Little Oaks Nursery

A dedicated baby room, play built around stories and a close connection with Derby Grammar School give Little Oaks Nursery its character. Based on Rykneld Road in Littleover, Derby, it combines early-years care with opportunities to become familiar with a school setting. Independence runs through the day, from dressing practice to making small choices about food and play.

At its February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership to be at the expected standard, with safeguarding standards met; the main improvement was more consistent oversight and coaching of teaching, including quicker responses when children disengaged. This is a report card with separate judgements, rather than an overall grade.

Children are accepted from 3 months, with the current age range extending to 48 months. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, and the nursery operates for 51 weeks each year. The strongest practical attraction is the combination of a dedicated space for babies and school-linked experiences for older children.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room sits alongside spacious toddler and pre-school rooms. Storytelling corners, spaces for pretend play and sensory exploration areas give children different ways to participate: listening to a story, trying out a role or investigating something through touch and movement. These are useful physical details rather than a promise that every child will enjoy the same activity.

In February 2026, babies explored light and sound, while physical activities included tummy time, reaching and rolling, with low equipment to help them pull up to stand. Older children played a missing-number game using an illuminated tabletop. The contrast matters: early movement and sensory exploration for the youngest children, then games that bring counting, memory and conversation together.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework shapes learning through play, with activities developing language, early literacy, number skills and movement. Structured activities alternate with free play, group time and rest. That gives the day a rhythm while leaving room for children to follow an interest.

Daily enrichment includes French, drama, music and PE, alongside Cooking Club and Tiny Mites sessions. These sit alongside everyday play rather than replacing it. The Forest School ethos is an approach centred on exploring and learning about the natural world; here, it accompanies the nursery's emphasis on discovery and outdoor learning.

In February 2026, familiar books returned in different activities so children could revisit their meaning. One story became a game involving fruit and a pretend caterpillar, with counting and discussion about size woven into the play. Repetition had a clear purpose: children could connect a story they knew with words, objects and actions.

Social learning is also made concrete. Kind Friend, Helper and Listener of the Day are celebration roles that recognise considerate behaviour. Sand timers help children handle disagreements, while choices about activities give them practice expressing a preference. These are everyday opportunities to learn how to share space and attention with others.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2026, outdoor activity was part of each day's routine, and children talked about changes they had noticed in the natural environment. School links also extended beyond preparation in the pre-school room: children joined events with the school on site, and a designated PE day helped introduce experiences associated with the next stage of education.

The distinction between an ethos and an activity matters here. Forest School informs the nursery's approach, while the concrete experiences include outdoor exploration and physical activity. Families choosing for the outdoor element should consider how these experiences work for their child's age.

Relationships and Communication

In February 2026, key people offered cuddles and reassurance to children adjusting to nursery, and baby-room staff worked with parents to preserve familiar home routines. Sleep and nappy changes involved individual support. For a baby, continuity between home and nursery can make a demanding change more manageable.

Communication covered children's learning as well as their starting points. In February 2026, staff gathered information from families about what children already knew and shared updates about their development. Home experiences also fed into group activities, including greetings in other languages. This gave parents' knowledge of their child a practical role in planning the day.

Older children's independence was visible in ordinary tasks. In February 2026, pre-school children put on outdoor clothing, used cutlery and poured water for themselves. Children also voted on choices and practised accepting the group's decision. The aim was participation, with adults helping children manage both practical tasks and disappointment.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified emerging developmental delays, planned interventions with families and professionals, reviewed SEND support and used additional funding for resources; preparation for the next stage of learning was also a strength. The useful detail is the sequence of assessment, support and review, rather than a general assurance about inclusion.

There was a qualification to the positive picture. In February 2026, some children who became unsettled or lost interest were not helped promptly enough to reconnect with play. Expectations and enthusiasm for activities were also uneven across rooms. More consistent monitoring of staff practice was the next step, so the quality of adult responses deserves attention alongside the resources and activities.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Derby Grammar School, Rykneld Road, Littleover, Derby, DE23 4BX. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. Bank holidays and a week at Christmas are closures, which families need to account for when planning annual childcare.

Personal tours can be arranged through the online enquiry form or by telephone. This provides a direct way to see the baby, toddler and pre-school spaces and discuss the nursery day.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers 15 or 30 hours of funded childcare. All meals are included in nursery provision, and children do not bring packed lunches. In February 2026, staff liaised with kitchen colleagues about food suitable for each child's stage of weaning, connecting food arrangements with individual care.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Families using funding should consider the whole attendance arrangement alongside the funded hours, rather than treating the entitlement as the complete childcare package.

Moving on to School

The nursery presents its connection with Derby Grammar School as a route to a smooth transition into Reception, supported by nursery staff. Familiarity with a school and preparation for its routines can help children approach that change. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place: families must use the school's own admissions process.

• Consistency of teaching. February 2026 findings identified uneven responses when children lost interest or became unsettled. On a visit, ask how coaching and monitoring now help staff respond across the different rooms.
• Funded attendance. The nursery offers 15 or 30 funded hours and includes meals in its provision. How would the funded hours, paid attendance and any consumables work together for your child's proposed pattern?
• The school connection. Nursery staff support preparation for Reception, but attendance does not guarantee admission to Derby Grammar School. Treat the nursery choice and the school's admissions process as separate decisions.

Little Oaks Nursery suits families who value a dedicated baby room, practical independence and early familiarity with a school setting. Stories, sensory play and daily enrichment give the day substance, while the key-person arrangements seen in February 2026 put familiar routines and reassurance alongside learning.

The balance is clear. The February 2026 judgements reached the expected standard across the assessed areas, but adult responses were not consistently prompt when children disengaged. For parents, the deciding issue is how well that consistency now matches the nursery's appealing spaces, everyday activities and school-linked preparation.