Little Elms Pre-School

Low shelves, child-led play and outdoor access give Little Elms Pre-School in Oxton a clear character: children can choose what interests them, while adults respond to the learning happening there and then. Its youngest room welcomes babies from six months, and the room sequence continues through the preschool years. There are 50 places in total.

At its January 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective, but identified less consistent learning conversations with quieter children. A later safety incident requires separate attention. In June 2024, Ofsted found shortcomings in security and staff deployment after a child left unsupervised; the compliance outcome dated 1 July 2024 records the nursery's notification of additional door security and work on staff deployment and procedures. That notification should not be read as a fresh safeguarding judgement.

The main offer is term-time care, with several booked day lengths and a separate holiday club. The combination of child-led learning and practical attendance choices is useful, but families should weigh it alongside the later safety action.

Rooms and Ages

Little Elms Babies serves children aged six to 15 months, with cots for sleep and space to practise crawling, sitting, rolling and climbing. Sprouts Room serves the next stage, with independently accessible activities, responsive adult support and direct access to outdoor play; its room description gives an age band of 15 to 24 months.

Seedlings Room, for two- to three-year-olds, combines independently chosen activities with outdoor access and quieter places to read or pause. Saplings Room, for three- to four-year-olds, has the same balance of indoor choices, outdoor learning and spaces for a calmer moment. This matters for children who enjoy busy play but also need somewhere to withdraw from it.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday routines support communication, physical skills and growing independence. Little Elms adds its in the moment planning approach, where adults respond to a child's current interests rather than setting activities around their own advance plans. Toys within children's reach make that choice practical.

Adult involvement still matters. The approach depends on noticing an interest and extending it, rather than simply leaving a child to occupy themselves. In January 2024, activities were shaped around children's interests and their next learning steps, although quieter children did not consistently receive the same depth of conversation as more confident children.

Physical experiences also differed by stage in January 2024: babies used climbing and sliding equipment, toddlers pushed or rode cars and bikes, and preschool children practised drawing and letter formation on large sheets of paper. These are concrete examples of learning through movement and handling materials, rather than a day organised solely around seated activities.

Settling begins with information from home. In Little Elms Babies, discussions with parents cover individual routines and needs; in Sprouts Room, family guidance helps adults build relationships with children who need reassurance before exploring. That gives familiar habits a place in the transition to nursery care.

For Seedlings Room and Saplings Room, a key person plans around each child's needs, maintains learning records and acts as the main contact for parents. Smaller key groups provide a relationship within the wider room. They should not be mistaken for a stated room-size limit.

Independence was visible in ordinary routines in January 2024. Babies practised using a spoon, toddlers helped serve their food with adult assistance, and older children poured drinks from a water dispenser. Putting on coats, fastening shoes and toileting were also part of that work. The practical value is gradual participation in tasks children will need beyond nursery.

Emotional support in January 2024 included help with calming breathing and comfort when children were upset. Adults also explained changes in the day's routine before the next activity began. These small interventions made transitions more understandable for children rather than relying on them to follow an unexplained instruction.

The later safety action remains material to a care decision. The July 2024 outcome records additional measures on internal and external doors and work with staff on deployment and safety procedures. It records steps reported by the nursery, rather than an explicit confirmation that the actions were met.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The School Building, Main Street, Oxton, NG25 0SA. Opening hours are 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The main provision operates for 38 weeks during term time; a holiday club runs for five weeks across the year. That is a separate provision to consider alongside the term-time pattern.

Six booking options give families different lengths of day. A 9.15am start can finish at 3.15pm, 4pm or 5pm; an 8.30am start can also finish at 3.15pm, 4pm or 5pm. The shorter day and later finish therefore serve different schedules, rather than requiring every family to take the longest option.

Enrolment and visits are arranged by emailing info@littleelmspre-school.co.uk. The admissions route also allows families to join a waiting list. This is a booking process, not an indication of how many places are currently free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision offers 15 or 30 hours per week across the 38-week term-time year, with hours usable across the week. Additional sessions are invoiced at an hourly rate. Private childcare is also offered. Families should obtain a current written quotation from the nursery, keeping funded hours, additional childcare and food charges separate.

The fee options charge separately for snacks and lunch, with tea also charged on the later options, including alongside funded provision. A separate day description includes snacks and drinks, and includes breakfast and a light tea in the full day, so the food terms need resolving for the chosen booking.

• Security and supervision. Following the June 2024 incident, the July 2024 outcome records door-security changes and work on staff deployment. During a visit, ask how these measures now operate and how the compliance actions were followed up.
• Quieter children. In January 2024, children who were less vocal did not consistently receive equally developed learning conversations. Ask how a key person now brings a quieter child into sustained interaction during child-led play.
• Food charges. The fee options charge for snacks and meals, while the day description includes some food. Request one written breakdown for the exact funded or private booking before comparing costs.
• The Sprouts transition. Sprouts Room has conflicting age bands: 15 to 24 months and 15 to 23 months. Clarify the room transition for a child approaching their second birthday.

Little Elms suits families who value child-led activities, accessible resources and outdoor play, and who need either a shorter term-time day or an earlier start with a later finish. Babies have their own room and routines, while older children have a key-person relationship and room to choose activities independently.

The January 2024 judgement provides a positive educational reference point, with a clear improvement priority for quieter children. The subsequent security and supervision action carries greater weight in a present care decision. Families should consider the learning offer alongside a concrete explanation of the safety measures and a written agreement on food charges.