We’re delighted to announce that Ofsted has published a stunning report for Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. It’s now official that this excellent Padiham childcare setting is a ‘Good Provider’ — in every category! What’s more, the Ofsted inspector published some wonderfully positive comments about the nursery, staff, and quality of care as part of the report. Their findings are a testament to the high quality of the setting, the professionalism of its early years practitioners and leadership, and the positive impact the nursery has on babies and children in its care. Today, we take a deep dive into the details.
• Overall effectiveness: Good
• The quality of education: Good
• Behaviour and attitudes: Good
• Personal development: Good
• Leadership & management: Good
A Welcoming, Safe & Secure Environment for ChildrenIn her report, the Ofsted inspector recognised the warm, welcoming, safe and secure nature of the setting and early years practitioners:
Such a positive environment and approach by staff is clearly being reflected in the children:
|
Independence & Self-Confidence in Little OnesThe inspector also had positive comments about children learning new skills, gaining in confidence, and becoming more independent — important for when they transition to school. Helped by “high aspirations for what children can do,” Ofsted follows up by saying “The expectations are well sequenced throughout the nursery, helping to build on children’s skills over time.” Ofsted remarked that “From babies upwards, they encourage children to have a go” and, as a result…
|
The Nursery’s Approach to the Early Years CurriculumThe Ofsted inspector seemed particularly impressed with the nursery’s approach to the early years curriculum, remarking that:
Targeted staff training, focused on the needs of the children, was also seen to be part of this success, with the Ofsted inspector commenting that it “has positively impacted on the implementation of the curriculum.” Indeed, the success of such an approach was seen to be working well right across the nursery, boosting children’s learning:
Assessment of children’s progress was also highly praised:
|
What About Children with SEND?The approaches outlined above were seen to apply well to children who may need extra support and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities:
Parents spoken to by the Ofsted Inspector also appreciated the nursery’s approach to extra help for children, including those with SEND:
|
Children’s Communication & LanguageOfsted recognised the nursery’s approach to boosting children’s language and communication skills in their report too. The inspector commented on our staff:
|
Children’s Learning StepsOfsted’s inspector praised Little Acorns’ staff in their approach to learning steps, commenting:
The inspector went on to say that such activities and experiences help to “build on children’s knowledge” and then gave some examples. |
Reading & Writing at Little AcornsThe Ofsted inspector commented favourably about the way in which staff at Little Acorns Nursery support the learning of the skills necessary to read and write. Children are also encouraged to develop a natural and active interest in books and reading. The inspector wrote, “Children are provided with the opportunities to develop the skills they will need for later writing” and “Leaders value the importance of providing lots of opportunities for children to enjoy stories. They provide a wide range of books for children to explore.” Coordination and dexterity were noted to be an important part of these successes:
Ofsted recognised that staff “Staff support children’s hand-eye coordination superbly. They have consulted with the local schools and used this to enhance the curriculum to ensure children develop the dexterity needed to support later writing.” |
Behaviour & Emotional Regulation at the NurseryDuring their visit, Ofsted recognised that children behaved well and that their emotional regulation skills were being nurtured appropriately by the nursery’s practitioners:
|
Healthy Lifestyles & Good ChoicesThe Ofsted inspector noted in her report that:
She pointed out that “Children benefit from many experiences to play outside in the fresh air and by walking in the community.” Also, in regard to healthy eating, she remarked: “Staff talk to children at mealtimes about the impact of food on their bodies. Children are beginning to know how to keep their bodies healthy. They talk about the need to keep their bodies hydrated and check that their friends have also had a drink of water.” Ofsted also recognised that children’s kindness is reflected in their treatment of the environment:
|
Effective SafeguardingOne of the most important things at any nursery is, of course, to keep children safe and well. Little Acorns Nursery scored well in this regard too, with the Ofsted inspector reporting that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and:
|
Good Provision
It’s wonderful that Ofsted has recognised the hard work and professionalism at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. It’s clear that it’s benefiting children and enabling them to be as school-ready as possible by the time they leave us around the age of five. And, if there are areas we can still improve on, we will implement such measures without delay — all with a view to making children’s experiences at the nursery simply outstanding!
A Nursery Place for Your Child at Little Acorns
High-quality childcare in Padiham — for babies (3m+) and children under 5
If you like the sound of the Ofsted inspector’s comments and need high-quality weekday childcare in Padiham, Lancashire, get in touch. You can register for a place, request a guided tour with your child, or ask us any questions. We’re here to help and would love to meet you and your child! We also support free, government-funded childcare places for eligible children as young as just 9 months of age.
Little Acorns Nursery is located in Padiham (Lancashire), so is just a stone’s throw away for families living in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. If you need weekday childcare, come and see us – we’d love to meet you!
Today, we remind Padiham families that Little Acorns Nursery supports the new — free — childcare scheme for eligible children including babies as young as just 9 months of age. Although it’s available only to eligible working families, the bar to entry is fairly low. The childcare funding is therefore attainable for many families. This free childcare is not just limited to babies either and, what’s more, it’s due to become even more generous from September 2025. In our guide below we’ll outline who is eligible, how much childcare funding they can access, how many childcare hours that equates to, and what the eligibility criteria are. If you’re the parent of a baby, toddler, or child up to three years old, this is for you.
For those working families who are eligible, the scheme provides 570 hours per year of free childcare to children aged from 9 months to 3 years. This is normally taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks, usually aligning with the standard educational term-time weeks for school timetables. That said, it may be possible to stretch the hours over more weeks of the year if your childcare provider is able to accommodate such flexibility.
We’ll try to simplify the eligibility criteria for you. Whether it’s for a baby aged 9 months, a toddler of 1 or 2, or a child aged 3 or 4, there are essentially four main criteria for this specific type of childcare funding:
Well, it’s good news. It’s already the case that all 3 and 4-year-olds living in England are eligible to receive 570 hours (15 per week) of free childcare anyway. That’s available under what’s known as ‘Universal Entitlement’, a Government childcare funding scheme that’s been around for some time. What’s more, those working families that are eligible for the ‘new’ free childcare for children aged 9 months to 3 years are also likely to be eligible for a top-up of their child’s Universal Entitlement once they reach the ages of 3 and 4. In those cases, they’ll be entitled to 30 hours per week over 38 weeks (or however the 1140 free hours are spread out). That’s because the eligibility criteria are the same (see section above).
Our Padiham nursery had its annual inspection by the local Environmental Health Officer recently. The purpose was to ensure, as required in all settings serving food, that Little Acorns Nursery has high standards of hygiene and follows the food preparation guidelines specified by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Once again, Little Acorns Nursery passed with flying colours, achieving a full 5-star rating. That’s the best rating possible and reflects the highest levels of quality for food preparation, the food itself, cleanliness, and competence of staff. So, our thanks and utmost respect go to Kim, our in-house chef/cook, whose high standards, skill and expertise do the children and the nursery proud.
Because the recipe heavily involved potatoes, this also tied in nicely with the book Supertato, which our preschoolers have been looking at in tandem with discussions about food and the importance of a healthy diet. The photo shows one of the children peeling potatoes. Others peeled vegetables and even made their own dumplings. The fun activity helped to nurture children’s learning and the development of new skills and knowledge. The final result was both tasty and a huge hit with the little ones!
Shrove Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day, arrived on the 13th of February and it gave us a great opportunity to organise pancake-themed activities for the nursery/preschool children … for the entire week! After all, who doesn’t love pancakes? So, as you’ve no doubt guessed by now, our Recipe of the Month for February was home-made pancakes and it’s a recipe the children really enjoyed getting involved in. They loved mixing ingredients in a bowl to make their own pancake mix. We even set up a ‘Pancake Bar’ (see the main photo at the top), which included lots of yummy toppings that children could use to decorate their pancakes. The toppings included strawberries, bananas, chocolate spread, jam, lemon, sprinkles, honey and cream.
Valentine’s Day, which arrived on the 14th of February, also involved lots of food. After all, as the saying goes, it is often thought of as the language of love! At the nursery, we organised a lovely Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast for our parents. This was followed by a special 3-course Valentine’s Day meal for our children in our lovely new dining room, which was set up like a little restaurant (see the photos). Children had sausage rolls to start, cheesy chicken and red pepper pasta for the main course and strawberry mousse – with sprinkles – for pudding. Accompanying this was some delicious blackcurrant juice. It all went down a treat with our nursery children, as did several other activities that were themed towards Valentine’s Day.
Kim, our talented in-house chef, prepares tasty home-made meals and healthy snacks for children at the nursery. Meals are prepared freshly, on site, using high-quality ingredients, which are locally sourced whenever possible. They are delicious as well as being nutritionally balanced to include a healthy mix of fish, meat, pulses and vegetables. 
During the autumn half-term break, adults and children from Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham embarked on a sponsored walk around Gawthorpe Park. The walk took place during a cold and wet Tuesday, on 24th October, with children from our Little Seedlings, Little Acorns and Great Oaks rooms donning Wellington boots, anoraks and wet weather gear for the task. Once assembled, little ones and adults braved the inclement weather and went on to complete the walk admirably, even making the local Burnley Express paper
When the rain persisted, children were also encouraged to use magic wands to wish it away!
The sponsored walk was dedicated to a cause that’s extremely close to our hearts — the memory of Yusuf, the baby son of one of our families — as well as aiming to raise awareness of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). £148 was raised through our sponsored walk and a further £52 through a cake sale by our 
This is what we call our blog (short for ‘web log’) where we regularly publish guides and useful information for parents of children under five. 
We’re @NurseryPadiham on Twitter, so you can follow us at 
We’re @TotsNursery on Facebook (because we took over the Adventure Tots childcare business), so you can follow us at 
We’re @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Instagram, so you can follow us at 
We’re also @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Pinterest, so you can follow our pins and boards at 
We appreciate that, if you’re reading this, you’ve already found us. However, if you ever need to find us again and aren’t sure where to look, we’re also on Google. 
If you’re a parent of a current child at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, why not write us a review? You can 
One of the exciting new initiatives that we have planned for Little Acorns nursery, Padiham, is to make it a Hygge setting. In today’s post, we explain what Hygge means and how it will benefit the setting, especially the children. Once the Hygge initiative has been fully adopted, it will positively transform the whole feel of the nursery and benefit everyone. Introducing Hygge is exciting and the children are going to love it! To be truthful, we can’t wait to get started!
Counter to the instincts of those whose first language is English, Hygge is pronounced “Hue-Gah” rather than “Hig”. It is popular in Denmark and Norway and is a Danish word that refers to a rather beautiful lifestyle; one of cosiness, homeliness, contentment and comfort. Wellbeing, warmth and conviviality are central to the Hygge approach. Friendliness, a welcoming atmosphere and closer links to nature are key parts of the Hygge way of life too. Having a more simple lifestyle and living far more in the moment are also part and parcel of Hygge. With such facets, Hygge naturally fosters happiness and contentment in everyone that it touches. Indeed, that’s one of the many reasons we can’t wait for both children and staff to start embracing it at Little Acorns Nursery.
Once we’ve adopted Hygge at the nursery, it’ll look and feel warmer and far more welcoming, with softer, warmer lighting and a more homely atmosphere. Gone will be anything that looks sterile, cold or even harshly lit. Instead, expect to see soft furnishings including cushions, rugs and blankets. Look out for little nooks where children can gather in small groups to read, play or engage with each other or with staff. Hygge nurseries are also synonymous with dens and teepees, allowing children to ‘nest’ in calm, cosy spaces and corners. All these things will also deaden sound, reduce noise levels, and banish echoes, making for a much calmer setting entirely.
We mentioned that Hygge brings people closer to nature and that will be evident not only outside but indoors too. We’ll ensure there are natural objects and materials for the children to explore and handle, including things like smooth pebbles, wood surfaces, pine cones and perhaps reed and wicker items. These will be lovely to handle and to be around, stimulating multiple senses, which is so important in the young. The introduction of appropriate plants will also 
Children will also be encouraged to be convivial, i.e. be friendly, inclusive, pleasant and welcoming to one another and to staff. We always try to foster a culture of mutual respect and equality, but the introduction of Hygge to the nursery will take this even further. Sharing and politeness are to be encouraged. Play will be calmer and more harmonious. With Hygge, growing friendships will naturally blossom. Hygge minimises conflict and leads to harmony, calmness and a very pleasurable day-to-day experience for everyone touched by it.