Lime Tree Day Nursery Quorn

A former vicarage, outdoor play that children can choose for themselves, and regular excursions into Quorn give Lime Tree Day Nursery Quorn a clear sense of place. This nursery occupies the grounds of Rawlins Academy on Loughborough Road, but operates independently of the school. It has capacity for 65 children, taking babies from 2 months through to school age.

At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The practical attractions today include separate baby, toddler and preschool rooms, a key person for each child and daily communication through the Family App. These give families a recognisable progression through the nursery and a way to follow what happens between home and collection.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Room accommodates children from 2 months, with care organised around individual routines and a key person who follows the family's home routine as closely as possible. For a young baby, that continuity matters more than a busy timetable: feeding, rest and exploration can begin with what is already familiar.

Sensory trays, books, music, role play and access outdoors shape the Toddler Room, where movement and growing independence guide the day. Those resources offer different ways to participate, from handling materials to pretending, listening or moving outside.

The Pre-school Room combines early literacy and number recognition with creativity, movement and emotional development to prepare children for school. Preparation here includes how children manage themselves and their feelings, alongside the beginnings of literacy and mathematics.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework sets the foundation for learning and care: children develop communication, physical skills and early understanding through play. Quorn adds a child-led approach, allowing children's interests to influence activities rather than treating the day as a succession of adult instructions. The room resources make that approach tangible, especially where toddlers can choose between sensory play, books and role play.

In April 2022, language development received sustained attention. Younger children heard objects named during book sharing and joined in rhymes, while older children were prompted to think through questions. Mathematics also appeared in play: staff counted flowers with younger children and introduced size language during construction. Learning was woven into ordinary experiences rather than reserved for a separate lesson.

That same April 2022 picture had a limitation. Some organised activities required children to remain seated too long, and their attention drifted. Staff needed to make better use of group activities to keep children involved. This is a useful distinction for parents: a child-led offer still depends on adults choosing the right pace when they bring a group together.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children have outdoor play each day and can choose to move between inside and outside. That gives active children an alternative to staying with indoor activities and makes outdoor time part of the day rather than solely a scheduled break.

Regular neighbourhood walks, park outings, library visits and involvement in village events extend the nursery's community life. These experiences connect children's play with places beyond the building. The former vicarage provides the physical character; Quorn itself supplies opportunities to explore the surrounding community.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person, giving families a consistent practitioner around whom to build communication. In the Baby Room, that relationship also links care to home routines. The Family App provides photographs and updates each day, alongside access to the child's learning journal, so parents can follow both activities and development.

In April 2022, children sought comfort from staff and received affectionate reassurance. Settling sessions helped newcomers become familiar with the adults and surroundings before attending for longer periods. Children also helped one another with everyday tasks, including showing a newcomer how to use a wall display and working together at tidy-up time.

There was a second improvement point in April 2022: staff gathered information about children's existing abilities from parents, but did not consistently put it to work when planning their next steps. Sharing a child's interests and abilities is most useful when it changes what practitioners do. That connection deserves attention during settling.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND were supported well through individual plans and work with other professionals. Staff used objects to explain changes in routine, such as showing a plate before lunch, making the next part of the day more understandable.

The current arrangement includes an on-site SENDCo, a coordinator for special educational needs and disabilities, with support from the wider Lime Tree SEND team. This gives families a named role through which to discuss additional needs. CCTV and controlled entry are also part of the nursery's security arrangements.

Fresh meals are prepared daily. Food is part of the care offer alongside the routines and relationships that shape each child's day.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays, which makes its opening calendar relevant to families whose work continues beyond school terms.

The Quorn team can be contacted on 01509 415085 or at quorn@limetreedaynursery.co.uk. The nursery's address is Rawlins Academy, Loughborough Road, Loughborough, LE12 8DY, in Quorn. Its position within academy grounds should not be read as an admissions advantage: nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 hours for eligible working families with children from 9 months to school age, 15 hours for all children aged 3 and 4, and 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds. For the working-family entitlement starting from 9 months, funding begins in the following term, with January, April and September identified as the starting points.

Eligibility remains a condition of the relevant offer. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to assess the cost of their intended arrangement alongside funded hours.

• Group activities. In April 2022, some children lost interest when organised activities involved prolonged sitting. During a visit, ask how practitioners now adjust group length and participation for different children.
• Putting home knowledge to work. The April 2022 improvement point concerned using parents' information about children's abilities. Ask for an example of how a settling conversation shapes a child's first activities.
• The attendance and cost agreement. Opening runs across the year, and several funded entitlements are accepted. Ask for one written breakdown covering your booking pattern, funding delivery, meals and non-food consumables before comparing quotations.

Lime Tree Quorn suits families seeking care from early infancy through to school age, with outdoor choice and regular contact with the village beyond the nursery. Home routines in the Baby Room and the Family App are useful practical anchors, while the older rooms build independence and school preparation into play.

The April 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific work needed on group engagement and using parents' knowledge. Families who value a key person, community outings and an opening calendar spanning school holidays have clear reasons to consider it.