Get Ready for Pyjamarama 2024

Get Ready for Pyjamarama 2024

Get ready for Pyjamarama 2024. This year it arrives on Friday 17th of May in nurseries, preschools, schools and homes all around the Nation. That date is not carved in stone, though, as some settings may find an alternative date more convenient for their particular circumstances.

What is Pyjamarama?

Pyjamarama is a one-day fundraising event that's organised through the children's reading charity BookTrust.Pyjamarama is a one-day fundraising event that’s organised through the children’s reading charity BookTrust. It takes place each year across a variety of UK settings including homes, schools, preschools, nurseries and more. As well as being great fun for those organising and taking part, the initiative is beneficial to millions of disadvantaged children. The ultimate aim is to raise money to fund the purchase of books and resources, so that every child in the UK gets the chance for bedtime stories and each family has proper reading opportunities. The initiative is hugely popular, great fun, and transforms lives. Today, we take a look at what to expect, how to get involved, and the many benefits of Pyjamarama.

“Spend a day in your pyjamas to raise money for BookTrust and be part of something amazing.”

How Does Pyjamarama Work?

Settings like Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham first register with the Pyjamarama fundraising scheme, well ahead of the event date. In return, they receive a free downloadable fundraising pack. This contains information and activity resources that they’ll be able to use with the nursery children on Pyjamarama day as well as things like posters to publicise the event. Access to BookTrust’s Pyjamarama Hub will also be given. This allows access to additional resources and activity ideas for children to take part in.

On the day itself, the idea is for children and staff to come to the nursery/preschool dressed in pyjamas to add an extra element of fun. Having said that, PJs are not obligatory — children can wear something else if they prefer, for example colourful T-shirts. Either way, we ask that each child brings £1 with them. This will be donated to the BookTrust charity to raise money for disadvantaged children, who might otherwise not have access to bedtime stories. The ensuing day will be relaxed and fun, with time spent together reading and sharing stories, watching specially-recorded videos from children’s favourite authors and taking part in a whole host of other fun, reading- and story-related activities.

At the end of the day, children who took part in Pyjamarama will receive certificates to take home. All money raised by the children and setting will subsequently be sent off to the fundraising team at BookTrust.

Pyjamarama is Fun, Educational & Worthwhile

Pyjamarama raises funds to give disadvantaged children and their families opportunities for reading and bedtime stories.Pyjamarama is always a fun day for both adults and children. The added aspect of pyjamas makes it special, quirky and relaxed. And, at the end of the day, it’s incredibly worthwhile. Not only does it raise money to give disadvantaged children and their families opportunities for reading and bedtime stories, but it also encourages those children taking part in Pyjamarama to read more, for pleasure as much as anything. Additionally, it gives children a different perspective and encourages altruism and empathy for others less fortunate than themselves.

“Raise vital funds to help every child get a bedtime story.”

How Pyjamarama Helps Disadvantaged Children

Every £1 helps. So, children and parents — please get involved. Here’s how fundraising can typically help:

  • £25 is enough to provide 15 under-fives from deprived communities with books and reading resources.
  • £50 is enough to provide an entire class of primary school children with a selection of books to share and read at home.
  • £100 would allow the BookTrust charity to help teenagers in a struggling secondary school reconnect with reading.

How Can You Get Involved?

“Through Pyjamarama we want to help support the children who are at risk of missing out on the joy and confidence that bedtime stories provide.”

If you haven’t already seen them, look out for posters and a letter to parents highlighting the date for Pyjamarama at your child’s setting this year. On the day, please ensure your child goes to nursery/preschool or school with £1 and is ideally dressed in PJs although, as we said before, it’s not obligatory — but is a lot of fun when everyone joins in.

More details and a FAQ about getting involved in Pyjamarama as a setting or individual can be found here.

“Naomi has seen how reading takes her into imaginary worlds and helps her deal with everyday worries and is amazed how it is also helping her to do well in all subjects at school.”

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool, Padiham

High-Quality Weekday Childcare in Padiham, Lancashire

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

Babies and under-fives get the very best start at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham. As well as offering a convenient childcare service in a loving and homely environment, children also receive a comprehensive early years education at Little Acorns. We also support all Government-funded free childcare schemes including free childcare hours for eligible 2-year-olds and free childcare hours for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. Contact us if you’d like to register your child for a childcare place. Or, if you’re not yet sure, why not arrange a guided tour? We can show you and your little one around to see how well they fit in. We’re also here to answer any questions. Please choose a button to get started:

Little Acorns is a nursery and preschool in Padiham, (BB12), also being conveniently close by for those in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, and Wood End.

BookTrust is a Registered Charity, number 313343.

It’s 5-Star Food & Fun at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham

It’s been five-star food, fun, and feasting at the Nursery during February this year! Children enjoyed making and eating pancakes, parents got to eat breakfast with nursery staff and children for Valentine’s Day, our 5-Star Food Hygiene rating was awarded again for another year, and our little ones even got involved in our Recipe of the Month. We’ll spill all the beans for you below, although not literally of course.

A Renewed 5-Star Food & Hygiene Rating

Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, has been awarded a 5-star rating for Food Hygiene by the Food Standards Agency.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.

Recipe of the Month

To expand their learning and development and to nurture children’s interests, nursery children get heavily involved in our Recipe of the Month each month — and it’s been no different during the first part of the year. For January, it was the inclement weather that influenced the outcome of the new year’s first Recipe of the Month. Having witnessed snow, rain, hailstone and wind in recent times, the decision was made to choose a warm and healthy meal and, indeed, the final choice went down a storm! The recipe chosen for January was Warm Winter Stew.

One of the Little Acorns Nursery children peeling potatoes for January's Recipe of the Month.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!

Recipe of the Month for February almost decided itself, as you’ll see below…

Pancake Time!

Nursery children loved mixing ingredients to make pancake batter on Pancake Day.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.

The theme continued all week with further pancake-themed activities laid on for the children. Even the toddlers had fun as they recreated pancake-making by ‘pat-pat-patting’ play-doh pancakes at the play-doh table in the nursery’s home corner.

On Valentine’s Day, the Food Theme Continued

Food prepared for Valentine's Day at the nursery.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.

Healthy Meals & Snacks at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Our talented in-house chef Kim ensures children receive healthy, nutritious and balanced meals.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. Learn more about our menus and our approach to serving children here. The link also includes some new example menus that we’ve recently put together.

Special Diets are Catered For

All diets are catered for at Little Acorns Nursery, so if your child is allergic to anything, is vegetarian, vegan, or requires things like halal or kosher food, simply let us know and we’ll make the appropriate arrangements.

Little Acorns Nursery

High-Quality Weekday Childcare in Padiham, Lancashire (BB12)

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. If you have a baby or child under five and require the best weekday childcare service near Padiham in Lancashire, do consider Little Acorns Nursery. As well as looking after little ones, we give them a high-quality early years education too. Indeed, we bring out the very best in every child and help them achieve personal bests across the board, so they’re ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave us to begin school around the age of five. Contact us if you’d like your child to have the very best start in life — we’ll help children grow into the very best version of themselves, so they’re ready to take on the world and thrive! We’d be delighted to show you and your little one around and you’ll soon see how well they will fit into our warm, caring, and homely environment.

Get in touch today to explore more about a childcare place at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham.

Apply for a Place Book a Tour Message Us 01282 680 822

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Padiham may also suit families in nearby towns and villages including Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

New & Improved Dining at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, Lancs.

New & Improved Dining at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Recent months have seen some positive new changes at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, which will improve the lives and experiences of children at the setting. One such change is the implementation of a new, self-contained dining room, designed specifically to recreate the feel of family mealtimes. Today’s post explains how we went about it, what form the new dining room takes and, most importantly, how this new space will benefit the children under our care. We also cover our approach to the children’s food menu, which has been updated as part of our Healthy Child Programme. Let us know if you have any feedback!

The New Great Oaks Dining Room

Attractive William Morris-style wallpaper was hung on a ‘feature’ wall.To make way for the new children’s dining room, an existing room at the setting was repurposed and totally revamped. Starting in Summer 2023, the contents of the existing room were sorted and relocated where needed, leaving a wonderful new space to use as the new ‘Great Oaks’ dining room. Walls, ceilings and skirting boards were prepared and freshened up with new paint. Attractive William Morris-style wallpaper was also hung on a ‘feature’ wall. Large canvas wall images were displayed to form interesting focal points and storage was added in the form of a large cabinet and a small cupboard. Large and small dining room tables and chairs were added for the different age groups along with high chairs, which will be close at hand whenever needed. All this sits on a durable floor with an attractive wood finish. All in all, the outcome is a pleasant home-from-home for children.

How the New Dining Room will Benefit Children

This new ‘Great Oaks’ dining room has been designed to benefit children in several specific ways…

  • The new dining space is designed to recreate family meals at home.As well as simply being a pleasant and highly functional place for children and staff to eat and drink, the new space is designed to recreate family meals at home. Eating meals here with peers and childcare practitioners will have a cosy, homely, feel, rather like being part of an extended family. The space lends itself to a convivial atmosphere where children can recharge and relax as well as eat and drink.
  • It’s a distraction-free environment too. When combined with the relaxed atmosphere, this allows free-flowing conversations and interactions to take place. Children can then discuss things like their interests, what they’ve been doing at home, what they have enjoyed at nursery, and so on.
  • This opens up natural communication pathways between our children and practitioners, allowing staff to learn much more about each child’s likes, dislikes, areas of challenge, model language, and so on. By discovering such feedback, practitioners are then able to follow each child’s lead and build appropriate content, resources and activities into their learning environment and bespoke learning plan.

The Menu Board

  • Our chalk menu board communicates which delicious meal combinations our in-house chef has lined up for the week.Another area of focus for one of the walls is the new chalk menu board. This is an attractive feature and one that communicates which delicious meal combinations our in-house chef has lined up for the week. Our practitioners talk children through the menu board each day to spark both interest and conversations with them. As well as being a great way to let them know what food to expect, the chalkboard menu is also another opportunity for little ones to begin to link letters to words and ultimately to real-life things that they’ll encounter.

The Menu Itself

  • Our talented in-house chef Kim ensures children receive healthy, nutritious, and balanced meals.As part of our Healthy Child Programme, our menus were thoughtfully reviewed back in the summer of 2023. Through Kim, our talented in-house chef, children receive delicious, home-made meals, which are freshly made with high-quality ingredients. Kim ensures children receive a healthy and nutritious balance between meat, fish, vegetables and pulses.

Our Approach to Serving

  • To encourage and continually promote independence, Chef Kim serves components of the meals separately. This gives the children the opportunity to choose and, for older children, self-serve how much they would like of each type of food. This is approached in an age- and stage-appropriate way. Our older Seedlings, for example, will be supported in holding the large serving spoon and the portioning out of their meals. For children from the Little Acorns Room, the serving bowl is passed around the table with nursery practitioners supporting children if they need help.
  • Small details such as the cupboards, mirror and wallpaper make the new space feel like a home-from-home.As well as promoting independence, this approach also encourages useful feedback from children in respect of any likes, dislikes or opinions that they may have about each meal.

Self-Care

  • We have also implemented a face washing station for the children. As well as promoting good hygiene, this encourages their development within the area of self-care, helps the children develop enhanced gross motor skills, and allows the children’s confidence to grow when faced with such new challenges.

Menu Examples

The menu at Little Acorns Nursery rotates on a 4-week basis. Here’s what’s on offer this term (Spring 2024):

  • Mixed Mediterranean vegetable pasta
  • Vegetable chilli with tortilla chips
  • Mac ‘n’ broccoli cheese
  • Spaghetti Bolognaise with garlic bread

All in all, the new dining experience at Little Acorns Nursery has been a huge success and it’s not just about how homely the newly refurbished room is. By allowing the children the freedom to serve themselves, we have noticed children are promoting good manners themselves, taking turns nicely, cooperating beautifully, and even helping other children who may require extra support. Above all, though, we have found that our children are now eating more at meal times — and that’s a wonderful outcome!

Little Acorns Nursery School, Padiham

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. Little Acorns is a wonderful nursery and preschool located in Padiham, Lancashire, also serving nearby families from Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. If you’d like your baby, toddler or preschooler to have the very best start in life, do get in touch to explore the possibility of them attending Little Acorns Nursery. We’ll make them feel right at home from the start and help to bring out the best in them. By helping them become the best version of themselves during their time with us, they’ll eventually leave us suitably prepared for school — and ready to thrive!

Get in touch today to discuss a nursery/preschool place for your child, arrange a guided tour of the setting, or ask any questions. We’re here to help and cannot wait to meet you and your little one!

Apply for a Place Book a Tour Message Us 01282 680 822
Our Sponsored Walk – for a Very Worthwhile Cause

Our Sponsored Walk – for a Very Worthwhile Cause

Fun and games for children at Gawthorpe Park.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.

During the walk, children made the activity more exciting by spotting wildlife, including squirrels, birds, dogs, and even Gruffaloes and bears! Accompanying adults also encouraged little ones to look out for the changing autumn leaves, which are so beautiful at this time of the year. The sponsored walk followed Baby Loss Awareness Week, which took place earlier in October.When the rain persisted, children were also encouraged to use magic wands to wish it away!

The sponsored walk also followed Baby Loss Awareness Week, which took place from the 9th to 15th, earlier in October. There, children were encouraged to wear something pink or blue during our special Pink & Blue Day, which was organised to allow children who could not make the sponsored walk to take part.

Raising Money for Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy

Maggie's Stillbirth Legacy helps to support families who suffer the loss of a little one.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 sister nursery, Little Acorns in Hindley Green. All the money raised goes to the chosen charity of Yusuf’s family, Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy, which helps to support other families who suffer the loss of a little one. The organisation has been running since 2015 and provides resources and training in hospital and care environments to better support such families. Resources provided by them include memory boxes, cuddle blankets, cold cots and angel gowns and the organisation also makes donations to several charities and related causes. It won a Pride of Britain Award in 2021.

Learn more about supporting Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy here.

The wonderful team of adults and children who took part in the sponsored walk, outside our Padiham nursery.

Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. Little Acorns is a high-quality nursery in Padiham, Lancashire, which offers a wonderful weekday childcare service to local families. We may also suit families living or working nearby in places like Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

So, if you live nearby and have a baby, toddler or preschooler under five, get in touch to discuss the fabulous childcare service and early years education available at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. We’ll be happy to show you and your little one around, answer any questions, and explain more. Please get in touch today for more details or to begin your child’s application for a nursery or preschool place:

Apply for a Place Book a Tour Message Us 01282 680 822
Free Childcare Through Universal Credit (Rough Guide)

Free Childcare Through Universal Credit (Rough Guide)

In today’s post, the third in our series of guides about Government childcare funding schemes, we look at free childcare funding available through Universal Credit. This is particularly timely because the scheme becomes significantly more generous from the 28th of June 2023, so eligible families will start benefitting just as today’s guide goes live. The changes come into effect following commitments made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Spring Budget back in March. They make childcare funding through Universal Credit more generous and easier to fund. We will explain what we mean by that, as well as outline the facts, figures and eligibility requirements for the scheme, in our guide to Free Childcare Through Universal Credit below.

How Much Free Childcare Can You Get Through Universal Credit?

If you are eligible for free childcare through Universal Credit, here’s what you can claim from 28th June 2023:

  • The maximum families can claim through Universal Credit Childcare Support is 85% of eligible childcare costs, up to the maximums outlined below.
  • You can get up to £951 in free childcare each month for one child.
  • You can receive up to £1,630 in free childcare each month for two or more children.
  • That’s an increase of almost 50% from the previous maximums before late June 2023.
  • The maximums outlined above will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) annually until 2027/28 according to the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP).
  • You may also be able to claim for childcare costs during your child’s nursery settling-in period or for childcare while you travel to work if they’re deemed by DWP to be ‘reasonable’ in helping you to get back into work.
  • Another major improvement is that the funding through this scheme may be partly pre-funded by the Government in some circumstances, rather than families having to find the significant sums, and then claim them back retrospectively. We’ll explain more about that later in this guide.

N.B. If you already have some of your childcare fees paid by your employer through childcare vouchers, you can only claim the balance of childcare fees that you are responsible for funding — not the part already covered by the vouchers. Similarly, if you already have some of your childcare fees covered through free childcare hours for 2-year-olds or free childcare hours for 3- and 4-year-olds, you can only claim for any additional hours, if eligible, that you would otherwise have to pay.

Why is the Government Helping in This Way?

“These changes will help thousands of parents progress their career without compromising the quality of the care that their children receive.” — Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work & Pensions.

The free childcare funding through Universal Credit is aimed at helping low-income families and those wishing to either return to work or significantly extend existing working hours. This will help children, parents/caregivers — especially women — and will also boost the economy as more people move back into work. The Government is also aware that there are huge benefits associated with a good early years education, particularly when it’s started young. Those benefits extend to a huge range of things including the children’s life outcomes, improved careers, increased earning potential and multiple benefits to society in general. Follow the bold link for more details.

“By helping more parents to re-enter and progress in work, we will be able to cut inactivity and help grow the economy.” — Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work & Pensions.

Are You Eligible for Free Childcare through Universal Credit?

As mentioned above, the changes to childcare support through Universal Credit are designed specifically to help low-income families, those wishing to return to work, or people wishing to extend existing hours. With that in mind, the eligibility requirements for childcare funding through Universal Credit are as follows:

  • Firstly families must, of course, be claiming Universal Credit in order to access the childcare element of it. You can learn more about who is eligible for Universal Credit here. Generally speaking, though, Universal Credit is mostly intended for UK people aged over 18 but below State Pension age who are on low incomes, need help with living costs, and have savings/investments of no more than £16k. Your partner’s circumstances, if you live with them, may affect your eligibility for Universal Credit. There are other exceptions and caveats, too, so follow the bold link above for more information about eligibility for Universal Credit itself.
  • With regard to support for childcare funding available through Universal Credit, you and your partner, if you have one, need to be working in a paid job — or have received and accepted a job offer for paid work starting within the next month. That’s with the exception of those unable to work through disability, bad health, or temporary absence from the household e.g. through hospitalisation or going into residential care. Your child may also still be eligible if your partner has to care for a severely disabled person for whom they are eligible to receive Carer’s Allowance.
  • You must live in the UK and the child(ren) for whom you are claiming childcare costs needs to be dependent upon you.
  • You usually need to be over 18, although there are some circumstances where those aged 16 or 17 may be able to claim.
  • You can claim against childcare costs for dependent child(ren) until the August following their 16th birthday.
  • The childcare provider may be a nursery, preschool, childminder, nanny, or even a breakfast, after-school or holiday club — so long as they’re properly registered in the UK. Generally, that means that they need to be registered with Ofsted if the childcare is in England, or their equivalent if it’s in Scotland or Wales. You’ll need to provide their registration number when applying for the childcare funding.
  • If your circumstances change, it could affect your eligibility — potentially for both Universal Credit itself and the Childcare Support element of it. So, confirm straight away if, for example, you, or your partner if you have one, earn more than originally stated, lose your job, or stop work for some other reason.

Can You Get Childcare Costs Paid Upfront?

There are some circumstances where you can get childcare costs paid upfront through the scheme.Usually, you will need to pay for childcare costs first and then reclaim them through your Universal Credit childcare support account. However, there are some circumstances where you may be able to get some of your childcare costs paid upfront through the scheme. This recent change is designed to help families essentially with cash flow so that a major barrier to working is removed. That, in turn, will also help the economy.

Funding for childcare upfront may be possible in the following circumstances:

  • When parents are starting new paid work.
  • In the month preceding the start of the new job.
  • In the month after the end of employment, to help continue childcare when switching between jobs.
  • When parents are significantly increasing their working hours, for example when moving from part-time to full-time employment.

If any of the above scenarios apply, families can speak to their work coach (available through their Universal Credit account) about something called a Flexible Support Fund. If not eligible for that, another potential option is a Budgeting Advance although the latter needs to be repaid.

N.B. Be mindful of keeping the Department for Work and Pensions (‘DWP’) informed in a timely manner in all cases, otherwise you could miss out.

How to Apply for Universal Credit Childcare Support

To apply for Universal Credit payments, create a Universal Credit account here or sign into your account here if you already have one. If you live with a partner, they will also need to have an account and the two must be linked together before you will be able to claim.

N.B. Before applying for the first time, ensure you first read about checks and other useful information you should be aware of here. The telephone number for the Universal Credit Helpline at 0800 328 5644 may also be useful to note.

Once accepted into the scheme, you will need to regularly report and provide evidence of your childcare costs through your account. Remember to claim quickly too otherwise, if you leave claims longer than 2 months, they may not be reimbursed.

More Information

Additional guidance on childcare costs through Universal Credit is available here.

Already Claiming for Childcare Costs through Another Scheme?

You can’t claim through the Tax-Free Childcare Scheme if you are claiming for childcare through Universal Credit. However, you can check which other schemes you may be able to claim in tandem here.

More Improvements to Childcare Funding are Coming Soon

Substantial additional improvements to childcare funding are also in the pipeline following the Spring Budget 2023 announcements. However, we’ll cover those alternative schemes separately here in due course. Just to whet your appetite, though, they include plans to gradually extend free childcare support to eligible children aged from just 9 months from September 2024. So, watch this space!

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool, Padiham, Lancashire

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. At Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, we support all the Government childcare funding schemes for eligible families. We offer babies, infants, toddlers and preschoolers the very best start in life, the highest quality childcare and an unbeatable early years education. This combination will bring out the best in them and ensure they absolutely thrive from the moment they begin school around the age of five. To get started on applying for a nursery/preschool place, to arrange a free guided tour or simply to get in touch to ask a question, please select a button below:

Little Acorns Nursery and Preschool is located in Padiham, Lancashire. We’re also close to Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, and Wood End, so may also suit families requiring childcare near those locations.

Follow Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, on Social Media

If you’re a parent of a child under five, consider following Little Acorns Nursery on our social media channels and here on our blog. As well as showcasing some of the activities and events at our Padiham nursery, we’ll also publicise useful and informative guides, articles and advice about parenting, early years learning and development, and everything to do with childcare. For example, we may publish guides explaining eligibility rules for the various Government-funded schemes for free childcare, or discuss the findings of important studies into the education of under-fives. We may show images from trips the children have been on, or highlight a fun and educational activity that children under five can take part in at home. These are just a few examples, so do follow us if you’d like to be kept better informed.

Follow Our Journal

Follow our blog for latest news, information and updates about childcare, parenting, and early years learning and development.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. The main blog page can be found here and parents can take a look at the article list and pick out any that they find interesting. They’re all carefully researched and professionally written. Articles include a series of guides and useful information for parents, covering topics like childcare funding schemes, activity ideas, health and wellbeing of babies and children under five, a Hygge explainer, and much more. We add new articles every month and will also include key happenings at the nursery. So, do bookmark this page in your browser if you’d like to keep up to date.

Follow Us on Twitter

Follow Little Acorns Nursery (@NurseryPadiham) on Twitter.We’re @NurseryPadiham on Twitter, so you can follow us at https://twitter.com/NurseryPadiham/

• On Twitter, we’ll tweet images and links to our useful guides for parents and interesting information about early years education, parenting, childcare funding, and much more.
• We’ll include tweets and retweets of other useful information from third parties too. For example, tweets may be about learning and development, books/reading, nature, wildlife, early play, outdoor play, the well-being and health of children, creativity, activities for kids, sport, food, literacy, numeracy, and basically anything to do with childcare or raising a child under five.

Follow Our Facebook Channel

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@TotsNursery) on Facebook.We’re @TotsNursery on Facebook (because we took over the Adventure Tots childcare business), so you can follow us at https://www.facebook.com/totsnursery/

Our Facebook profile is jam-packed with updates and includes:

• Information about the nursery — all about us, opening times, etc;
• Facebook ratings — currently we have the highest possible 5-star rating after reviews from tens of people;
• Newsletters from the nursery, as they’re published;
• Photos and videos from the nursery;
• Useful information, guides, and links to the in-depth posts from our main blog;
• Latest updates from what’s been going on at the nursery — events, outings, and initiatives, etc;
• Comments from parents;
• Occasional competitions;
• Posts and re-posts of useful and interesting Facebook posts that we think might interest our parents/families. For example, activity ideas, games, learning and development insights, play ideas, wildlife information for families and children, etc.

Follow Us on Instagram

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@LittleAcornsNurseryBB12) on InstagramWe’re @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Instagram, so you can follow us at https://www.instagram.com/littleacornsnurserybb12/

At time of writing, our Instagram profile is pretty new, but we’ll soon be adding pictorial content including:

• Great images showing activities at the nursery/pre-school in Padiham;
• Photos of outings, outdoor play, etc;
• Photos of creative play at the nursery;
• Photos of events involving our under-fives;
• Images with links to highly interesting and useful articles and guides published for parents of under-fives on our main blog.

Follow Our Pinterest Pins

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@LittleAcornsNurseryBB12) on Pinterest.We’re also @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Pinterest, so you can follow our pins and boards at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LittleAcornsNurseryBB12/

We love Pinterest and feel it’s very underrated! Follow us on Pinterest for:

• Interesting photos, images, and videos, particularly for parents of under-fives.
• We also re-pin useful and interesting images and ideas from others who have pinned about early years play, activity ideas, learning and development, etc.
• Our own “title image pins” with links to our highly useful blog posts, articles and guides for parents, information about early years education, parenting, and more.

On our Pinterest channel, pinboards have been created for the following topics: Preschool, Nursery School Activities, Little Acorns Nursery Padiham itself, Early Years, Sensory Activities for Under 5s, Early Years Parenting, and Nature Activities for Under-Fives. We may add more and we’ll be adding more and more ‘pins’ to each category as time goes by.

Find us on Google

Little Acorns Nursery Padiham is also on Google Business.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. Our Google business profile is here. It shows:

• Our reviews (we have a full 5-Star rating at the time of publishing this article);
• Our business details including address, opening/closing times, contact details, etc;
• Photos from the nursery and as uploaded by the public;
• An outside interactive street view;
• Links to the latest blog posts from the nursery;
• A map and directions — particularly useful if you’re visiting or working out distances and travel to/from the nursery.

Review Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Review Little Acorns Nursery Padiham on Google or Facebook.If you’re a parent of a current child at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, why not write us a review? You can review us on Google (here) and review us on Facebook (here). Many thanks if so. Or, if you have any comments, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Little Acorns: a Nursery & Pre-School for Children Under 5 in Padiham

The highest quality childcare in Padiham, Lancashire

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

At Little Acorns Nursery, we give babies, toddlers, and children under 5 the very best start in life. We are a nursery and pre-school in Padiham that offers weekday childcare and a complete early years education. We’re also conveniently close for those living or working nearby in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, or Wood End. Government-funded childcare places are all supported for eligible families, so do get in touch if you’d like to register your child for a childcare place, to arrange a guided tour, or ask any questions. We’re here to help.

Little Acorns Nursery Receives a Message from King Charles III

Little Acorns Nursery Receives a Message from King Charles III

Following the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in September, children at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, began to create their own pictures showcasing their interpretation of her as their monarch. The result was a beautiful collection of images that were at times quirky and always charming, creative and unique. Many were also rather touching, given the subject matter and circumstances. So much so, in fact, that once complete, staff at Little Acorns decided to send them, on behalf of the children, to the Royal Family. So, off they went, packaged up with a covering note passing on sincere condolences to the Royal Family from both staff and children at the nursery.

A Message from the King

To our surprise and delight, we received correspondence featuring a postmark from Buckingham Palace and a Royal crest!Then, in early February, to our surprise and absolute delight, we received correspondence notably featuring a postmark from Buckingham Palace and a Royal crest. It was addressed to the children and staff at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. Inside was a beautiful and heartfelt reply card and message, sent by none other than King Charles himself!

As with the envelope, the front of the card featured King Charles’s Royal Cypher. That is a type of crest with the King’s initial ‘C’ intertwined with the letter ‘R’ (short for ‘Rex’, which is Latin for ‘King’) and ‘III’ because, of course, he is King Charles III. The cypher also integrates the symbol of the King’s Royal Crown.

Inside, there is a wonderful vintage-style photograph of King Charles as a young boy with his mother, then the young Queen. Both can be seen smiling happily and it’s a very poignant photograph given the circumstances. Facing that was an incredibly touching message, signed at the bottom by King Charles himself:

“It was so very kind of you to send me such a wonderfully generous message following the death of my beloved mother. Your most thoughtful words are enormously comforting, and I cannot tell you how deeply they are appreciated at this time of immense sorrow.” (Signed: Charles R)

The main image above shows the details described.

Staff posted on social media: “Receiving the card and sharing it with the children was a very special time for us” and comments received on the post included, “This is just so lovely and such a touching letter from the King. Something to treasure” and “…have you seen this? I cried when I read it this morning.” So, it has been very touching indeed.

It’s not every day that one receives a message from a monarch, so this wonderful surprise and message really made February incredibly special for our children and staff. A huge ‘well done’ to all the children who created such lovely images and to the staff of Little Acorns Nursery for taking the extra step of sending them to the His Royal Highness the King and the Royal Family. It’s also good to think that the children’s adorable images may have been of some solace to the King in his time of sorrow.

About That Children’s Book

“Where's Mrs Queen?”, book by Ingela P Arrhenius.The eagle-eyed will notice that the little photo above also shows one of the nursery children’s most popular books, “Where’s Mrs Queen?” by Ingela P Arrhenius. Part of a series, this ‘early years’ book features charming illustrations and interactive felt flaps inside. The children can use these to reveal London-themed characters like a policeman, a bus driver, a soldier and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II herself (and a corgi dog, of course). The final page even integrates a surprise mirror, so the children can reveal their own faces — much to their delight and amusement! It’s a simple but fun, interactive and, importantly, sensory book for the little ones to discover and explore.

Nursery & Pre-School Places at Little Acorns, Padiham, in Lancashire

Are you looking for high quality childcare in/near Padiham, Lancashire?

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

Little Acorns is a nursery and pre-school offering the highest quality childcare in Padiham, Lancashire. We may also suit families who either live or work nearby, for example in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham or Wood End. We support Government-funded childcare places for families who are eligible for the relevant funding schemes, which will help to make childcare more affordable to many. Are you potentially interested in a childcare place for your baby, toddler or child under five at Little Acorns Nursery? If so, please register them for a place, get in touch to ask any questions, or request a guided tour of the nursery with your child. We’ll be happy to help. Please select an appropriate button below: