Little Lambs Day Nursery

A baby unit with its own garden, preschool children preparing snacks, and daily updates through Famly give Little Lambs Day Nursery a practical character: outdoor play, growing independence and a clear connection between home and nursery. On Paygrove Lane in Longlevens, Gloucester, it has capacity for 95 children, accepting ages from three months to five years.

At its 12 May 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard for behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, Expected standard in achievement, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. This is a report card with separate judgements, rather than a single overall grade. Behaviour and routines are its strongest assessed area; teaching confidence and explanations of personal hygiene remain development priorities.

Babies, Toddlers and Preschool have separate age-group provision. Full days, mornings and afternoons give families different attendance patterns, while preschool also has a term-time option.

Rooms and Ages

Babies covers the under-two stage, with a dedicated baby unit and its own garden; staff gather bottle and sleep information during settling so that familiar home routines can continue.

Toddlers serves children aged two to three, with physical play, outdoor activity and increasing independence at snack time; potty training follows the approach families use at home. Preschool, for ages three to five, combines stories, creative and messy activities with physical play in its own garden, while children help with snacks and meals. These are practical steps towards doing more for themselves.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework shapes learning through play and planned activities, covering children's development as well as their care. Sensory experiences for babies and creative projects for older children put that framework into everyday practice.

In May 2026, babies explored materials in farm-themed sensory activities and joined music and movement sessions. Toddlers washed dolls in water and built towers with differently sized bricks. Older children made dough models and explored colour combinations through painting. These examples show how ordinary play can give children opportunities to practise movement, coordination, expression and early mathematical thinking.

Books also crossed the age groups in May 2026, with children listening to stories alongside staff. Daily routines had a visible role: children helped clear away and moved between activities, while older children worked through disagreements with their peers.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden and forest school area are used for outdoor play, with garden access in both the morning and afternoon. Waterproof clothing, sun hats and sun cream are provided, and families supply wellies.

Little Lambs Graduation 2026 marked the preschool children's move towards school with a family celebration. Stitch and Pikachu joined that event for games and dancing.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who gets to know their routines, preferences and family. That relationship begins during settling, giving parents a familiar contact before normal attendance starts. The standard settling plan contains three sessions: an hour with a parent present, followed by two sessions of two hours where the child can spend time apart from them; the process can be tailored to the child.

Famly carries care updates about sleep, bottles, meals, toileting and nappy changes, alongside photographs and observations. Parents can also message the team and view invoices through it.

Home routines have a specific place in baby care. Bottle timings are agreed with families and adjusted as children develop, and parents can supply expressed breast milk. Comfort items from home are encouraged during settling.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff used family discussions, assessment, adapted activities and external professional support to meet individual needs, with children including those with SEND making good progress from their starting points. The nursery follows Gloucestershire’s Graduated Pathway and works alongside other professionals to support children with SEND. This gives families a named route for organising additional support.

In May 2026, staff used visual timetables, reminders and calm conversations about feelings. Babies' sleep was checked regularly, and staff responded to children's individual routines and preferences. However, explanations accompanying younger children's hygiene and personal care were inconsistent. The next step is to help children understand why those routines matter, as well as helping them complete them.

All staff have paediatric first aid training. Meals are homemade, with breakfast, snacks, hot lunch and high tea depending on attendance, and menus rotate across three weekly plans; dietary arrangements are discussed according to the child's needs. Food inclusion differs between privately paid and funded sessions, so care provision and the charging arrangement need to be read together.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Paygrove Lane, Longlevens, Gloucester, GL2 0AU. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with bank holidays and the Christmas closure excluded. The Christmas closure runs from Christmas Eve through New Year inclusive, and closure dates are supplied at the start of the year.

Privately paid full days run from 7.30am to 6pm, mornings from 7.30am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Funded full days begin at 8am and finish at 6pm; funded mornings run from 8am to 1pm, and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. A pre-booked 7.30am start on a funded session carries an additional charge.

The minimum booking is two sessions, with attendance on different days recommended. Preschool term-time attendance is another option. Requests for extra or occasional sessions can be made through Famly, subject to availability and an up-to-date account. Enquiries use the contact form, telephone or email; registration paperwork must be completed and signed by both parents/carers before the child starts nursery, while Famly permissions must be completed before settling sessions.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15-hour and 30-hour government funding schemes are accepted. The usual funded arrangement stretches entitlement over 50 weeks, giving eligible families 11.4 or 22.8 hours a week respectively. Access to the full funding entitlement does not require the purchase of additional private hours.

Privately paid sessions include meals, snacks, personal care supplies and activity charges; formula milk is excluded. Funded sessions have separate food, non-food and activity charges, covering items such as nappies, wipes and sun cream, meals appropriate to the session, and nursery celebrations and outside-agency activities, which may change with children's interests and availability. Families can opt out of these charges by supplying the items normally covered and following the strict Packed Food Policy. This choice needs planning, especially for families considering funded attendance alone.

A deposit is returned within the first term for fully funded places; where additional paid hours are used, its return on leaving depends on an up-to-date account and the full four weeks' notice. Contract termination or session changes require one month's written, paid notice, subject to the manager's discretion. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the charge structure set out on the fees page.

• Funding changes the package. Private attendance includes food, care supplies and activities, while funded attendance separates those charges and permits an opt-out. The opt-out makes supplying food and care items part of the family's attendance plan.
• An early funded start costs extra. Funded mornings and full days begin at 8am. A 7.30am start adds a charged extension to either pattern.
• Teaching and hygiene remain development priorities. The May 2026 next steps concerned staff confidence in curriculum delivery and children's understanding of hygiene. At a visit, ask how staff explain personal care and how coaching has developed classroom practice.
• Dietary needs require individual planning. Menus operate across three weekly plans, and special diets are arranged around the child. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food preparation and their child's arrangements, including any packed food supplied under the funded opt-out.

Little Lambs suits families choosing between morning, afternoon and full-day attendance, as well as those considering preschool term-time care. The baby garden, practical independence in preschool and Famly updates give the offer substance. Funding is flexible in its charge structure, but choosing between included supplies and providing them from home is a meaningful part of the decision.

The May 2026 assessment gives behaviour and routines the strongest endorsement. Curriculum delivery and hygiene explanations deserve attention alongside that strength. For parents who value familiar care routines, daily outdoor activity and a clear settling plan, this is a nursery with concrete arrangements to weigh against their child's needs.