Little Saints Nursery

A converted caretaker’s house, playrooms on two floors and parents with a direct role in running the nursery give Little Saints its character. Based at School House in Totley, Sheffield, it has 24 places in total for children aged two to five. Its setting on the Totley All Saints School site is useful context, but nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

At its April 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Little Saints Good, found safeguarding effective and reported good progress across the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The detail behind that judgement matters: children managed everyday tasks independently, enjoyed books and built friendships, while teaching needed greater consistency in early writing and more attention to mathematical vocabulary.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside breakfast, lunchtime and after-school provision. This is a term-time nursery, rather than an all-year childcare arrangement, with an elected parent committee responsible for major decisions.

Rooms and Ages

Downstairs serves children aged two to three, combining play chosen by children with activities led by adults and an emphasis on social interaction; resources mirror those upstairs, adjusted for younger children. Upstairs accommodates children aged three to four and a half, with books, a computer, dressing-up resources, a home corner and construction space supporting creative play and preparation for school.

Open shelves let children choose toys and games themselves. Playrooms change as interests develop or seasonal topics emerge, while favourite activities remain accessible. That makes choice a physical part of the room arrangement, rather than something dependent on an adult handing out resources. Children also help put things away.

The 24 places cover the whole nursery, not either group. Each child has a development file tracking their learning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the learning framework: children develop communication, physical skills, relationships and early understanding through play. Little Saints plans around children’s interests and individual next steps. Children can choose how to engage, and activities are adapted to their stage of development rather than expecting everyone to complete the same task.

In April 2025, Book of the Month connected stories with play through book-themed activities. Children also browsed books alone, with friends or with an adult, and developed language through familiar rhymes and new songs.

At that time, staff tracked how children held pencils and supported the move from mark-making towards writing. Older children also received daily literacy activities involving letter sounds and letter formation. There was a clear limitation: demonstrations of letters traced in the air sometimes gave children confusing guidance, even though writing on a board was accurate.

During the April 2025 visit, train play introduced vocabulary about bridges and movement, but staff missed chances to discuss length, size and weight. Everyday conversation needed to develop mathematical concepts more consistently.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor area functions as another learning space. Children play outside except during very heavy rain, so weather-appropriate clothing and a spare set belong in the nursery bag. Getting dirty is accepted as part of ordinary play; clothing needs to cope with that.

In April 2025, outdoor activity included balance bicycles and forest school, an outdoor learning approach, alongside play in the nursery garden. Children demonstrated safe bicycle use and shared turns. Festivals from different faiths and cultures also formed part of learning, with families and staff contributing experiences of food, clothing and traditions.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry, the nursery’s online observation and communication system, gives parents access to learning records and welcomes their comments. For children aged two to three, a daily diary sent after nursery covers activities, eating, sleep and nappy changes. That is useful detail for families trying to understand how a younger child’s nursery day fits with routines at home.

Parent evenings and written reports allow fuller discussions of development. Staff can arrange meetings when daytime conversations are impractical; email, telephone and noticeboards provide other ways to keep in touch.

In April 2025, the key-person relationship included regular conversations with parents and reports each term. Settling arrangements were adapted to individual children. Current arrangements welcome a comforter while a child settles, along with family photographs and items from home, giving children familiar points of connection as they get used to nursery.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

An early-years SENCO role sits within the staff team. When observations raise a developmental concern, parents are consulted and a support plan is made together; professional agencies may become involved following discussion with the family. The two-year-old assessment involves parents and health visitors. These are specific mechanisms for identifying needs and planning help, rather than a general promise of support.

Staff undergo suitability checks and have first-aid training, and the team includes designated safeguarding roles. These arrangements sit alongside the April 2025 finding that staff needed a firmer understanding of nursery policies and procedures. Having a policy and applying it consistently are separate matters.

In April 2025, children practised managing coats, toileting and handwashing, and poured milk into open cups themselves. Healthy snacks and a policy for nutritious packed lunches supported the emphasis on everyday health. Such small tasks matter for school preparation as well as daily care: children practise doing things for themselves.

Learning observations are shared with parents and passed to the child’s primary school. That gives the receiving staff information about development; it does not confer an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Saints opens Monday to Friday, from 7.45am to 5.30pm, for 38 weeks during term time. The Morning Session runs from 8.50am to 11.50am and the Afternoon Session from 12.50pm to 3.20pm. A lunchtime session bridges 11.50am to 12.50pm.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 8.50am, with an alternative 8am start. Children having breakfast must arrive before 8.25am. After School Club ends at 5.30pm, although its starting time needs clarification before booking.

Both clubs serve nursery children and children attending Totley All Saints School. Applications use a downloadable form, returned by post or emailed to admissions@littlesaintsnursery.org.uk. The address is School House, Hillfoot Road, Totley, Sheffield, S17 4AP.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery offers 15 hours universal funded early learning and the working parent entitlement of 15-30 hours for eligible children. Provision is term-time, and funded hours can be used towards breakfast or after-school attendance. Additional private childcare hours are charged separately from funded entitlement; current prices should come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Breakfast is included in the Breakfast Club charge; snacks for children using the working parent entitlement between 15 and 30 hours attract a separate charge, with the option to bring a snack instead. This distinction matters when comparing a funded attendance plan with paid club sessions.

Moving on to School

Little Saints shares the Totley All Saints School site and works closely with the school. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. School preparation and shared surroundings should therefore be considered separately from the admissions decision.

• Term-time coverage. The nursery operates for 38 weeks and closes during school holidays. Families needing continuous childcare should weigh those closures against their working calendar.
• Teaching and policy follow-through. April 2025 improvement points covered accurate letter formation, mathematical language and staff understanding of procedures. Ask how demonstrations, everyday maths conversations and staff policy briefings have changed.
• After-school start time. Application information gives 3.20pm, while the club information and parent handbook give 3.30pm. Confirm the start time and arrangements for the intervening period before choosing this session.
• Settling and younger children’s care. Comforters are welcome during settling, and the two-to-three diary includes sleep and nappy changes. On a visit, ask how those routines would be organised for your child and how the key person uses the diary with parents.

Little Saints suits families seeking morning or afternoon nursery sessions, with breakfast and after-school attendance extending the options during term time. Its strongest practical features are child-accessible playrooms, detailed communication for younger children and parents’ direct involvement through the elected committee.

The April 2025 judgement supports a positive assessment, with clear teaching and staff-practice improvements to pursue. The school-site relationship adds continuity of surroundings, while the separate Reception application remains essential. Families comfortable with school-holiday closures have several attendance patterns to consider here.