Nanpantan Nursery School

An old school house, child-led play and a preschool day built around exploration give Nanpantan Nursery School its character. Based in Loughborough, it has 26 places in total for children aged 24 to 60 months. The emphasis is on children choosing what interests them, with adults observing and providing materials to take that interest further.

At its September 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, made at least the progress expected from their starting points. There were also clear priorities for teaching: more precise staff monitoring, better-planned adult-led groups and more discussion of healthy choices.

Attendance is term-time only, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions. That gives families a choice of preschool patterns, while leaving school holidays outside the care arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children learn through play, develop relationships and practise making choices. Nanpantan's approach gives children's interests a leading role. Practitioners watch, listen and document their play, then make materials available that connect with what children want to investigate. This is a practical distinction for parents who value exploration rather than a day dominated by adult instruction.

In September 2025, language work included adults describing children's play, asking a question and allowing time for an answer. Vocabulary prompts helped staff introduce more varied words. Children needing help with pronunciation received individual attention. These examples show how conversation was built into play, rather than reserved for a separate language activity.

Sensory exploration also had a practical purpose. In September 2025, children experimented with vegetables and water, using pipettes, scoops and tweezers during pretend cooking. Handling these tools gave them opportunities to practise small hand movements while pursuing an activity that interested them. Stories were used when children needed a quieter interval after energetic play, connecting rest with listening and vocabulary.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2025, outdoor activity included balancing on beams and building an obstacle course with hoops, tyres and planks. Children worked together to solve the construction problems; running outside and dancing indoors added opportunities for movement. The physical resources matter here: children could test balance and coordination through active play, alongside the smaller movements involved in handling tools.

Summer-term exchange visits support the move towards school. Links with local schools and other early years settings give transition a practical element beyond talking about the next stage.

Relationships and Communication

Family photographs provided a useful connection between home and nursery in September 2025. Staff made books showing people important to children, which children could look through and share with friends. For a child still settling, familiar faces offered something concrete to return to during the nursery day.

At that time, staff responded to children needing reassurance with comforting contact and calm speech. They also brought children together in small groups to practise sharing and taking turns. These are different kinds of support: help with immediate emotions alongside opportunities to build relationships with other children.

Communication extended beyond the session itself. In September 2025, staff exchanged information with families at the beginning and end of sessions and used online updates for routines and activities. Parents therefore had both a conversation and a continuing account of their child's day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes educators trained in early years and first aid. This gives families a concrete staffing detail alongside the dated inspection judgement, rather than a general promise about care.

In September 2025, children practised serving snacks and pouring drinks for themselves. They also prepared fruit for smoothies with adult guidance on using knives safely. These activities connected food with independence and practical skills, although helping children understand why some choices are healthy remained an improvement priority.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery operates on weekdays during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to 12.15pm, afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and a full day runs from 9am to 3.30pm. Families must book at least two sessions each week. The full-day option is therefore a preschool-length day ending in mid-afternoon, which matters when matching care to working hours.

The address is The Old School House, Nanpantan Road, Loughborough, LE11 3YD. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone to the registrar on 01509 267308 or the setting on 01509 239203.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts 2 year funding, 15 hour government funding and 30 hours funding, alongside privately paid sessions. Attendance is term-time only. Tax-free childcare and childcare vouchers are also accepted, and private session charges are invoiced each term.

Children attending afternoon or full-day sessions bring a lunch box from home; that requirement applies to those session patterns, including when funded hours are used. A registration charge is required to secure sessions, with payment accepted by bank transfer, cheque or cash. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the sessions and fees page sets out the booking and payment structure.

• The weekly commitment. At least two sessions must be booked each week. Consider whether that minimum fits the regular preschool routine you want, rather than planning around occasional attendance.
• Term-time care. Sessions operate during term time and the full day finishes at 3.30pm. Families needing holiday care or later afternoons will need arrangements covering those periods.
• Lunch and other supplies. Afternoon and full-day attendance requires a lunch box from home. What non-food supplies should your child bring for their chosen sessions?
• Adult-led learning. In September 2025, group activities did not consistently engage children from the outset, and staff monitoring needed greater precision. On a visit, ask how group activities are now planned and how staff develop their teaching; discussion of healthy choices is another useful example to explore.

Nanpantan suits families seeking child-led preschool education in an old school house, with a choice between morning attendance, afternoon sessions and a preschool-length full day. The September 2025 picture combines practical language work, physical play and familiar links with home, alongside specific teaching priorities. Its term-time calendar and two-session minimum are central to the decision. For families whose care arrangements fit those boundaries, the variety of session patterns is useful.