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.
“What is it like to attend this early years setting?”
“The provision is good” — Ofsted.
Overall effectiveness: Good- The quality of education: Good
- Behaviour and attitudes: Good
- Personal development: Good
- Leadership and management: Good
Overall effectiveness: GoodLet’s take a look at some of the positive findings and encouraging comments from the Ofsted Inspector who prepared this latest report.
Children Feel Happy, Settled,
Safe & Secure at the NurseryThe Ofsted Inspector could clearly see that children at Little Acorns are happy and feel at home at the nursery:
“Children are happy and settled at the nursery… Staff help children to learn important language, such as to describe their feelings. This helps children to feel safe and secure at the nursery.” — Ofsted.
She later also remarked that staff “are responsive to children’s needs, feelings and moods” and “encourage children to express and say what they feel,” later concluding in the report that “Children’s well-being is supported effectively.”
A Positive Attitude to Learning
As the Ofsted Inspector said in her report, “Children make good progress in their learning of the nursery’s curriculum”, and she recognised the positive approach to children’s learning at the setting:
“Leaders are ambitious for children’s learning and development. They are clear about the knowledge that they want children to learn and why.” — Ofsted.
And, with that in mind, it was clear to the Inspector that children’s learning and development are nurtured well by thoughtful and attentive staff:
“Staff know the children well. They provide meaningful learning opportunities that build on children’s interests effectively… Children demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning.” — Ofsted.
Children’s Personal Development is Promoted Well
Ofsted’s report also points out that children’s personal development is nurtured very effectively, resulting in them becoming independent and “confident in their own abilities.”
“Leaders make certain that staff promote children’s personal development well. Children benefit from the many opportunities that staff provide to help them to become independent.” — Ofsted.
Help Making Friends
The Ofsted Inspector also recognised the nursery’s positive role in helping babies and children socialise and make friends:
“They develop important knowledge about how to make friends because of staff’s skilful help. Babies show curiosity and are inquisitive about others. Older children are confident when meeting new people.” — Ofsted.
Help Developing Physical Skills
The way the nursery and its practitioners help children develop physical skills was also picked up in the latest Ofsted report. The Inspector sang the praises of the ‘thoughtful’ early years practitioners and the appropriateness of equipment:
“The nursery provides plenty of opportunities for children to develop essential physical skills. For example, staff working with babies provide climbing equipment, such as low-level steps, for babies to explore how they can move their bodies. Staff working with older children provide them with access to large equipment, such as the outdoor slide and wheeled ride-on toys. Children delight in testing out how strong they have become because of the thoughtful help of the nursery.” — Ofsted.
Strong Safeguarding at the Nursery
Ofsted’s inspector applauded the nursery’s “effective” safeguarding arrangements:
“There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.” — Ofsted.
She also recognised recent safeguarding enhancements. With regard to possible allergens, for example, she remarked:
“The provider ensures that known allergies for children are identified, understood and managed well… It is now a nut-free nursery. Staff have attended relevant training and leaders have strengthened risk assessments.” — Ofsted.
And, with regard to security, she noted the excellent measures in place:
“The provider ensures that the premises are safe and secure […] additional locks and entrance bells have been added to the nursery’s external gate. Staff understand their responsibility to ensure that external doors are locked and that they adhere to the nursery’s risk assessments. Leaders ensure that children are adequately supervised. This ensures the safety of children.” — Ofsted.
Little Acorns Nursery: a High-Quality Childcare Service in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley
As the latest Ofsted report testifies, Little Acorns Nursery is a great choice if you’re looking for a high-quality childcare service in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley. We’re open virtually all year round, support funded childcare places for children aged 9 months to 4 years (inclusive), and give under-fives the best start in life. Contact us today to arrange a guided visit to the nursery, ask any questions, or enrol your child for a nursery place. We can’t wait to meet you!
Little Acorns is an award-winning nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley, Central Lancashire, and may also represent a convenient choice for families living nearby in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland, and Penwortham.
Little learners, get ready – it’s almost time to buzz into action for World Bee Day! The annual event arrives in May and it’s a brilliant opportunity for children and families to get involved in something meaningful, fun, and full of learning opportunities.
World Bee Day is celebrated every year on 20th May to raise awareness of the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in our world. From helping plants grow and supporting the food we eat every day, bees are some of nature’s hardest workers – and they need our help to survive and thrive.
“Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all”
Getting involved in World Bee Day isn’t just fun — it also supports many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), helping children learn and grow in meaningful, hands-on ways. Here are just a few ways bee-related activities can support early development:
Expressive Arts and Design: Making bee crafts, drawing flowers, role-playing as working bees, or moving like insects in a dance — all help develop creativity and imagination.
There are so many fun and simple ways for little learners to join in with World Bee Day! Here are a few activities that are perfect for children under five — each one encourages creativity, curiosity, and care for nature while also supporting the EYFS.
Using paper plates, cardboard tubes, egg cartons or recycled materials, children can create their own bees! Add wings, stripes, googly eyes and antennae for a hands-on creative session. These are wonderfully creative activities that will boost several areas of the EYFS including Expressive Arts & Design and Physical Development.
Explore the garden or outdoor space and, without disturbing them, see what pollinators your child can spot. Can they see any bees? What colours and flowers do they seem to like best? Are they collecting nectar? What type of bees are they? Bumblebees are super cute. Honey bees are super-hard workers and do so much for the world. A bee-spotting activity is a great opportunity to explore areas of the EYFS that include Understanding the World and Communication & Language.
When April is on the horizon, there is a buzz amongst parents whose children will receive school offers that month. It’s quite a milestone in the lives of families as it’s the time they’ll find out if their children have received an offer for their top school choice. If not, will they be offered another “preferred” school listed lower on their application? It will often have felt like a long wait to find out the results, too, with families having applied in mid-January or potentially months earlier. Because we are an early years nursery, today’s guide focuses on primary school offers. We’ll explain in detail when to expect your child’s primary school offer, criteria that may have affected it, and your options if you’re not happy with the school place offered. To keep things as simple as possible, we’ll concentrate on applications for a standard school start date in the September term (rules and dates for ‘in-year’ applications are slightly different). If your child is due to start primary school this year, take a look.
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.
Overall effectiveness: Good
Any good nursery or childcare provider will ensure that children understand right from wrong and are mindful of the effect their actions have on others, including peers. Nurturing good manners and appropriate behaviour amongst little ones benefits everyone including, of course, the children themselves. Ofsted’s latest report recognised that Little Acorns is very successful in this regard:
Children find messy play hugely rewarding as well as being immense fun. Messy play nurtures children’s imaginations, creativity, dexterity, and self-expression and benefits them in many other ways. It is therefore a crucial part of early years learning and development — and more important than it perhaps sounds. Ofsted picked up on the quality of messy play activities at Little Acorns Nursery within its report:
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.
Most children in England start primary or infant school earlier, in ‘Reception’ year. For most, this will be in the September term when they’re still only 4. That’s just one reason why applying for a primary school place is so important while they’re only 3 or, at the very latest, have just turned 4.
Registering an interest that you’re interested in a particular primary school is sensible and, indeed, may result in the school supplying some useful information. However, it will not guarantee your child a place even if it’s attached to their nursery or preschool. You therefore need to make your official application through 
Research your local primary schools, visit them to get a feel for them, and ask teachers and heads any questions you may have. Schools often have open days or evenings or accept appointments for these purposes.
The child’s proximity to the school;
For primary** school places, offers are released around the 16th* of April each year, the exact date depending on whether the 16th otherwise falls on a weekend or public holiday. For 2025, 2026, and 2027, primary school ‘offer day’ will therefore fall right on target on the 16th of April as each is a weekday for each of those years. Those applicants who had applied online, on time, and supplied an email address during the application process, will be the first to receive offers via email. Later the same day, others who supplied an email address will also receive offers via email. Those who applied without supplying an email address will have their offers posted via 2nd Class post, meaning they may find out what school their child has been offered a day or two later than the 16th of April. That said, some local authority portals allow all parents to log in to view school offers online.
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.
From September 2024 (so already active), eligible children aged from 9 months to 3 years of age can access 570 hours and eligible children aged 3 and 4 can access 1140 hours of free childcare support per year. The free hours are usually taken over the course of 38 weeks (equating to 15 and 30 hours per week respectively). However, some childcare providers may allow the hours to be spread over more weeks of the year by reducing the number of hours per week. Speak directly to your specific childcare provider about the availability of this more flexible option.
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For many species, population numbers have plummeted over recent decades. Introducing your child to today’s 
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 
Familiarity with mathematical terms and concepts also helps to prepare children for formal education, including in many areas other than pure mathematics. Understanding maths concepts from an early age will allow them to confidently engage in number-related exercises and discussions, greatly enhancing their school readiness across multiple topics. Such preparation will allow them to take maths-based challenges in their stride right from the moment they begin Reception Year in primary school. What’s even more striking is that studies show a direct correlation between early mathematical skills and later educational achievement.
Counting is the most obvious example. Counting can be introduced and practised by your little one in many, many situations, from counting how many more mouthfuls of food a child should eat, to the number of Lego blocks in a tower they’re creating.
Shapes also have roots in maths, so children should get familiar with 3-sided triangular shapes, 4-sided shapes like squares and rectangles, and so on.
Creative endeavours can also be vehicles through which supervising adults can highlight elements of mathematics that are built into designs and creations that children may generate. Patterns and shapes are obvious examples of that. Last but not least, parents can involve children in maths facets which are integral to everyday life, for instance, counting items when out shopping, or measuring when putting ingredients together for a meal. Children will love being more involved in such activities and will learn about maths in a fun, natural, and engaging way. Doing so will create the strongest foundations for their future learning.
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.
One of the most critically important steps for a smooth transition to school is to ensure your child receives a comprehensive early years education. By this we mean they need to have been nurtured between birth and school age in all areas of their learning and development — ideally including the 
During their journey from birth to school age, it’s also important to nurture children’s independence, social skills and soft skills.
When starting school is only a few weeks away, there are several small but impactful things you can do to better prepare your child for the transition:
Pack your child’s backpack and ensure it includes everything they’ll need. For example, perhaps a snack and/or lunch box, any spare clothes, PE kit, stationery if needed, and so on.
Be on time. Dropping off or picking up late will stress both you and your child out!
