Partou Little Dragons Day Nursery & Pre-school

Weekly sing and sign for younger children, phonics for preschoolers and an award for staff development give Little Dragons a clear character. Language and learning sit alongside attention to emotions, with mindfulness classes for preschool children and online journals that keep parents connected to their progress.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, with sensory exploration, early literacy and growing independence prominent in the findings. Two improvements concerned younger children's use of dummies while speaking and distractions during group activities. Those are useful points to explore alongside the strengths.

Based at Dragon Hall in Harrogate, Partou Little Dragons Day Nursery & Pre-school has capacity for 73 children aged 3 to 60 months. Full days, morning and afternoon sessions, and term-time attendance give families several ways to organise care.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, communication and everyday experiences help children build skills. Little Dragons adds weekly sing and sign classes in its baby and toddler rooms, combining singing and signing to support communication and social interaction. Preschool children have phonics classes to support early reading and writing, alongside mindfulness activities for managing emotions.

Bright playrooms provide space for indoor activities, while an outdoor play area is used throughout the year. The emphasis changes with children's stage of development. Younger children have a recurring opportunity to practise communication; preschool activities bring more explicit attention to sounds, literacy and emotional regulation.

In September 2023, sensory activities involved natural materials, including shells, wood and pine cones. Children pressed seeds and petals into dough and explored the scents of fruit and herbs. These were practical ways to investigate texture and smell, rather than learning only through spoken explanations.

Early literacy also extended beyond nursery activities in September 2023. A lending library enabled parents to borrow stories for home, and additional funding bought books and storytelling props. Practitioners repeated children's words and paused during rhymes so children could contribute. The child had a part in the exchange.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2023, children exercised daily in an enclosed garden, using bicycles, balls and balancing beams. Babies practised reaching and stretching during tummy time, while water play, sand and dough gave children opportunities to develop hand control. Movement included both whole-body activity and smaller, careful actions.

The current outdoor offer is year-round access to the play area. That makes outdoor exploration part of the setting's provision across the seasons, alongside the resources inside its playrooms.

Relationships and Communication

Online journals let parents follow their child's development from home. This provides a continuing connection with nursery life, rather than leaving progress discussions solely to face-to-face conversations.

In September 2023, practitioners helped children recognise emotions through a game using happy and sad faces. Children also marked their own attendance and practised serving food and pouring drinks. Everyday routines gave them manageable responsibilities, with encouragement for their efforts.

Staff development has a concrete accolade here. In June 2024, the National Day Nurseries Association recognised Little Dragons with its Training and Development Award. Personal progression plans formed part of the work recognised, while staff wellbeing initiatives included counselling and spaces for mindfulness. For families, the relevant emphasis is on continuing staff learning, rather than treating training as a one-off exercise.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including cooperation with education and health professionals. Little Dragons also holds Dingley’s Promise Accreditation for its work on inclusion in early years education for children with SEND; this is an inclusion credential, rather than a description of an individual child's support plan.

Meals are prepared at the nursery using a seasonal menu. In September 2023, the cook adapted dishes for allergies and other dietary needs, and children joined baking activities, including making cake with courgette and coconut.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. The full-day booking runs from 8am to 6pm; mornings run from 8am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. An early drop-off session from 7am to 8am extends the start of the day.

Year-round childcare and term-time-only attendance are both offered. These serve different needs: a morning or afternoon booking provides a shorter day, while the full-day pattern covers the longer window. The early session is a separate addition to the main booking.

Bank holidays are closure days, and Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve have a 4pm finish. Charges apply over 52 weeks, including bank holidays, so the charging year and the days children can attend are different considerations.

Getting There

The address is Dragon Hall, East Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5LB. Harrogate Station is a short walk away, making the location useful for families combining nursery with town-centre work or rail travel.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered through North Yorkshire Local Authority. For eligible families, funding typically covers 15 or 30 hours a week over 38 term weeks, with a maximum of 10 funded hours a day; for year-round attendance, funding is spread over 52 weeks, giving 10.96 or 21.92 funded hours each week. Term-time attendance retains the 15 or 30 weekly hours across those 38 weeks.

Care, food and consumables have separate charges. Meals, snacks and drinks are charged separately, as are consumables such as sun cream, wipes and nappies; both categories remain chargeable during funded sessions because funding applies to care only. Families should obtain a current written quotation showing their chosen attendance pattern and funding calculation.

Registration involves either a non-refundable registration charge or a deposit to reserve the child's place, subject to the eligibility conditions in the terms. The branch fees information sets out the charging structure, and enquiries can be made through the nursery's online form.

• Speech and comforters. In September 2023, younger children were not consistently encouraged to take dummies out when speaking. Ask how staff now balance comfort with opportunities to practise speech.
• Attention during group activities. Distractions affected listening in September 2023. During a visit, discuss how group activities are organised and how children who need a quieter space are supported.
• The full attendance cost. Food and consumables remain separately chargeable during funded sessions, and bank holidays sit within the charging year. Compare a written quotation against the actual days and sessions your family needs.
• Dietary needs. The cook adapted food for allergies in September 2023. Families managing an allergy should confirm current preparation arrangements and how dietary information is shared with staff.

Little Dragons suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day or term-time attendance, with communication activities for younger children and phonics and mindfulness for preschoolers. Its staff-development award and inclusion accreditation add substance to that offer. The September 2023 priorities around dummies and group-time distractions deserve a practical discussion, while separately charged food and consumables matter when comparing funded attendance costs.