Little Explorers Nursery & Pre-School

A vegetable-growing area, books to borrow for home and individual baby care plans give Little Explorers Nursery & Pre-School a recognisable character. This Chorley nursery combines practical care for the youngest children with an increasingly structured preschool day. Its four named rooms give families a clear picture of how the emphasis changes as children grow, rather than treating birth to five as one undifferentiated stage.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and judged that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received effective support through targeted plans. That is a dated judgement. The same visit highlighted uneven support in the toddler room and weaknesses in how staff training translated into practice, which remain important questions for families considering that stage.

The nursery accepts children from birth to five and has capacity for 86 children in total. Full days, mornings and afternoons are offered, with both year-round and term-time attendance options. The practical choice is broad; the detail of funded hours and meal charges deserves attention before agreeing a pattern.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillars gives babies a dedicated sleep area, additional cosy sleeping spaces and a key person who works with their individual routines. A care plan completed with parents keeps those routines explicit. For a family managing changing sleep and feeding needs, that arrangement makes the conversation about care specific to their baby.

From 18 months, Butterflies combines space for messy and creative play with opportunities to practise movement, while singing, stories and copying sounds support communication. Daily garden access and short community walks extend the toddler day beyond the room. Language is woven into ordinary play rather than confined to a separate lesson.

Ladybirds serves children aged 2.5 and three, with direct outdoor access and small-group stories, rhymes and games that practise sharing, concentration and taking turns. Children can choose between indoor and outdoor play during their session. That balance offers more structure while retaining choice about where to play.

Pre-School combines a structured day with play, number work and letters and sounds. An Early Years Teacher oversees teaching and learning, while a room leader manages the room's daily running. The distinction gives families a clear account of how educational planning and everyday organisation are arranged.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework: children build language, social, physical and early mathematical skills through play and experiences suited to their development. Here, activities are planned around children's interests and next steps. The progression from baby attachments to toddler communication and preschool number work gives that framework a concrete shape.

Home learning has a regular rhythm. Activity packs go home each half term, linking family activities with what children are working on at nursery. Lancashire's We Are Reading initiative promotes books, stories and language, and children can borrow books from the nursery library. This makes shared reading something families can continue with the nursery's own resources.

Free additions include Baby Massage, Yoga, sport sessions and Tiny Talk sign language classes. Preschool swimming and Spanish lessons are charged separately each term and depend on availability. These are additions to the nursery day, so families can distinguish the ordinary learning programme from activities carrying an extra charge.

In December 2022, preschool children practised new vocabulary and the sounds within words during play, and staff used questions and repeated language to extend conversations. The toddler experience was less consistent: quieter children sometimes remained outside activities, and support with waiting and taking turns was uneven. Those details matter more than a simple list of activities, because participation depends on how adults help individual children join in.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is daily and continues in all weathers. The garden includes a sandpit, bikes and scooters, water play, climbing and balancing opportunities, plus areas for imaginative play. Separate areas serve different ages, so the outdoor offer changes with children's stage of development.

The growing area adds another kind of experience: children plant and care for flowers, herbs and vegetables. Outdoor activities also connect with indoor learning, allowing children to pursue an idea through physical exploration. Alongside Butterflies' short community walks, this gives the day a practical emphasis on movement and investigating the world.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person responsible for observing development, recording learning and planning next steps. Parents share information about their child at the start, giving staff a basis for understanding routines and individual needs. For babies, that partnership is formalised in a care plan that is updated regularly.

Communication uses several routes: daily feedback, written reports, parent meetings and online learning journals. The journals contain photographs, videos and observations and are updated regularly by the key person. Parents can therefore follow both everyday experiences and longer-term development, rather than relying on occasional formal meetings alone.

In December 2022, settling arrangements covered both starting nursery and moving between rooms. That distinction matters here, where children progress through several different environments. A move from familiar baby routines to the more active toddler room is a transition in its own right.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role provides a route for discussing developmental concerns and seeking support. The staff structure also includes room managers, practitioners and a cook; several team members hold degree-level qualifications or higher. Staff receive ongoing professional development, with regular training covering first aid and child protection as well as food hygiene and workplace safety.

In December 2022, the improvement priorities included stronger toddler-room coaching, better involvement of quieter children and clearer understanding of other professionals' responsibilities in children's care. Regular supervision and peer observations were already in place, but learning from training did not consistently become secure practice. For parents, the useful question is how coaching changes what staff do with children during an ordinary session.

A nursery cook prepares meals and snacks on site each day, with vegetarian alternatives offered daily and baby weaning menus developed with parents. Dietary requirements and allergies are addressed through individual discussions with families and the nursery's food policies.

School preparation includes phonics, number sessions, small intervention groups and liaison with schools to support transition. These are practical steps towards the next stage, centred on children's learning and continuity of care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Building B2, Chorley Business & Technology Centre, Euxton Lane, Chorley, PR7 6TE. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank holidays the only closures. Both full-year and term-time-only places are offered across the age range, allowing families to choose an attendance calendar as well as a daily pattern.

Private full days run from 7.30am to 6pm; funded full days run from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions run from 7.30am to 12.30pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Early Bird care from 7.30am to 8am carries a separate charge on funded days. The funded rate table includes mornings as well as the core full-day window, so the precise pattern matters when comparing arrangements.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01257 246040, by email at info@littleexplorers.me.uk or through the contact form. Visits take place by appointment during opening hours.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds, including 30 hours for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Private childcare is also offered. A term-time attendance option is a separate question from how funded entitlement is allocated across a booking, so the written arrangement should identify the hours covered.

Nursery meals attract a separate charge alongside care, including on funded places; families may provide food instead, subject to the Meals from Home policy, Allergy Policy and nutrition guidance. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the session and fees page sets out the charge structure.

• The toddler stage. December 2022 findings included quieter children missing out on activities and inconsistent help with taking turns. During a visit, ask how Butterflies staff draw hesitant children into play and manage shared activities.
• Training in practice. December 2022 improvement priorities covered coaching and understanding other professionals' roles. Ask for an example of how staff development has changed daily practice and coordination of support.
• Funded patterns and extras. Funded full days, Early Bird care and meal contributions have separate terms, while preschool swimming and Spanish lessons carry termly charges subject to availability. Review those elements together in the written quotation, including arrangements for non-food consumables.
• Food from home and allergies. Bringing food is an alternative to paying for nursery meals, subject to food and allergy policies. Families managing allergies should confirm current handling arrangements and how their child's dietary plan will be shared with staff.

Little Explorers suits families choosing between morning, afternoon and full-day care, with either term-time or year-round attendance. Its strongest practical features are individual baby routines, daily outdoor access and learning that continues at home through books and activity packs.

The December 2022 toddler-room findings deserve direct discussion, especially for a quieter child. Preschool structure and the detailed baby-care arrangements give families useful reasons to consider it, while the separate treatment of funded hours, meals and paid activities makes the written booking terms an essential part of the decision.