of nurturing staff. ”

They went on to say: “Children enjoy regular walks and outings outside of the nursery, and staff use these opportunities to further broaden children’s experiences of people and communities.”

Outstanding Outcomes for Children

Awards and glowing Ofsted reports would mean nothing if they didn’t improve outcomes and life choices for children. Here again, though, Ofsted recognised the huge positive impact that Little Acorns Nursery has on children and babies under its care, commenting:

“All children make excellent progress given their starting points. They develop many important skills that help prepare them for their future learning, and they are exceptionally well motivated and eager to learn. Children are extremely successful at learning to do things for themselves …”

An Outstanding Nursery for Your Child in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Central Lancashire

Are you looking for the best nurseries or pre-schools for your baby or child? Then consider Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, in Central Lancashire. Officially rated as “Outstanding” by Ofsted and picking up the best Individual Nursery Award in the National NMT Nursery Awards, nurseries and pre-schools simply don’t get any better than Little Acorns. We have a few spaces available at time of writing so, if this is of interest, please get in touch very soon to avoid disappointment:

Arrange a Nursery Visit Send Us a Message Call: 01772 696 288

5th February 2021/by Mark

Awards, Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Nursery News, Pre-School, Pre-Schools

Little Acorns Wins the UK’s Best Individual Nursery Award

Little Acorns Nursery is delighted to confirm that we WON the Best Individual Nursery Award at the 18th National NMT Nursery Awards towards the end of 2020. To win this unique award is an incredible achievement, particularly in the face of such strong competition from many other high quality nurseries from around the entire UK. We are extremely pleased and incredibly proud to have won this award.

Excellent Feedback from the Judges

The NMT Nursery Awards are run by Nursery Management Today (‘NMT’) magazine. They are designed to “discover, reward and celebrate the very best people in the nursery sector,” from across the whole of the UK. The judges were really impressed by Little Acorns’ entry, particularly liking the Little Acorns Forest School, the high level of staff qualifications and the nursery’s strong involvement with the local community. They also thought the fundraiser for a nursery defibrillator was excellent. The judges felt that it was a close competition, however Little Acorns truly “deserved this award”.

Little Acorns truly “deserved this award”.

Thank you to everyone who made this award possible. At the nursery, we are so happy that everyone’s hard work, professionalism and dedication to our children, families and community has been recognised.

Why we won …

Below is a transcript of the video that supported Little Acorns Nursery’s winning entry into the 18th National NMT Nursery Awards for 2020. Presented to the judging panel by Sarah Smith, our nursery manager, it will also give parents and carers a real insight into why the nursery won the award and what makes Little Acorns so special. As you’ll see from the transcript below, Little Acorns really does go the extra mile for their children under their care — and for the families of those children. Sarah explains …

How Little Acorns Provides Excellent & High Quality Childcare

“Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m the manager nursery at Little Acorns Nursery and have been for the last 12 years. We provide high quality nursery education for our children, because of the people that work here. They’re a very, very special bunch of people. Every teacher here understands the responsibility and the importance they play in childhood education and setting the foundations that all children need to help them to thrive in the future.

Little Acorns always felt like a family feel and our parents notice this; one of the things that that our parents always say about us is it feels more like a family, which is something that we feel is so special. Not only do we have an amazing team of passionate practitioners, but each room is led by extremely enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable leaders who champion the ethos of Little Acorns every single day through their own outstanding practice.

As well as the leaders within the nursery, we also have strong collaborative leadership from our CEO, Dr Javid Sultan, and our Managing Director Jennie Taylor who’s had 25 years nursery experience. We champion the NHS values and these are used, and they are the inspiration behind our own ethos and mission statement and what we value also.”

Mission: To bring together the best team who are dedicated to providing a nurturing and friendly environment where children are thriving, happy, have fun and learn through play.

Vision: To be recognised as the best in the area, providing a high standard of care and education through curiosity and outdoor learning.

What we Value: Achievement. Teamwork. Knowledge. Creativity. Growth. Family.

Activities in Place to Encourage Learning & Play for Children

“Each day, we are led by our children. We follow their interests and, through play-based learning, we support, we encourage, we model, explain, demonstrate, facilitate; we set challenges. We know each individual child’s focus area and every member of staff is responsible for furthering that child’s learning. Through our individual areas of focus and cohort focuses, we then plan activities. Everything we do has purpose.”

The Biggest Challenges the Nursery has Faced & How it Overcame Them

“The biggest challenge that we’ve faced has been the most recent Covid-19 pandemic. It was a very difficult time for all of our children and families but we remained open for our families throughout the initial lockdown. And it’s something that we feel very strongly about continuing to do if ever there was another/second lockdown. We want to be able to provide that service still for our parents and families. It was a really difficult time, having our children at home and not having that consistency of seeing them here but we maintained contact; we stayed in touch with them via video link, we spoke to them regularly and they got to show us around their houses and have a chat to us about what they’ve been up to, which was really lovely for us to still see. And, for the children that were here, we gave lots more emotional support for our children and families and the parents when they needed it the most as well. And we overcame this because we work together as a team. And, because we have such passionate and enthusiastic practitioners that work here, we came together as a team and we we got through it all together.”

An Example of Exceptional Care that the Nursery is Particularly Proud of

“I believe that we provide exceptional care for our children and families, every single day. We recently did a charity fundraiser. All the staff came together and we wanted to raise money for a defibrillator for inside our nursery. So, we walked from Preston to Chorley Hospital and all of our parents sponsored us. We were able to raise enough money to buy a defibrillator for the nursery, which is something that we’re really, really proud of.

Everything that we do is for our children; they are at the centre of absolutely everything. We know the positive impact we had on all of our children and families during lockdown and we take great pride in knowing that we maintained an environment where children were happy, safe, loved and supported and where they learn and achieve. Children returning from lockdown came back to the same familiar place, with the same friendly faces and were welcomed back with open arms.

And, you know, the phrase “we’re all in this together” is something that we appreciate now more than ever and I feel very, very lucky to work in this environment with the teachers and practitioners that I work with — and to be part of Little Acorns. It’s an absolutely special place to be. Thank you.”

Looking for an Outstanding Nursery place in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley?

If you are looking for an outstanding nursery for your child in or around Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, in Lancashire (PR6), Little Acorns Nursery School will be hard to beat. That’s official, of course, with Ofsted’s most recent report judging us as ‘outstanding’ and now with this independently-judged ‘Best Independent Nursery’ award too. Only one nursery in the entire UK wins that award, so it says a huge amount about the quality of our childcare, staff, ethos and setting.

For more details about the nursery and a possible place for your child, please get in touch:

Book a Nursery Visit Message Us Call: 01772 696 288

13th January 2021/by Mark