The Little Academy Day Nursery, Severn Road

Balls rolling down ramps, water running through tubes and stories brought to life with puppets give this Bradford nursery a practical, playful character. These February 2024 activities put discovery and conversation together: children could watch what happened, then talk about it.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 12 February 2024 and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The Little Academy Day Nursery, Severn Road accepts children from three months to five years.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, the February 2024 examples included exploring cause and effect, sharing stories and using size words during outdoor play.

Books were more than something to listen to. In February 2024, children talked about authors, illustrators and book blurbs, while staff used puppets during storytelling and sang throughout the day. This gave children several ways to engage with language, through conversation, movement and stories.

A speaking-and-listening intervention also formed part of the day that February. Practitioners spoke clearly at children's level and allowed time for answers. Outdoors, climbing equipment supplied a physical setting for talking about size. Learning extended beyond a seated activity.

At the February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good developmental progress and that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was very effective, with the special educational needs coordinator working alongside families and external agencies.

In February 2024, staff gathered children's preferences before they started and used that knowledge to comfort them when upset. A key-person arrangement supported close relationships. Written developmental checks for children aged two to three were shared with parents, giving families a specific point for discussing development.

Independence had practical expression that February: children practised putting on coats, served themselves at lunch and learnt when to use a tissue. Staff also helped children understand routines and return toys after play. These were everyday opportunities to practise managing small tasks.

The address is 1 Severn Road, Bradford, BD2 4LS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

In February 2024, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated participation fact rather than a promise of a funded place today.

• Stretching older children. In February 2024, questioning did not consistently extend older children's understanding or uncover mistaken ideas. This matters for families seeking enough challenge as children approach school age.
• Individual learning goals. Some staff were unclear about children's next learning steps in February 2024. Close relationships therefore sat alongside a need for more consistent understanding of what each child should learn next.
• Attendance arrangements. The opening window runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangement would fit your family's week?

For families seeking care from infancy through the preschool years, the strongest evidence is the February 2024 combination of practical exploration, language activities and personal relationships. It suits parents who value everyday independence and conversation as part of early learning. The two teaching improvements deserve equal weight: extending understanding and making each child's next steps clearer.