• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Frequently Asked Questions

Little Acorns is both a nursery and a pre-school and provides high quality weekday childcare for babies and under-fives. We can also be described as a kindergarten, day or daycare nursery school. Additionally, we suit families looking for a crèche or play group for their little one. However, as well as simply looking after babies and children under five, we also provide them with a complete early years education, nurturing them in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (‘EYFS’) curriculum, so they have the very best start in life.

Little Acorns Nursery is at Chapel House, Victoria Road, Padiham, Lancashire, BB12 8RF.

We are conveniently located for those living or working nearby in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, and Wood End. Accrington, Brierfield, Clayton-le-Moors, Fence, Whalley, Great Harwood, Tottleworth, Oswaldtwistle and Rishton are also within easy travelling distance and Blackburn is just 10 miles away.

We welcome visits, so please come along. We can show you around, introduce you to staff, show you the facilities and answer any questions. We also encourage you to bring your child for one or even several pre-admission visits. You and your child can sit in on our standard childcare settings and, in this way, can see how well they settle in. It’s also a great way of you both getting to know other children, staff and nursery facilities before fully enrolling. Arrange a visit here.

Registering your child is recommended. The earlier you register for a place, the more likely you will get the exact childcare sessions you require for your child. You can register for a place here.

This varies according to demand at any particular time. So, please let us know what sessions you are likely to require, along with your proposed starting date, and we can confirm availability along with pricing. You can register for a place here.

Families with children at the nursery usually live nearby or within 5 or so miles of Padiham.

We are open Monday to Friday inclusive, from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. We are considering extending our opening hours, however, so please watch this space.

Apart from weekends, we close only for a week over Christmas/New Year and during public/bank holidays.

We provide healthy snacks in the morning and at teatime plus lunch for those who attend childcare sessions over lunchtime. Food is prepared in-house by our chef using the freshest, highest quality ingredients.

For those paying for childcare at Little Acorns, all food, drinks, standard formula milk and snacks supplied by the nursery are included within the fees. Those who attend morning sessions but usually leave at noon may pay a small extra charge if they would like lunch before going home.

Those receiving free childcare through Government-funded ‘free childcare’ schemes will need to pay a little extra for food and drink as it is not covered in the funding.

Learn more about healthy eating at the nursery here.

Food allergies and special dietary requirements are all catered for at the nursery. These include, for example, vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher options. Please discuss any specific needs with our staff during pre-registration visits and when you apply for a nursery place. We will then make the appropriate arrangements. Learn more about healthy eating at the nursery here.

Meals are supervised by our nursery practitioners, who are present at all times. This helps meal times to feel more family-like whilst also allowing staff to encourage good table manners, politeness, good hygiene and so on.

Little Acorns is registered for 50 children and our registration certificate can be viewed on site at the nursery.

Please let us know which weekly sessions you are likely to require and then we can confirm the applicable fees. More information about fees and deposits is available here or contact us here.

As with most nurseries, we will require payment for your child’s childcare sessions even when they’re absent, for example through ill health or because of a family holiday. This is so that we can maintain the appropriate staffing levels and keep their place open for when they return.

No; we aim to be as flexible as possible. So, if you need to vary your child’s attendance pattern, please let us know. We do our best to accommodate even more complex rotas.

We welcome parental involvement at the nursery and therefore they are always welcome. Please contact the nursery manager if you would like to arrange this and we’ll be happy to help.

Yes, of course. We do not want parents to worry, so please call whenever needed.

We employ only high-calibre staff, who are all trained in paediatric first aid. They are, of course, vetted for suitability and are either qualified to at least Level 3 in Childcare & Education or are in the process of training towards it. We also encourage Continuous Professional Development to extend and enrich skills at the setting. Learn more about staff here.

The safety and wellbeing of our children is our topmost priority, so we have stringent safeguarding and security precautions in place at the nursery at all times. Naturally, these include various protocols along with physical barriers like fences, supervised gates and entrances, and so on.

One of the many safeguarding protocols that we operate at the nursery is a secret code word system. This ensures that your child only leaves the nursery with the ‘right’ person. For obvious reasons, though, we will not go into more detail about such security protocols on this public website. However, our security measures will be explained to you when you first register your child for a nursery place.

If at all possible, please telephone to warn us that you will be late. However, we understand that sometimes this may not be possible, for example if you are held up at an office meeting. Either way, we will ensure that a staff member will wait for you.

If any children are diagnosed with an infectious disease, we will confirm this on the information board for parents. Additionally, all suitable precautions will be undertaken in order to limit any spread of the infection.

In the unlikely event of an emergency or accident at the nursery, we have planned protocols in place. Exactly what happens depends upon the nature of the incident. However, rest assured that all staff are trained in paediatric first aid and in regard to appropriate actions to take in emergencies. If appropriate, our Duty Manager would decide whether to call a doctor or ambulance and parents would be informed.

The nursery holds a fire drill every 3 months. The register is checked to ensure everyone has left the building and has arrived at the designated safe place outside. Staff are able to complete this drill in just seconds when required.

Of course. In fact, we have specific rest periods during the course of the day. Babies and under-fives can sleep or rest peacefully during these sessions. However, if your child requires a specific sleep or rest period that’s outside of the usual periods, we will be happy to accommodate them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Little Acorns is both a nursery and a pre-school and provides high quality weekday childcare for babies and under-fives. We can also be described as a kindergarten, day or daycare nursery school. Additionally, we suit families looking for a crèche or play group for their little one. However, as well as simply looking after babies and children under five, we also provide them with a complete early years education, nurturing them in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (‘EYFS’) curriculum, so they have the very best start in life.

Little Acorns Nursery is at Chapel House, Victoria Road, Padiham, Lancashire, BB12 8RF.

We are conveniently located for those living or working nearby in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, and Wood End. Accrington, Brierfield, Clayton-le-Moors, Fence, Whalley, Great Harwood, Tottleworth, Oswaldtwistle and Rishton are also within easy travelling distance and Blackburn is just 10 miles away.

We welcome visits, so please come along. We can show you around, introduce you to staff, show you the facilities and answer any questions. We also encourage you to bring your child for one or even several pre-admission visits. You and your child can sit in on our standard childcare settings and, in this way, can see how well they settle in. It’s also a great way of you both getting to know other children, staff and nursery facilities before fully enrolling. Arrange a visit here.

Registering your child is recommended. The earlier you register for a place, the more likely you will get the exact childcare sessions you require for your child. You can register for a place here.

This varies according to demand at any particular time. So, please let us know what sessions you are likely to require, along with your proposed starting date, and we can confirm availability along with pricing. You can register for a place here.

Families with children at the nursery usually live nearby or within 5 or so miles of Padiham.

We are open Monday to Friday inclusive, from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. We are considering extending our opening hours, however, so please watch this space.

Apart from weekends, we close only for a week over Christmas/New Year and during public/bank holidays.

We provide healthy snacks in the morning and at teatime plus lunch for those who attend childcare sessions over lunchtime. Food is prepared in-house by our chef using the freshest, highest quality ingredients.

For those paying for childcare at Little Acorns, all food, drinks, standard formula milk and snacks supplied by the nursery are included within the fees. Those who attend morning sessions but usually leave at noon may pay a small extra charge if they would like lunch before going home.

Those receiving free childcare through Government-funded ‘free childcare’ schemes will need to pay a little extra for food and drink as it is not covered in the funding.

Learn more about healthy eating at the nursery here.

Food allergies and special dietary requirements are all catered for at the nursery. These include, for example, vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher options. Please discuss any specific needs with our staff during pre-registration visits and when you apply for a nursery place. We will then make the appropriate arrangements. Learn more about healthy eating at the nursery here.

Meals are supervised by our nursery practitioners, who are present at all times. This helps meal times to feel more family-like whilst also allowing staff to encourage good table manners, politeness, good hygiene and so on.

Little Acorns is registered for 50 children and our registration certificate can be viewed on site at the nursery.

Please let us know which weekly sessions you are likely to require and then we can confirm the applicable fees. More information about fees and deposits is available here or contact us here.

As with most nurseries, we will require payment for your child’s childcare sessions even when they’re absent, for example through ill health or because of a family holiday. This is so that we can maintain the appropriate staffing levels and keep their place open for when they return.

No; we aim to be as flexible as possible. So, if you need to vary your child’s attendance pattern, please let us know. We do our best to accommodate even more complex rotas.

We welcome parental involvement at the nursery and therefore they are always welcome. Please contact the nursery manager if you would like to arrange this and we’ll be happy to help.

Yes, of course. We do not want parents to worry, so please call whenever needed.

We employ only high-calibre staff, who are all trained in paediatric first aid. They are, of course, vetted for suitability and are either qualified to at least Level 3 in Childcare & Education or are in the process of training towards it. We also encourage Continuous Professional Development to extend and enrich skills at the setting. Learn more about staff here.

The safety and wellbeing of our children is our topmost priority, so we have stringent safeguarding and security precautions in place at the nursery at all times. Naturally, these include various protocols along with physical barriers like fences, supervised gates and entrances, and so on.

One of the many safeguarding protocols that we operate at the nursery is a secret code word system. This ensures that your child only leaves the nursery with the ‘right’ person. For obvious reasons, though, we will not go into more detail about such security protocols on this public website. However, our security measures will be explained to you when you first register your child for a nursery place.

If at all possible, please telephone to warn us that you will be late. However, we understand that sometimes this may not be possible, for example if you are held up at an office meeting. Either way, we will ensure that a staff member will wait for you.

If any children are diagnosed with an infectious disease, we will confirm this on the information board for parents. Additionally, all suitable precautions will be undertaken in order to limit any spread of the infection.

In the unlikely event of an emergency or accident at the nursery, we have planned protocols in place. Exactly what happens depends upon the nature of the incident. However, rest assured that all staff are trained in paediatric first aid and in regard to appropriate actions to take in emergencies. If appropriate, our Duty Manager would decide whether to call a doctor or ambulance and parents would be informed.

The nursery holds a fire drill every 3 months. The register is checked to ensure everyone has left the building and has arrived at the designated safe place outside. Staff are able to complete this drill in just seconds when required.

Of course. In fact, we have specific rest periods during the course of the day. Babies and under-fives can sleep or rest peacefully during these sessions. However, if your child requires a specific sleep or rest period that’s outside of the usual periods, we will be happy to accommodate them.

Do you have more questions? If so, please contact us using an option below and we’ll be happy to help.

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01282 680 822
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