Little Angels Day Nursery

A sensory room and outdoor space divided into three areas give Little Angels Day Nursery at Marble Hall a clear physical character. Its home is the Rolls-Royce building on Nightingale Road in Derby. For families comparing settings, those separate spaces matter: they provide alternatives to spending the whole nursery day in one shared room.

The nursery has capacity for 60 children, with a current age range of two to five. At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good overall and found safeguarding effective, with positive findings on communication and targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There were also two clear priorities: protecting children's concentration during changes of activity and helping them stay involved in stories.

Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, with term-time attendance and both funded and privately paid sessions. This is a daytime offer built around the school-term calendar.

Rooms and Ages

Three rooms organise the setting by developmental stage. Babies is described for children from 12 months to two years, Toddlers for two- to three-year-olds, and Preschool for three- to five-year-olds. The current overall age range is two to five, so the younger room description needs particular attention from families considering care before a child's second birthday.

A quiet sensory room provides another space for children with additional needs. Outside, the large play area has three separate sections. These are useful features to explore together: the sensory room offers a calmer setting, while the divided outdoor space gives the nursery more than one area for play.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this means that play, conversation, physical activity and growing independence all belong within the nursery day. Little Angels places emphasis on curiosity, practical skills and learning to socialise.

In June 2025, younger children heard familiar songs and learnt animal names, while pretend tea parties gave staff opportunities to extend conversation. Adults adjusted their language to help children understand. Visual prompts and signing also helped children communicate their needs, including those learning English as an additional language. The practical detail matters: language was woven into play rather than confined to a separate activity.

Physical learning was similarly concrete in June 2025. Children practised ball skills outdoors, explored sand through pouring and scooping, and used tongs at snack time. Younger children popped bubbles with their fingers. These examples brought together larger movements and the smaller hand movements needed for everyday tasks.

Growing tomato plants prompted older children to ask questions in June 2025. A lending library also gave families books to borrow for reading at home. However, story sessions did not consistently hold children's attention, and announcements about snack sometimes broke into absorbed play. The issue was how adults organised and sustained learning, rather than a lack of activities.

Everyday independence was a visible part of care in June 2025. Children practised pouring drinks, using cutlery and clearing away after meals. They recognised their coats and put them on for outdoor play. These small responsibilities gave children opportunities to do things for themselves within familiar routines.

Relationships supported the nursery day in June 2025. Children separated readily from parents, sought affection from staff and shared family photographs with visitors. When disagreements arose, adults helped children work through feelings and find a solution. Praise reinforced helpful actions such as tidying away.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with outside professionals, used individual support plans and adjusted activities and the environment for children with SEND, who made excellent progress from their starting points. That finding gives the sensory room a useful context: support involved changes to teaching and activities as well as access to a quieter space.

Staff training on children's emotions and close relationships with parents also formed part of the June 2025 picture. These are dated strengths to weigh alongside the specific improvements needed in story sharing and daily transitions.

Hot lunches arrive each day from a sister setting, and two-course dinners are offered. This gives families a hot-meal option during the nursery day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Marble Hall, 80 Nightingale Road, Derby DE24 8BF, within Connect Derby. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm. Attendance is term-time, with closure during school holidays, so families needing care across the year must account for that calendar when planning work and other commitments.

Funded and non-funded sessions are offered. The daytime opening window is useful for judging whether the nursery fits family routines, but it should be considered separately from the attendance arrangement a family chooses.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15 and 30 hour funded sessions are offered, alongside privately paid sessions. Funding is delivered within the term-time offer. These are alternative ways of paying for attendance, rather than a guarantee that an individual family qualifies for an entitlement.

Families should obtain a current written quotation for paid childcare. The daily hot-lunch option is another practical part of planning attendance, especially for children staying through lunchtime.

• Attention during activities. In June 2025, changes in routine sometimes interrupted concentrated play, and story sharing did not consistently keep children involved. On a visit, ask how snack transitions and group reading now protect children's engagement.
• Care before age two. The Babies room description starts at 12 months, while the current overall age range is two to five. Families considering an earlier start should confirm the age accepted for their child before making arrangements.
• Settling and the attendance agreement. Term-time opening and the hot-lunch option affect both family routines and the childcare budget. Before joining, ask for a settling plan and written terms covering the chosen sessions, meals and any consumables.

Little Angels suits families seeking term-time daytime care, whether through funded sessions or privately paid attendance. Its sensory room and divided outdoor space are concrete reasons to look closely, while the June 2025 findings give substance to its work on communication, independence and individual support.

The decision turns partly on routine. Families comfortable with the 9am to 3pm opening window have a clearly bounded offer to consider; they should also explore how the nursery has addressed interruptions to play and attention during stories.